Re-enchantment | 1700 La Poste celebrates its 10th anniversary with Carol Wainio

The art gallery founded by Isabelle de Mévius is celebrating its 10th anniversary this fall with Re-enchantmenta very rich exhibition of the most recent works of the prolific Ontario painter Carol Wainio.

In his large, very dense paintings, exterior landscapes dominate, in a form of figurative expressionism from which emerge characters taken from popular tales, such as Tom Thumb Or Puss in Boots, or even mythical animals from La Fontaine’s fables, such as the hare and the tortoise. The whole addresses the themes of disenchantment, scarcity as well as the excesses of our time.

To create her characters, Carol Wainio was particularly inspired by a collection of postcards dating from the end of the 19th century.^e century and early 20th century^e century, which represent significant scenes from these tales. In particular that of Little Thumb.

The artistic and general director of 1700 La Poste, Isabelle de Mévius, could not have found a better concept to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her gallery, which is a former post office! But she assures us that this is just the result of chance. “I had no idea at first that Carol had all these postcards and that they served as inspiration for creating her characters. »

This exhibition, which brings together around thirty paintings by Carol Wainio, was carefully prepared for almost a year. Each of the works is full of details and visual references.

In The Fallfor example, these are the abandoned children of the Little Thumb (or Hansel and Gretel) which we find in the center of the canvas, in a forest which, paradoxically, has something enchanting. Children’s drawings were added to the foreground, in the form of simple lines representing sometimes trees, sometimes a turtle…

“For me, children abandoned in the forest are also a metaphor for the abandonment of future generations in the face of climate change,” Carol Wainio tells us. All this in a context where fabulist and conspiratorial discourses are multiplying, and where politicians act like children. There is a disenchantment, but also a re-enchantment, because my characters are also bearers of hope. »

It is true that the seven children abandoned in Tom Thumb eventually find their way back and, thanks to some trickery, bring back a bag of gold to their parents.

It is for all of her work that Isabelle de Mévius wanted to exhibit the paintings of Carol Wainio, an Ontario painter of Finnish origin, and to write a beautiful book bringing together her works. “I like her freedom of expression, she dares to go figurative – at the same time, it’s not – she interprets nature, there are wonderful flights of fancy. It’s a very inventive painting. »

In search of the truth

In 10 years, it must be said that Isabelle de Mévius has had flair. Almost all of his exhibitions were a hit. From Louis-Pierre Bougie to Gilles Mihalcean, via Jean-Pierre Morin, Marc Garneau, Geneviève Cadieux and Jannick Deslauriers, from painting to sculpture, the public has always responded.

How does the gallery owner of Belgian origin choose the artists she exhibits?

Isabelle de Mévius remembers the first exhibition at 1700 La Poste, in the rubble of the antiques store that was then established on the street – before she transformed the 1700 La Poste building into an art gallery. “It was an exhibition by Michel Casavant,” she remembers. He had lots of paintings in his studio, I first suggested he make a book, and then we did the exhibition. »

The artistic director of 1700 La Poste is certain today, this art gallery is “the most beautiful thing” she has done in her life. “Over the years, I got to know these artists, I discovered their art,” she tells us. All this work of investigation and understanding fascinates me. Artists also need us to sell their works, it’s very important, because the market is slow. »

Works featuring characters from Little Thumb are located on the ground floor, while on the first floor, you can see his entire corpus inspired by La Fontaine’s fables. In the basement are other paintings by the artist, as well as the famous postcards that inspired her.

The fables are completely reinterpreted in the paintings of Carol Wainio, finally notes Isabelle de Mévius.

“The turtle, for example, is found in several positions, either whole or held on a leash by a foreman [dans At Hare], the gallery owner tells us. This gives us the impression that the population is advancing slowly under his command… The hare is depicted as a lackey, but he is positioned differently in other paintings. »

Isabelle de Mévius, who was already a painter, began organizing exhibitions in Brussels, before emigrating to Quebec. “As a painter, it seemed to me that I had nothing to say, perhaps I was too young, so I took care of others. » The rest of the story of the 1700 La Poste remains to be written. The 74-year-old gallery owner, who finances her exhibitions herself, is now thinking about her future. “Are we going to space out the exhibitions? Organize group exhibitions? That remains to be seen. »

Re-enchantment is presented at 1700 La Poste from October 13 to January 21, 2024.