Stanley February in Saint-Jérôme | A gentle rant

Persevering, combative, Stanley February will have finally obtained his museum exhibition. And not one, but two! The artist from Longueuil is currently presenting Possible lives / Menm vye tintin at the Musée d’art contemporain des Laurentides before showing another section, starting December 10, at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ). To make the visual arts community aware of the difficulties faced by artists. In its own way, a gentle rant.

Eric Clement
Press

This Stanley February corpus emerged before he won the 2020 MNBAQ Contemporary Art Award. It was born from the letter of despair that the French artist Christian Boltanski (died in July) had sent, in 1970, to the art critic José Pierre to ask for his help. “You have to help me… I absolutely have to get out of it.” ”

In 2016, Stanley February came across this letter, which awakened him to the difficulties that Boltanski had at the start of his career. That put the chip in the ear to him. He had observed that many Quebec artists were living in distress. Artists who did not manage to exhibit, exhausted, worried, alone, depressed and, often, broke like wheat. As Stanley February experienced.

He reactivated this letter in 2017 in a video performance, taking its content on his own, signing it and sending it – like a cry for help – in 2018 to Christian Boltanski and to 41 art galleries of the Galleries Association. of contemporary art, which organizes the Papier fair. To see their reactions. Their level of empathy. Their understanding of Stanley February’s gesture or his artistic interest.

The following year, in 2019, a determined Stanley February coached other diverse visual artists in a brilliant action at the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art. To demand more visibility.

The exhibition in Saint-Jérôme thus addresses the links between artists and art galleries. “On the question: why do not we understand this kind of signal that we send? says Stanley February. When you ask for nothing but help. ”

Stanley February still does not have a gallery owner. He has adapted, but longs for changes. Hence the part, in Creole, of the title of the exhibition, Menm vye tintin, which could be translated into English by ” Same old shit “, In Quebec” Even the screeching of business ” or in French ” The more it changes, the more it is the same “.

A project born of a real relationship

The exhibition, preamble and complement to that of Quebec, includes a facsimile of Boltanski’s letter, the video in which Stanley February copies this letter to send it to the galleries, three photos showing one of the envelopes and the artist in a Canada Post office. In front of these photos, a sculptural installation sums up his process.

The artist indicates that the corpus was assembled in collaboration with Bernard Lamarche, head of collections and curator of current art at the MNBAQ, and Jonathan Demers, director general of the Musée d’art contemporain des Laurentides, assisted by Elizabeth Lauzon, conservation assistant. “This project was born out of a real relationship between us,” he says. This is why I say that we have to find new ways of relating to artists. And to understand what they are going through at the present moment. ”

This situation of artists in distress, Stanley February also represented it with white flags embroidered with nautical messages. The white flag, synonymous with abandonment of the fight or the promotion of peace. “A lot of artists have given up on the game because of the distress, and others just want to be at peace,” says Stanley February. Next to it, a sculpture consists of twice the lower part of his body. The same body doubled to signify “the perpetual fight against oneself, with the ever-present doubt,” he says. We must support ourselves, self-finance, self-stimulate ”.

In a small dark room, Stanley February also placed the installation High tide. Five human shapes wrapped in survival blankets and windswept. Figures cast from the bodies of five artists, friends of Stanley February. Characters in postures of anguish and danger. One is stuck to the wall. The others are doubled over, squatting or heads bowed.

The second part of the exhibition includes Victories, 12 works made from the language that ships exchange to communicate, especially in case of danger. Colorful paintings on wood (and sometimes on the wall) which extend the reflection linked to Boltanski. They follow each other on the wall, like a narration: “I am helpless”, “tow me to the port”, “I am stranded”, “I cannot tow you” …

“These works illustrate the signals that artists send in the art world without being heard, without being listened to their psychological distress, their anxiety,” says the 45-year-old artist. There is a lot of precariousness among visual artists, but they don’t talk about it openly. ”

Stanley February wanted to tackle this subject, which is much broader than equitable access to broadcasting for artists of diversity.

He has found an art that is at the same time cheerful, conceptual and evocative to translate his desires, his hopes. Without raising your voice. By suggesting. Understand who can, it seems to say. History will do the rest.

Before leaving the premises, visitors are invited in a Lab Mediation space to compose a message from tables by Stanley February representing the nautical alphabet of the International Code of Signals. The artist did so in our presence, choosing “my ship is unharmed and I request free circulation” and “I have a pilot on board”.

“This space allows visitors to understand Stanley’s work,” says Jonathan Demers. In addition, visitors wear gloves like museum technicians. It allows them to understand how it works in museums. ”

Visitors are also invited to leave an audio message in a small recording booth, the SOS Booth. To share, anonymously, their difficult psychological experiences. Or to recite a poem. You can listen to these testimonials by going to lesviespossibles.org.

Possible lives / Menm vye tintin, by Stanley February, at the Musée d’art contemporain des Laurentides, 101, place du Curé-Labelle, Saint-Jérôme, until February 13