Chant de mai, 1974

Private Collection, Toronto

Guy Robert, “Bellefleur: The Fervour of the Quest”, Montreal, 1988, pages 89, 103, 115 and 121

Léon Bellefleur’s artistic output in the 1970s progressively became more lyrical than in previous decades. The dance of pigments, texture and movement in “Chant de mai” captures an impulse of inspired paint application on the canvas. Against the softened background, the swaths of paint, thickly applied with both the palette and brush, emphasize a contrast between light and dark, conveying an energetic atmosphere. Bellefleur had close ties to painters Paul-Émile Borduas and Alfred Pellan - leaders of the Montreal art scene in the 1940s – and was heavily influenced by their debate on the ideological differences of Surrealism. This intellectually charged atmosphere served Bellefleur well. His interest and research into Esoterism grew, enriching his artwork with the exploration of the mysterious and unknown. According to Bellefleur, “The most important thing is not what we see, but what we imagine.” “Chant de mai” incorporates the quintessential elements of Leon Bellefleur’s artistic progression through the 1960s into the 1970s; the spray of pigment left to dry between paint applications, a softened background and swaths of paint applied thickly with the palette and brush, emphasizing a contrast between light and dark. The application of the medium instills a sense of hurried explosion by the artist on the canvas. Mimicking the exuberance of the title, translating to ‘May Song’, this work captures the symphony of spring rebirth with the organic twists and turns of faceted strokes of paint, bringing loose movement and energy to the work. Rather than create pieces with static flatness and hard-edge colour blocking, as was in vogue with many of the artist’s contemporaries, Bellefleur explores an esoteric approach to painting.