Éclatement, 1963

Acquired directly from the Artist Private Collection, Montreal, 1963 By descent to a Private Collection, Montreal Heffel, auction, Toronto, 1 June 2022, lot 24 Private Collection, Toronto

“Remembering Rita Letendre,” AGOinsider, Art Gallery of Ontario, 26 June 2017, https://ago.ca/agoinsider/remembering-rita-letendre

Rita Letendre’s artistic journey began in Montreal, shaped by the influence of Paul-Émile Borduas and the Automatiste movement. Born in 1928 in Drummondville, Quebec, to Abenaki and Québécois parents, Letendre started her painting career in the vibrant art scene of 1950s Montreal. She is celebrated for her striking and expressive style, which challenges traditional notions of colour, light, and space. Utilizing a variety of tools—including paintbrushes, airbrushes, palette knives, and even her hands—Letendre captures the essence of life in her work. Her art reflects her continuous pursuit of connection and understanding. "Éclatement" vibrates with intensity and a sense of frenetic movement. Letendre creates this gestural work by laying down bold, expressive oil paint with her palette knife. As Letendre stated, “I had started doing a series of black and white wedges, the wedge that became more and more arrows. Then at one moment I made lots of lines near the arrow to create a feeling of vibration, that must vibrate into space, the eternal space...that vibration of a space that moves...these arrows are moving through space. I wanted, by the speed of it, to create vibration around.” "Éclatement" is a testament to Letendre's ability to create dynamic and engaging works of art.