J.G. Mongeau

J.G. Mongeau - "Composition In Red and Black"

Artist Bio: Jean-Guy Mongeau (1931-2000)

Jean-Guy Mongeau was a member of the art avant-garde during the 1960s and was predominantly influenced by photography, as well as the school of Abstract Expressionism, alongside the masters of the Montreal School. He was known for his ‘constructions’ in his paintings of bold brushwork and lines, cubic forms, and masses in rich tones.

Mongeau studied commercial art at the École des Beaux-Arts in 1957, following shortly afterward a career as a commercial artist. He turned to painting in 1959 and quickly gained recognition, winning awards from the Club des Beaux-Arts and the Salon de la Jeune Peinture in Montreal in 1960, and from the Winnipeg Show (Winnipeg) in 1961 and 1962.

In 1972, Mongeau stopped painting for twelve years to experiment with other mediums such as photography, as well as sculpture. He made murals and objects in ceramics, steel, tinplate, and wood. He returned to painting in 1983. Mongeau was a prolific artist, who produced some 500 paintings and 200 works on paper.