Establishing a dialogue between large canvases and smaller works in gouache, this exhibition shows the subtlety of Louis-Philippe Côté’s artistic palette. The scenes depicted in the works of the mysterious and enigmatic series that is  L'eau et les rêvesare neither completely hidden nor truly apparent: what they are is veiled. In them you can make out a few details, like the outlines of trees, human figures, or ruins. Shadows are dense, and space and time remain uncertain. Here Louis-Philippe Côté is dealing with the creative process or, to be more exact, the act of painting. The artist has explained that this series resulted from a point in time when there was no longer any room for hesitation; from within sprung a force that transcended the action and necessity of painting.

In his dichotomic work, Louis-Philippe Côté also explores the issues of space, system and control, chaos and violence. He does not want to show what is too obvious, or even expound on the abuse of images. He instead prefers an ephemeral vision in which the perception of the world is limited to a given moment.    

Galerie Simon Blais has presented the work of Louis-Philippe Côté on many occasions, the most recent being his solo exhibition Berggasse 19 Fukushima in 2018. Following his memorable exhibition Échos at the Maison des arts de Laval in the fall of 2019, L'eau et les rêves provides another opportunity to see his enigmatic paintings. 

Have a pleasant visit!

Guided video tour (French):