Genevieve Levasseur

TIme spent in northern Churchill, MB this past February inspired such works as "Ice King, Ursus Martimus".  

Local sediment, egg yolk, gel medium, on canvas.

8" x 8"

Acrylic on canvas

8" x 12"

Iconic St Boniface, MB.

"C'est Cochon" 2017

24"x 20"

Pig Blood, gel medium, on canvas.

TRANSLATION: Common French expression. To be foul tempered, piggish, smutty, obscene, filthy, nasty.  Literal translation is, "It's Pig".

Reddit says:

Cochon' has more than these 2 meanings. Here are some of them:

1   Pig (animal) Le fermier et ses cochons

2   Kinky, Pervert, Obscene person Espèce de vieux cochon (you old pervert) C'est un vrai cochon (he's got a really dirty mind)

3   Slob Manger comme un cochon (eat like a pig)

4   Nasty person Avoir un caractère de cochon (to be the nasty kind; a jerk)

5   Bad thing Il fait un temps de cochon (horrible weather)

Prints for sale at the Churchill Northern Studies Centre. (or contact artist)

Mural work done for Celebrations/Jubilations Dinner Theaters in Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton.

Using earth and a fern from the breezeway on Sargent, so became this mud painting.

Mud, egg yolk, acyrlic, varnish, on canvas. 

12" x 16"

Acylic on canvas

In commemoration of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Mud, egg yolk, acrylic, varnish, on canvas. 18” x 36”. 2016

Mud was collected from the Red River to use in honour of the souls of its waters and the surrounding land, from today and the distant past.

The scene depicts the current cityscape at the confluence of the Red River and Assiniboine in Winnipeg, MB.  The Forks Market opened in 1989, where for centuries prior provided an active site for First Nations and eventually the arrival of the fur traders and colonials. The meeting rivers served as corridors across now Canada and south to the USA.  Today’s Provencher Bridge and Human Rights Museum loom over the waters where too often we find the bodies of young women.

The bright orange colour is a call for alarm, to incite urgency, and to implore that something is wrong.

Using the silty mud from the banks of the river, it is the one constant in a place that has seen many changes. Perhaps the mud takes on the properties of what has happened there, and perhaps a trace from the people lost can be found within the clay as well.

In October 2014, the Bijou Steakhouse & Music Venue (Kenora, ON), went through a major transformation with Geneviève's musician mural series.  Over two weeks the front entrance patio was painted with Lady Day, Mick & Keith, and Myles.  Using a digital projector for the first time, piece by piece, like a paint by number, the walls took shape resulting with a dynamic space and bright and inviting presence.

A series of photorealism Oil Paintings.  

2' x 3'  Oil on Canvas

"Chicago"

"Montréal"

"Paris"

I was interested in the application of art to our urban environment and appreciate the urban artist who takes a moment to impact the surrounding environment. The graffiti, wheat paste posters and objects grow from the corners of our streets and buildings.  Almost imperceivable to the passerby, they become part of the everyday visual landscape in the cities.  I found a certain beauty when isolating some of these moments, and shifting them to the canvas. 

Creative exploration led to working with all natural materials from the surrounding landscape.  Working this way requires immersing oneself in the environment keeping a careful eye to find inspiration and the pieces that will become the sculpture.

What developed was a series of four sculptures that portray the inner turmoil and stuggle of living on the barren prairies.

As part of a beautification initiative for the city of Steinbach, MB, four artists were chosen to paint planters which are placed indefinitely on Main St.  The newest addition to Geneviève's on going "Projections" series.

With years of working with Manitoba gumbo, Geneviève has developed a clay body and firing process that allows for ceramic building without limitations.

In 2012, the town of Kenora took on a beautification project where 10 artists were chosen to paint brand new BFI dumpsters.

What resulted was a revisitation of Projections, but for the first time breaking from the natural clay or mud application and using paint.  This freedom with paint colour led to a choice of the two brightest colours; Hot Lips, and New Lime, the former giving the bin its name.

By shifting the photograph to the page, Paris chalk drawings bear the wieight of fine art.

Over the years of working with Manitoba gumbo, Geneviève has developed a clay body and firing process using traditional Aboriginal methods rediscovered in her research.  

To test the possibilities and limitations of these processes, Geneviève made replicas of vessels from museums and archival photos.

Projections is the first installation of this project.  Set in the Art Barn on the University of Manitoba campus, the projections exploit the space and reach of the barn's architecture.  

Using Manitoba clay to paint a branch simply projected in the dark with a worklight, Projections comes to life.  You are surrounded by forest when entering the space.

By shifting the photograph to canvas, this series of oil paintings is based on snapshots bearing the wieight of fine art.

In 2010 Geneviève made the decision to work with only natural materials collected from her surrounding environment.  This gave Geneviève the opportunity to travel and explore the province of Manitoba and develop a relationship with her geographical home.  The project led to handspan wool, natural dyes, clay used from the ground beneath her, and many other projects. 

Sparrows was a breakthrough insatallation for Geneviève and her work with Manitoba gumbo.  Although using contemporary kiln techniques, her clay body withstood the firing and began Geneviève's path to working with Manitoba clay and later using traditional all natural firing.

Also seen here is handspan wool dyed with handmade goldenrod dye.

Projections were brought overseas when Genevieve was given the opportunity to do an installation in both Paris, France and Campi, Italy.

Both pieces led to galavanting across the landscape in search of the perfect mud for painting the projection.  In Italy, the specimen of branch chosen was from an orange tree growing in the back garden, whereas Paris was a piece of the sol plant from a terrace plant.

One can see the difference between the gritty red soil of Italy and the yellower hue from the french pastoral dirt.

Handmade charcoal on birch bark.

Projections were brought overseas when Geneviève was given the opportunity to do an installation in both Paris, France and Campi, Italy.

Both pieces led to galavanting across the landscape in search of the perfect mud for painting the projection.  In Italy, the specimen of branch chosen was from an orange tree growing in the back garden, whereas Paris was a piece of the sol plant from a terrace plant.

One can see the difference between the gritty red soil of Italy and the yellower hue from the french pastoral dirt.

This was the second in the series of Projection installations.  From the private collection, Kevin's Spring Branch uses clay from the adjacent Red River bed with a background painted neon orange.  The branch is an apple specimen in bloom procured locally.

In 2010 Geneviève made the decision to work with only natural materials collected from her surrounding environment.  This gave Geneviève the opportunity to travel and explore the province of Manitoba and develop a relationship with her geographical home.  The project led to handspan wool, natural dyes, clay used from the ground beneath her, and many other projects.