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Inspired artist as well as successful businessman, Benoît Côté is part of a rare species in our cultural milieu, with each one of his paintings as vibrant evidence of his uniqueness.
A graduate in Economics from Laval University, in 1953, Benoît Côté begins his career by setting up “Le Mobilier International”, introducing modern design in Quebec with a chain of stores that he owns and operates until 1985. But, having displayed an avid interest in painting since boyhood and strongly encouraged by Gerard Zanettin and some of the prominent artists of Zanettin’s Gallery, all his leisure time is devoted to painting.
His early paintings are representative of his natural environment: Quebec’s urban landscapes. A first solo exhibition at the Palais Montcalm in 1958 is met with enthusiasm and highly praised by Quebec critics: “His paintings reflect a deep poetical research and a purity of form, with “The essential taking up all the space” comments Le Soleil. “This is the work of a complete artist” adds yet another newspaper.
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Following another exhibition in 1960, a Greenshield Foundation grant sends him off to Europe for a study period. On his return, the St. Lawrence River and its “Goélettes”, the small lumber boats now completely disappeared from its waters; provide a new source of inspiration. Premonition or result of his religious heritage, he then turns to another “endangered species”: nuns! This new group of paintings provides a fresh outlook on the artist’s spontaneity and on his sense of humor! Indeed, there is no austerity to be found in Benoît Côté’s nuns as they gaily stroll along, quite ready to jump over the fence!
Snow geese have always held a major attraction for Benoît Côté. From his three-hundred year old home on Île d’Orléans, where he lives since 1960, he observes their every movement; they fascinate him! In fact, he was the first among the Quebec painters to take inspiration in our great snow geese, with two early exhibitions on the subject in 1965 and 1966.
But Benoît Côté is continuously evolving his possibilities. For a time, he trades his Île d’Orléans for the Caribbean and presents his public with a group of paintings entitled: Black is Beautiful. Each one of these colorful images of daily life in the Caribbean is a song of humor and tenderness.
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After leading for many years the double life of artist and businessman, in 1985, Benoît Côté becomes a “fulltime artist”. It is then that the snow geese come back to inspire him. “For me”, confides the artist, “they are the canvas where I can express myself entirely. As for the form, it just explodes naturally!” His inspiration comes from the energy radiated by the movement and cries of the snow geese who become real life persona under his hand. “In fact”, adds the painter, “it is often after finishing a painting that its subject imposes itself quite naturally: dance, wedding, ballet, death, …”
Highly sociable, Benoît Côté thoroughly enjoys sharing his passion with the public. He has realized many exhibitions on our great Canadian snow geese in Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.
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