Emergence in Phthalo Blue

About Emergence in Phthalo Blue

This colourful abstract acrylic painting on paper by Paul Fournier is reminiscent of tropical waters.

Early in his career, he was called ‘the exotic modernist,’ a nod to his playful use of colour and expressive form. Paul Fournier doesn’t work from a sketch and chooses colours as he paints—a highly intuitive process that results in uniquely colorful artwork.
Traces of Fournier’s influences—the storied abstract artist Jack Bush and Matisse, the French artist and leader of the early 20th century Fauvist movement can be seen in his lyrical form and inspired palette. This joyful piece is a homage to the luminescent beauty of the tropical sea—its azure blue waters teeming with rainbow-coloured fish and creatures. Against a stunning backdrop of brilliant turquoise blue, gestural strokes of orange, pink, red, deep blue, yellow, green, purple and white float forming the center of this dynamic composition. The title of this painting refers to its predominant colour—phthalo blue, a pigment made from copper known for its vibrant, intense colour.

“I went down to the coral reefs in the Bahamas… I snorkelled…and looked down. When I saw the reefs just alive with colour…it was magical…I just wanted to paint pictures that didn’t mimic the coral reef but were teaming with the same interest and life.” Paul Fournier

“Fournier’s passionate dialogue with both nature and the stuff of painting links even his most diverse works. No matter how potent the allusion, Fournier as a highly intuitive artist with a profound belief in the expressive power of his materials, always makes us aware of the sensuality of paint, the excitement of the act of painting.” Karen Wilkin, Art critic

Paul Fournier was born during the Great Depression in Simcoe, Ontario. He first studied at the Ontario College of Art and Design in 1959 and went on to study printmaking at McMaster University in Hamilton in 1967. Fournier also received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Sir Wilfrid Laurier University in 1996, where he’d also been the artist in residence. Fournier became a member of a group of artists in Toronto who were mentored by Jack Bush and together explored modernist expressionism. During a career that spans six decades, Fournier has had solo exhibitions in several Canadian cities and in the U.S. His work is held in private collections in North and South America and Europe. Public collections include the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Gallery of Canada and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington.