In 1966, Jean-Noël Poliquin created Épisode, a monumental cement sculpture with a steel armature installed at the Montreal Botanical Garden. In 1969, he and John Robertson were commissioned by the Canadian government to travel to the Baffin Islands to observe and record the regional production of arts and crafts and to report on the needs of the Aboriginal artists. Upon completing this mission, he helped organize an exhibition for the Musée de l’Homme in Paris entitled Masterpieces of Indian and Eskimo Art from Canada. Poliquin’s personal body of work include sculptures, but is chiefly comprised of colourful ceramic murals and public environments. Of the latter, his best known can be found at Montreal’s Fabre subway station, where his work is omnipresent, from the entrance to the handrails, platforms and control rooms.
POLIQUIN, Jean-Noël (1927-1999)
Jean-Noël Poliquin, Revêtements muraux, 1986. Béton polymère et acier inoxydable. Station de métro Fabre, Montréal. Photo: Alexandre Nunes.