2018 – Jean-Paul Jérôme: Colour, Light, Form

Artfifa.com
A Dauphin Aventureux production directed by André Desrochers, based upon an original idea by Robert Jérôme. Executive Producer: Robert Jérôme. Distribution: Jérôme Art International.

From its initial concept in 2013, following exhaustive research the film was completed in 2018. It tells the inspiring story of Jean-Paul Jérôme’s artistic journey, with looks along the way at the history of Canadian art, Montréal’s École des beaux-Arts, the Plasticien and Automatiste movements, the great European masters of modernism, and the artist’s own passion for creativity and beauty.

What is significant about the film is that it is not a promotional vehicle for Jean-Paul Jérôme, but rather an art film through which viewers follow the course of historical events, both artistic and societal, in both Canada and Europe.

An Official Selection of the 36th edition of the Montréal International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA), the film had its world premiere, as well as an additional screening, during the festival on March 16, 2018.

Trailer for the film

Screenings

Since its world premiere in 2018, the film has received a warm welcome from the public at all of its screenings in both Québec and France. Robert Jérôme himself has been on hand to present the film at:

  • Museums
  • Cultural centres
  • Galleries
  • Universities


The film also serves as a backdrop to the Art and Architecture film screenings and discussions held in collaboration with the architectural and design firm Lemay (lemay.com), which spotlight the parallels between Jean-Paul Jérôme’s creative development and designing built environments.

The film is available in its original, French-language version and in versions with subtitles either in English or in French for European francophone audiences.

Contact us to organize a private screening for your organization or institution.

Synopsis of the film

Running time: 71 minutes

In Canada, the emergence of abstract art dates to the 1940s and 1950s, through the contribution of painters championing an aesthetic avant-garde such as Borduas, Pellan, Riopelle and Leduc, who left their mark on both society and the art scene. They paved the way for generations of artists who drew inspiration from their work, the basis of the most important subsequent movements in Québec painting. Jean-Paul Jérôme (1928–2004), a co-founder of the Plasticien movement and a signatory of its 1955 Manifesto, was one of the great painters who followed, leaving a significant legacy to the art of Canada.

The film tells the inspiring story of a man whose profoundly creative journey, from the age of 14 right up until his death at 76, saw him devote his life to making art.

Director André Desrochers shows how the artist made an impact on his time through his wide-ranging knowledge of art, his outlook on life, which he dedicated to his masterly work, and his vision of creativity and beauty.  

A fearless and determined artist, Jérôme expounded a deeply moving and committed vision of a society more receptive to art.

Among other things, the film takes us to the pivotal period for Jérôme that was his stay in Paris from 1956 to 1958, where he came into contact with such great masters of that time as Hans Hartung, Martin Barré, Richard Mortensen, Victor Vasarely, Giacometti, and others. 

Not to be missed by art lovers, this extremely insightful film will be inspiring for everyone.

The credits

See the credits of the film Jean-Paul Jérôme: Color, light, form. PDF

Movie poster

See the poster of the film Jean-Paul Jérôme: Color, light, form PDF