Biography
Michel Beaudry (born 1945, Québec) was educated in philosophy and sociology. For much of his professional life he was a computer systems analyst at the National Institute of Scientific Research (Urban Planning) in Montréal. As director of computer and methodology services he was responsible for managing computer systems at the Institute from 1972 on and acted as a statistics consultant on research projects in Montréal, Mexico, and Morocco.
Despite the lack of any formal training in the arts he has maintained a sculpture studio in Val-David, Québec for more than 20 years, developing skills as a metalworker, computer technician, and electronics expert. His life has been deeply intertwined with the Quebec arts scene as he has forged both personal and working relationships with many of Québec’s artists including Jean-Paul Riopelle and most significantly, his life partner, Bonnie Baxter.
Michel Beaudry is currently devoting himself to the full time vocation of sculpting. He works primarily with steel and aluminum to create surreal representations of the natural world. His work is included in a number of private collections and is frequently exhibited in site-specific installations in venues such as the Foundation Derouin, the Art Zoo at Remington Contemporary Art Gallery in Markham Ontario, the Musée d’art contemporain des Laurentides and La Maison de la culture Mercier In Montréal.
the work of Michel… a sense of wonder… like in the period of the first colonists who came back with tales of wonder of strange animals and birds, and, describing them in words to someone else who then, from the words tries to reconstruct what he thinks they should look like….. so they end up looking quite otherworldly…. I mean the effort to make them ends up in making them strange and remote, like a large clockwork toy more connected to childhood than eating and copulating and shitting animalhood. Delightful.
David Moore, September 2011
MICHEL BEAUDRY Reviews / Articles
2013 February
Le Vadrouilleur Urbain, Sylvain. BONNIE BAXTER + MICHEL BEAUDRY / Maison de la culture Mercier, LE VADROUILLEUR URBAIN : ARTS VISUELS ET URBANITÉS / NOUVELLES EN CONTINU !, http://levadrouilleururbain.wordpress.com/
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2013 March
Accès culture Montréal. Bonnie Baxter et Michel Beaudry, LATITUDE L. view pdf
2011 December
CLOUTIER, MARIO. Expo parfaite pour la famille, La Presse.ca Publié le | Mis à jour le 22 décembre 2011 à 10h37
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2009 Summer
Bouchard, Marie Ginette. JARDIN DE RÊVE, VIE DES ARTS, Vol. 53, No. 215 p.73.
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2009 July
Regimbald, Manon. Rencontre avec Bonnie Baxter et Michel Beaudry 18 Expositions antérieures, juillet 2009 à 16H00
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MICHEL BEAUDRY CV
Education
1965 – 1972 University of Montreal
1958 – 1965 Collège Saint-Viateur, Outremont
Degrees
1972 M.A. Sociology, University of Montreal – 1969. M.A. Philosophy, University of Montreal
1968. B.A. Philosophy, University of Montreal – 1965 Bacc. Arts, University of Montreal (Collège St-Viateur)
Exhibitions
2016. ART ZOO, Remington Contemporary Art Gallery – (Markham, Ontario)
2013. Bonnie Baxter + Michel Beaudry, Maison de la culture Mercier, Montréal, Québec (invitation)
2012. Variations sur le métal, Centre d’exposition de Val-David, Val-David, Québec (invitation)
2011. J’ai vu le loup, le renard, le lièvre, Maison des arts Laval, Laval, Québec (invitation and review)
2009. Bonnie Baxter Michel Beaudry: Jane au Jardin des délices, Centre d’exposition de Val-David
2007. Tour de Force, Musée d’art contemporain des Laurentides, Saint-Jérôme, Québec
2006. Installation sculpturale « URSUS » outside The Exhibition Center of Val-David, la Maison du village, Val-David, Québec
2005-06. Installation sculpturale « URSUS » outside The Exhibition Center of Val-David, la Maison du village, Val-David, Québec
2003. Tentations, three person exhibition, centre d’exposition de Val-David, La Maison du Village, Val-David, Québec
2001. La Clé des Champs, installation jardin, Val-David, Québec
2000. Naïf ?… c’est à voir, Centre d’exposition du Vieux-Palais, Saint-Jérôme