Michel Pellus

Art Brokerage: Michel Pellus Canadian Artist: b. 1945. Michel Pellus, born in Montreal in 1945, is a descendant of artists and artisans. His grandfather, Guillaume Pellus, restored stained glass in France during WW1, and his father, Raymond Pellus, was one of the first students at the Ecole de Beaux-Arts de Montreal and a professor of art for 35 years. His mother Tina Roy also graduated from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Self taught as an artist, Pellus’ work has evolved over the course of his career. His early works were characterized by humor, optimism and rich symbolism. Realistic figures were set in fantasy landscapes giving a sense of cosmic duality. Pellus has coined the term “subjective realism” to describe this style of painting. In his mid-thirties, while searching for freedom and liberation, Pellus decamped to a remote island in the Bahamas where he lived and painted form 1983-1988. This was a defining period in Pellus’ personal life and career. Paradoxically, while on that remote deserted island, Pellus created some of his most striking cityscapes of New York City street scenes.nSays Pellus, “My work is a visual poem; I seek to capture a moment in time-that particular moment. Not a moment sooner nor the moment after.” During the 1970s, Pellus created a series of lithographs that include Flights of Fancy and Le Cliché that were subsequently produced by the world-renowned atelier of Eleanor Ettinger (publisher for Norman Rockwell). For Dual Graphics he produced a series of lithographs which include “Homage to the Masters”, a tribute to Dali, Picasso and Chagall, as well as “Problematique”, in honor of Einstein’s 100th birthday. In his latest endeavor, Pellus has explored what he terms as “Macro Realism,” close-up views of people and objects as seen under a magnifying glass on over-sized canvas. Pellus’ work can be found in the hands of numerous private collectors throughout North America, including Robert Altman and Pierre Cardin. His paintings hang in the Musee d’Arts Contemporain de Montreal, the Musee National Des Beaux Arts Du Quebec and have been on display at the Louvre in Paris, France. Listings wanted by Art Brokerage.