YVON GOULET
June 29 th to August 4th, 2007

Opening Reception: June 29th, 6PM to 9PM
Kasini House, 64 North Street, Burlington, VT

Yvon Goulet expresses the gay life of Montreal on plastic posters he collects and recycles after elections. He is a Québécois gay artist who lives and works in Montreal.

Since 1986, he has shown in many countries, including Canada, France, Korea, Bulgaria, Austria, Japan, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Spain. Goulet paints on polyester panels used in Quebec during election campaigns. He uses the text of the political posters on which he paints as integral parts of his work. Goulet calls himself an "urban folklorist". He finds his inspiration in Montreal's Gay Village and illustrates the cultural events and festivities of the gay community. He presents daily reality and features the male body. In his works, he represents the symbols, the uniforms and fantasies which are specific to the gay culture. In so doing, he takes situations and imagery reserved for the few and makes them accessible to all.

Yvon Goulet describes himself as a “Fag Artist.” In using that label, Goulet refers to both himself and his subject. Un après midi chez Sonia is a fantasia of queer and homoerotic imagery. Leather Baroque is an homage to Montreal’s vibrant S&M scene. The exhibition also shows new work in which Goulet is exploring the gay landscape or what he calls gaiscapes. The pieces are raw depictions of Quebec highways and rest areas. From portraits of men he finds online to a series of young men lounging shirtless snorting lines of coke, this work documents and celebrates an unassimilated and liberated gay life not found in mainstream culture. This exhibition is a powerful collection of work by a significant Canadian artist.