Roland Giguère
Roland Giguère was a notable Canadian poet and artist born on May 4, 1929, in Montreal, Quebec. He emerged as a significant figure in the Surrealist movement, deeply influenced by the works of Paul Éluard during his formative years. After graduating high school in 1947, Giguère pursued graphic arts studies in Montreal and Paris. In 1949, he founded Éditions Erta, a publishing house aimed at highlighting Quebec's artistic and poetic talents while maintaining artistic control. Throughout the 1950s, he developed connections with prominent Surrealists, including André Breton, and contributed to various international literary journals. His key poetic collections include *L'Age de la parole*, *La Main au feu*, and *Forêt vierge folle*, through which he sought to unify thought, emotion, and action. Giguère received numerous accolades for his work, including the Prix France-Quebec and the Prix Paul-Émile-Borduas, and he famously declined a Governor General's Award for political reasons. He passed away on August 17, 2003, in Montreal, leaving a significant legacy in Quebec's literary and artistic landscape.
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Roland Giguère
Poet
- Born: May 4, 1929
- Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Died: August 17, 2003
- Place of death: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Biography
Roland Giguère was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on May 4, 1929, the son of Maurice and Jeanne Bourgoin Giguère. While still a student, he discovered the work of Paul Éluard, the founder of Surrealism. This work was deeply influential on his later development as both an artist and a poet.
He graduated from high school in 1947 and then began his study of graphic arts at the Montréal École des Arts Graphiques and at the École Estienne in Paris. In 1949, while still a student, he founded Éditions Erta, a Montreal-based publishing house. He wanted to publish the work of artists and poets from Quebec and to retain artistic control of the publishing process.
Giguère published his first collection of poetry, Faire nâitre, in 1949. During the 1950’s, he traveled to France many times and became increasingly associated with the Surrealists. From 1957 to 1963, he lived in Paris, became acquainted with French surrealist André Breton, and joined Phases, a group of Surrealist artists. He also collaborated on various international journals during this time, including Edda, Odradek, Amérique française, La Barre du jour, Possibles, Liberté, and Estuaire.
Giguère’s most important work can be found in L’Age de la parole, La Main au feu, and Forêt vierge folle, three retrospective collections of his poetry. His goal in both his poetry and his art was to totally embody thinking, feeling, and acting in a single medium. Giguère died on August 17, 2003, in Montréal.
Giguère was a highly honored poet and artist. In 1965, after the publication of his book L’Age de la parole, he was awarded the Prix France-Quebec, the poetry prize of the Concurs Littéraires du Quebec, and the Grand Prix Littéraire de la Ville de Montreal. In addition, he won the Prix Paul-Émile-Borduas in visual arts in 1982, the same year he was a finalist for the prestigious Prix Athanase-David, a prize he won in 1999. In 1974, he refused a Governor General’s Award for political reasons. His work also was featured in two special issues of the journals La Barre du Jour and Voix et Images.
As an artist, poet, and publisher, Giguère did much to promote literary and artistic activities in Quebec. For him, poetry was not something that one produced but something that one lived.