Untitled 

Jean-Paul Jerome made this striking untitled painting with acrylic on canvas. The hard edge geometric abstraction has the quality of a diagram or a map. Jerome was one of the signatories of the Refus Global, a manifesto that contested the role of the Catholic Church in the cultural and political life of Quebec in the late 1940's. He was associated with the Automatistes, a group of artists who rejected academic traditions in favour of a more expressive and spontaneous form of artmaking. They sought to liberate artistic expression from the constraints of reason and conscious control. The social and institutional history of Quebec can be seen in the context of its struggle for cultural identity and autonomy within Canada. The Refus Global marked a turning point in Quebec's cultural history, challenging the dominant role of the Church and paving the way for a more secular and modern society. In interpreting this art, research resources such as historical archives, artist biographies, and critical essays become invaluable.