Sculptures of Rodin protégé brought to city
Print Edition
SCULPTURES created by M.L. Snoden, a protégé of French master sculptor Auguste Rodin, are on display in Shanghai thanks to a California couple.
Guy Simard and Eve-Marie Bilodeau, who own Galerie Simard Bilodeau, one of the top art galleries in California, brought the works to the Rosamonde Aviation Louge at the Peninsula Shanghai. The exhibition runs through November 9. It includes several working tools once used by Rodin and Snowden, one of the most renowned sculptors in North America.
The couple keep a fully occupied schedule as they shuttle between their galleries in Montreal and California. As successful art consultants and established collectors, they have a strong view of global art market trends, including those in China. Bilodeau answered a few questions in a recent interview with Shanghai Daily.
Q: Can you use three adjectives to describe the sculptures created by M.L. Snowden? Do you remember your first response when you saw her works?
The work of Snowden can be described as a magnificent expression of nature’s powerful energy: breathtaking, impressive and monumental. The first time I had this profound connection with Snowden’s work is when I saw her sculpture called “Spiral Helix Y.” It felt like everything stopped around me: time, sound, people. This is a very precious moment, when you fall in love with an artwork and it becomes like a magnet for your soul.
Q: What do you think is the key to successfully operate a gallery?
First and most of all, it takes passion, dedication and involvement. It is a very demanding business. As owners, we work seven days a week, 12 to 14 hours a day and the vacation time is very rare. People have a tendency to only see the glamorous side of it, but it is so much more than that. The glamour aspect occupies just a very small percentage of the involvement that owning a successful international gallery requires.
Q: You mentioned that you did some survey about the Chinese market before entering the local art market. What were the results?
We were able to understand that the Chinese art collectors are ready to acquire Western fine art. They are curious and eager to discover new art. The fact that the local market is not overly saturated with the type of art that we present is an added motivation for us. They are sensitive to bronze sculptures and highly appreciate them.
Q: What do you think is the main attraction of bronze sculptures to Chinese collectors?
The fact that you do not see many sculptures in public spaces and galleries in China makes it more attractive. It is a very different art expression compared to others. The three-dimensional aspect of a sculpture makes it very alive. The sculpture allows the viewer to interact even more with its representation by being able to move around it. Each angle reveals a different expression. It becomes very dynamic. Our Chinese collectors seize this profound enjoyment.
Q: Usually each gallery has its distinctive taste. How do you find yours?
There are many important elements that we analyze before choosing to present a new artist in our collection: aesthetics and talent, the purpose of creation, credentials, how this work will be received on the different markets we explore, potential of growth in credential. Each artist that we choose is high-caliber. Their work is not just decorative but is fine art.
Q: Which Chinese artist impressed you the most?
That is a question that we are asked often and that I find very difficult to answer. The Chinese culture is so rich and diversified; it has so much to offer. And I feel that I still have many more artists to discover before I can set my mind on one in particular.
Q: Have you have any disputes over art with your husband since the opening of your gallery? How do you overcome that?
Until now, my husband and I have not disagreed on the selection of artworks we had to do. We believe that art is very personal and that we should respect the other one’s view and taste. There is no right or wrong when it comes to an artwork that brings profound wellbeing to someone. Of course, we trust each other’s judgment because we share the same views in terms of high-standard selection criteria.
Q: For this coming Shanghai Art Fair, how many works will you bring? How many are bronze sculptures?
We will present 35 sculptures, mainly bronze and a few lucites, and 20 original paintings. A collection from five sculptors from Canada and USA; and three painters from USA, Italy and Mexico.
Q; Your gallery relies much on art agents to spot the artists for you. What’s the advantage of such practice and is it popular among Western galleries?
Actually, it goes both ways with the artist agents. Sometimes we will present artists to them who have approached us. This allows us to focus on the collectors, developing foreign markets, but specifically making sure that the value of the artist’s work is in constant and stable growth. The agent monitors and manages the overall career of his artist, so he can focus on his creation. Each one’s role is very well determined and it works very well. You do see this model among Western galleries but not all works this way. For us, it is a successful model.
Q: If you could use millions of US dollars to buy a piece of art from an artist, whose work would you buy?
I would not use it all for only one artwork. I would use it to acquire several important pieces. I am thinking of Renaissance masters painters and sculptors, modern artists, contemporary, Chinese art from different periods. ... This is not an easy question!
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