Venue(s)

Théâtre Outremont
1248 Bernard Avenue West
Montréal (Québec) H2V 2V6
Phone: 514-495-9944, ext. #1
SEE MAP

Exhibit for all ages

 

In collaboration with the Théâtre Outremont, Casteliers present an exhibit curated by a son as a tribute to his father.

 

March 2-6, 2022

​​Joseph Bouchard (1925–1992) was a self-taught puppeteer who had a variety of other occupations throughout his life: travelling salesperson, lab assistant at Université Laval and concierge.

In 1965, he started creating puppets inspired by children’s TV shows like Pépinot et Capucine, Bobino, as well as series like Gerry Anderson’s Stingray and Thunderbirds. He encouraged his children to build puppets with him and he even built a small puppet theatre where they could perform shows. In 1980, he started a new series of puppets inspired by the Time Life series of books on geography, history, anthropology and art history, and by Bil Baird’s fabulous book  The Art of the Puppet. His wife, Simone Lesage, created the puppets’ costumes.  

The exhibit presents a selection of photographs that capture Joseph Bouchard’s craftsmanship and sensibility. It also presents the only two remaining puppets to this day—the artist having decided to destroy the rest of his wonderful and unforgettable creations at the end of his life.

Photos

Company

After working as a graphic designer and artistic director in several advertising agencies, Yvon Bouchard became a teacher. For several years now, as an artist, he has been exploring various forms of expression. He is particularly interested in digital photography as a document, a trace and an allegorical interpretation.

Credits

Curated by / archive photos edited by: Yvon Bouchard

Puppets by: Joseph Bouchard

Puppet costumes by: Simone Lesage

 

Yvon Bouchard would like to thank Johanne Bouchard for holding on to one of his father’s two puppets for over 37 years.