Michael Dumontier’s work is marked by a process of reduction, material experimentation and minimal intervention. A multidisciplinary artist, his practice encompasses drawing, painting, sculpture and collage. His use of simple gestures and subtle cues may occasionally offer a minimal narrative. Michael lives and works in Winnipeg, MB.
Much of Dumontier’s practice involves collaboration, most notably by being the founding member of the Royal Art Lodge collective. Although RAL concluded officially in 2008, he continues to collaborate with Neil Farber, and the two come together every Wednesday to paint and write. Michael also maintains an ongoing collaboration with Toronto-based artist Micah Lexier. Other past collaborators include Tom Elliott, Todd Martin, Paul Butler and Guy Maddin (The Keyhole Experiment).
Michael has had solo exhibitions in Winnipeg, Toronto, New York, Boston, and Padua, Italy. The Royal Art Lodge has had solo exhibitions in New York (The Drawing Center), Toronto (Power Plant), Los Angeles (MOCA), Dublin, Madrid, Brussels, Burgos, London, and produced a major commission for the 2008 Liverpool Biennial. Dumontier’s work is part of numerous international private and public collections such as The National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa), The Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto), The Winnipeg Art Gallery, The Vancouver Art Gallery, Folkwang Museum (Essen, Germany), FRAC Picardie (Amiens, France), Fondation Antoine de Galbert (Paris, France), Centro de Arte Caja de Burgos (Burgos, Spain) and RBC (Toronto).
- Richard Holden, “Michael Dumontier,” Border Crossings #122, May 2012.
- Alison Gillmor, “Michael Dumontier: From Miffy to Minimalism,” Canadian Art, March 22, 2012.
- Margaret Bessai, “Michael Dumontier, A Moon or a Button,” Galleries West, December 31, 2011.
- Bill Clarke, “Michael Dumontier: Drawing on Minimalism, and Maturity,” Canadian Art, December 3, 2009.
- Gary Michael Dault, “Follow the arrow: It’s art!” The Globe and Mail, October 31, 2009.
- Meeka Walsh, “If Fred Astaire Could Draw… The Elegant Artworks of Michael Dumontier,” Border Crossings #108, August 2008.