THE A. PIROIR STUDIO-GALLERY IS SPECIALIZED IN THE CREATION AND EXHIBITION OF FINE ART PRINTMAKING

Unique venue

We are pleased to present the Atelier-Galerie A. Piroir. Since 1975, we have been an intaglio printer, publisher of prints and artist’s books, and print media gallery owners. Two generations of printers work together at the studio. Alain Piroirʳᶜᵃ has passed on the love for the trade to his daughter Agatheʳᶜᵃ, who, after having worked on her own, joined her father in 2006. We are proud to provide Montrealers with a venue to enjoy print media. The gallery is giving the public an exceptional opportunity to explore contemporary printmaking in its creative context. The exhibitions are presented alongside presses in the studio, where the public will be able to watch the printers and artists at work. Art lovers will be able to see the creation of a print from start to finish.

As printers, our goal is to work collaboratively with artists who challenge our skills. Our practice involves advising, assisting and helping them produce their works, which requires an in-depth dialogue with them and an ability to creatively address the technical challenges of their art. We also endeavour to disseminate the creations of our artists. Our gallery’s mission is to exhibit print media by artists who have a contemporary approach. Our commitment has culminated in a partnership with the Biennale internationale d’estampe contemporaine de Trois-Rivières, where the Prix Atelier-Galerie A. Piroir is awarded. Drawing on more than 48 years’ experience, our unique approach has earned us a reputation as print media experts.

INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE

MASTER PRINTERS

OVER 48 YEARS EXPERIENCE

In the tradition of European masters, Alain Piroirʳᶜᵃ and his daughter Agathe offer artists specialized services in traditional printing methods as well as newer methods such as digital printing. Bringing together their skill and know how, the team produces work of exceptional quality in intaglio methods, engraving, etching, mezzotint, aquatint, drypoint, as well as linocuts, woodcuts (xylography), photogravure, lithography and digital prints.

GALLERY

The gallery’s mandate is to promote current print media artists and to bring their work to the general public.

Commited to promoting emerging artists and established artists, the gallery aims to present engaging exhibitions that attest to the great vitality and diversity that exists within all printmaking disciplines.

Gallery hours: Tuesday-Friday, 12:00-6:00 or by appointment on Saturday and during workshop hours.

Current Exhibition: Ed Pien

"La soif"

From October 15 to November 23, 2024

The opening reception will take place on Saturday, October 19, at 2:30 PM

Artist’s Statement

In this exhibition, the presented works celebrate water’s sentience. As a life-sustaining substance, water emerges as an indispensable collaborator and co-creator. These monoprints bear witness to water’s expressive and dynamic presence, highlighting its creativity and more-than-human agency.

Collaborating with water and with Agathe and Alain Piroir at Atelier-Galerie A. Piroir, allowed me to push the boundaries of my artmaking practice. For instance, in the La Soif, The Big Thirst series, done here at the studio, water, kidnapped from the Caribbean Sea—laden with salt, minerals, and organic matter—has been encouraged to interact with metal plates pressed onto printing paper soaked in this volatile medium. Over several days, oxidized metal transfers onto the paper. In response to the nuanced markings and rich coloration that emerge, I incorporate my images using intaglio techniques, further extending the dialogue between water and myself.

Fantasmas, are 3 intaglio prints realized during a residency in Oaxaca organized by Eric Bertrand, from Galerie Cache. These works respond with dreamt-up creatures residing in distinct waters. The series includes water collected from three sources near Oaxaca: spring water, travertine runoff, and water from a swimming pool. The process involved taking samples from each source and then pouring them onto a separate sheet of transparent mylar. The mineral contents and impurities remain on the mylar, creating image-like forms when the liquid vapourize. I scanned and slightly manipulated these visuals to further their sense of the fantastical before they were worked into monochrome prints.

Each of these spirited waters, brimming with its own complex and storied life, deeply influences how I conceptualize and engage in these collaborative printing endeavours. When water is reduced to a mere resource, a material for daily use or exploitation, its agency and spirit are denied. By exploring water’s sentience, I am compelled to rethink my actions and acknowledge my complicity in the negative impacts inflicted on our shared planet—one we cohabit with all other more-than-human presences.

Ed Pien