Sculptor André Lapointe And Amand Park

André Lapointe, Gaspesian-born sculptor and professor of sculpture at the Université de Moncton, was chosen by the City of Dieppe to be its cultural ambassador from 2003 to 2005.

The City of Dieppe recently inaugurated the environmental sculpture Effleurements created by artist André Lapointe in Amand Park. His work was undertaken through an initiative entitled One City – One Artist.    

Lapointe chose stone as base material, mostly reddish brown sandstone, which allowed him to integrate the sculpture into the immediate environment. At the same time, the sculpture distinguishes itself by its colour which contrasts with the park’s dominating palette of greens. In order to simulate a rock outcrop, blocks of stone were imbedded in the hillside and were sculpted by playing with the stone’s raw and rigid textures. They were positioned so as to re-create the rhythm of waves crashing along the beach. The park was used as a perspective scene for the re-creation of a marine landscape and to evoke the nearby river. In the background and dominating the hillside, three enormous seashells suggest huge fossils emerging from the ground.  

Lapointe created an in situ installation work, which means that the sculpture fits into the site and integrates with the environment. “This sculptural project began taking shape after I had studied the site’s landscape and history and after I had taken long walks along the Petitcodiac River, collecting rocks, shells and objects transformed by nature,” he explained. “I chose the title Effleurements to suggest that my work is a caress to the landscape of Amand Park, something that integrates with the environment.”  

André Lapointe is professor of sculpture at the Université de Moncton. Gaspesian-born, he finds inspiration mostly in the maritime environment of his childhood and returns frequently to the Gaspé Peninsula where he collects forms, material, symbols and shore objects. Working with different types of stone and partial to environmental art, Lapointe has been involved in many sculpture symposiums that attract artists from around the world. In New Brunswick, his works can be seen at the Université de Moncton and at the Fédération des caisses populaires acadiennes in Caraquet.