Charles Carson

Charles Carson (born March 13, 1957, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian painter and sculptor. In 2013, he was named "Grand Master of Fine Arts" by The International Academy of Fine Arts of Quebec.

He is the inventor of Carsonism (from French carsonisme), a painting technique named after him.

Charles Carson was born in the St-Michel neighborhood of Montreal, the fifth child in a modest family of ten.

A self-taught painter and sculptor, Carson began his career in Montreal. He then spent ten years in Colombia, living in Cartagena, Bogota, and Medellin, where he exhibited his work in various galleries and museums.

He later divided his time between his studios in the Laurentians in Quebec and in Courbevoie, France. He also regularly stayed in the United States, where he spent several months a year.

Carson's classical figurative period predates 1992 and features more traditional academic works such as still lifes, portraits, and landscapes. One of the pivotal works from the end of this period is a tribute painting titled Hommage à Stefanoff (1898–1949), subtitled "The end of a cycle and the birth of Carsonism."

In the early 1990s, writer Louis Bruens analyzed Carson's new semi-figurative works and published a study of them.Louis Bruens, "Le monde de Charles Carson un nouvel « isme »", Éditions Poly-Inter, 1992 The term onomastism was later taken up by Guy Robert.Guy Robert, "Carsonisme", Iconia Editions, 1993 In 2013, the term "Carsonism" was included in the Dictionnaire des onomastismes québécoisGabriel Martin, Dictionnaire des onomastismes québécois, Éditions du Fleurdelysé, 2013 and in the Multidictionnaire de la langue française in 2015.

Carson presented his first major Carsonist pieces at a 1993 exhibition presided over by Guy Robert at the Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges.Journal de Montréal, July 31, 1993 - Babill'art section

Carson's mosaic style is one of his defining artistic languages. In this approach, he constructs compositions using translucent overlays of color that interact much like the pieces of a stained glass window. These paintings are characterized by bold, spontaneous gestures where color harmony and spatial rhythm guide the viewer’s eye.

Carson works with acrylic pigments applied in thick or fluid layers, often with a painting knife, allowing color transparency to remain visible. The forms are not rigidly defined; instead, they emerge organically through the balance of color values, line flow, and textural play. The result evokes a mosaic in spirit—structured yet fluid, meticulously composed yet intuitively driven.

This style reflects Carson’s continuous exploration of light, movement, and the emotional power of color. It complements Carsonism in its dynamism and chromatic richness, remaining a vibrant and enduring part of his practice.

1993

1994

2002

2003

2006

2007

2009

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2018

Carsonism is an artistic movement founded around Charles Carson's work in the early 1990s. Art historian Louis Bruens and Guy Robert, founder of the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art, praised the singular use of color and rhythm in Carson's work. Bruens stated that Carson's work did not belong to any known "-ism" but represented "a truly distinct form of painting unlike anything being done in our time." He considered Carson a one-of-a-kind creator and noted that his painting style was both contemporary and accessible to all.

The term "Carsonism" was also included in the Multi Dictionnaire de la langue française, where it is defined as a pictorial technique created by Charles Carson characterized by "a totally unique pictorial writing style, transparency, clarity, and color juxtaposition."

In a 2015 article in Fine Art Magazine (New York), Victor Forbes called Carson a "Grand Master" and a "Hero of Creativity," likening his approach to that of Hemingway in literature. He wrote:

Forbes described Carson as an inventive painter whose technique draws on the spiritual and aesthetic childhood experiences in Quebec's Catholic churches. His style, according to Forbes, is the result of years of experimentation with glass, lacquer, acrylics, light effects, and unconventional materials. Carson reportedly refused to exhibit his works until he had reached a truly personal style, one that no school or movement could assimilate.

He concluded:

Art expert Guy Robert saw "a freshness, dynamism, and pictorial spontaneity comparable to Vivaldi's music or jazz." He considered Carson's work to stand "on the fertile border between abstraction and figuration," inviting viewers to interpret back and forth between recognizable forms and free visual language.[ 12]

Jacques de Roussan, writer, publisher, and art historian, described Carson's style as "pictorial subliminism," an aesthetic that navigates between conscious and subconscious, driven by a unique sensitivity to motion, color, and light.[ 13]

Colombian critic Gustavo Tatis Guerra dubbed Carson "the captain of the world's colors" and claimed his art "transcends stylistic boundaries to embody a universal language of emotion."[ 14]

Leonor De la Cruz, writing in El Heraldo, compared his work to jazz, highlighting "mastered improvisation and rhythmic vitality rare in contemporary painting."[ 15]

Finally, Italian expert Michele Miuli described Carsonism as a "phenomenological revolution," a style that captures the tensions of the natural world in a choreography of light and matter, both accessible and innovative.[ 16]

Louis Bruens, Carson un nouvel isme…, Poly-inter, 1992.

Louis Bruens, Les Secrets du marché de la peinture, Poly-inter, 1993.

Colin S. Macdonald, Dictionary of Canadian Artists, 1997.

Anne Richer, Carson sa vie son œuvre, Américor Média.

Jacques de Roussan, Le Subliminisme de Carson, Éditions de Roussan, 1993.

Anthony Westbridge, The Collector’s Dictionary, 1999.

Agenda Art, Éditions Utilus, 1994–95–96–97.

Humour Couleur…et verbe, Éditions Poly-inter, 1995.

Peintures, Culture et Réalités québécoises, Éditions La Palette, 1992.