Charles Carson "La valse d’automne"
Charles Carson "La valse d’automne" mosaic, 40" x 30"
CHARLES CARSON
Born: 1957, Montreal, QC
Studied: Self-taught
Lives/Works: Prévost, QC
Price Range: $1,500 to $24,500 (mosaics)
Michel Arseneau relocated from Montreal to Calgary almost three years ago to open a gallery. After much research he opened Inglewood Fine Arts in 2010. He immediately observed significant differences in the attitude of Calgary collectors. Firstly, they appeared to be less spontaneous than Montrealers and secondly, the psychological point at which art becomes too expensive seems to be lower. He has also perceived that new collectors lean less towards figurative art and more towards bold colors.
Charles Carson is Arseneau’s pick for collectors. Carson is venerated in Colombia where he spent his early years as a painter and in France where his paintings are highly sought after. Since returning to Québec in the late ‘90s his work has drawn comparisons to another world famous Quebec artist, Jean-Paul Riopelle. For collectors, it is important to note that prices for Carson paintings have increased steadily for several years.
Carson’s work is in numerous public and corporate collections including Laurentian Bank and Caisse de depot du Québec. Discussions are presently underway for a public exhibition of his work that would premier at the Bordeaux Museum in France and then travel to Monaco, Switzerland, Germany and Russia.
Arseneau’s advice to collectors is to attend local auctions even if you don’t intend to bid. Try to observe trends. Ask yourself: why do certain artists’ works come up for auction more often than others? Why do other artists’ works never come up for auction despite a prolific output?