Historical Vignettes
The Sculptors: Three-dimensional Masterminds
Whether painter, playwright, signer-songwriter, composer, vocalist, or sculptor, the artist is influenced by everything that surrounds him, whether he wants to or not. Certain artists embrace this source of inspiration in order to reflect: humanity, flora and fauna, the immensity of the sea and the forest, that are all a part of 'Nature', in their works. Laporte was one of them, and even took it further.
He excels in sculptured artwork called relief; we can still admire his artwork in a pulpit he made for the Edmundston Anglican Church: panels adorned with gothic arches, enhanced by composite pillars, which surround the Evangelists carved in three dimensions. But his experimental approach vis-à-vis forms and materials, as well as his sympathetic response to both evolution of sculpture and beauty of nature, surely provide motivation for his local students (...)3
Claude Picard, former student of P.C. Laporte, (see historical vignette # 6) describes him as a character who truly loved the arts, and also helped several artists from the region. "He was an excellent surgeon and as an art teacher, he had incredible judgement, he was wise in his critique. He was a good natured man with a great sense of humour, and he knew how to pass on his passion for the arts."4