Roland DUBUC
1924–1998, France

Roland DUBUC was born in 1924 at Caudebec les Elboeuf in Normandy the sixth of thirteen children from a family of modest means.
He started his working life at fourteen as an apprencite decorator, dreaming for four years about being a painter, it was not until he was eighteen he left the family unit to live his own life.
When DUBUC arrived in Rouen he lived in miserable conditions spending his nights on the street and later in the Salvation Army hostel. It was here he made the acqaintance of BORDES, LETRIVIDIC and FRECHON the later teaching him the techniques of preparing the pencil layout before painting.
In 1947 DUBUC married but this failed and shortly later he divorced moving to Le Havre where he met FRIBOULET and PAILHES.
DUBUC just survived day to day by working as a circus clow and a newspaper vendor between trying to sell his paintings, a few being sold to the gallery HAMON.
In 1950, he decided to move to Paris living in rue Saint-Vincent in a delaidated apartment building without electricity and having to collect his water from a neighbour.
He lived in these conditions for five years having numerous job to unable him to live and continue his painting
The building was eventually condemned and demolished and today a creche has been built on the site.
DUBUC here met Michel DODDOLI a tailor who opened his own gallery organizing the exhibition
"Les Grands et les Jeunes d'Aujourd'hui" at the Grand Palais where DUBUC's paintings were shown.
In 1958, he was awared with the silver medal of the city of Paris for his oil painting "La Fanfare des pompiers de Montmartre". the same year he moved to a small hotel in rue Myra close to the appartment of MACLET.
In front of the "Théatre de l'Atelier" today place Dublin was a small hotel bookshop owned by Mr. LEVY called "Le pot d'étain".
Mr. LEVY had purchased some paintings by MACLET and has asked DUBUC so sell him some of his work and through this friendship was formed DUBUC often spending winter evenings for dinner with Mr. LEVY.
In 1960 Roland DUBUC married EDITH LOISEL, and produced two daugthers Florence and Véronique.
Later he moved to the rue Francoeur but still he was unable to support his family by painting so worked as a hairdresser at "coiffure Antoine" sculpting in day the heads used to train young apprentices.
During many years despite a lot of efforts and work he encountered a lot of difficulties to live from his work.
In 1968, him and his wife decided to stop commun life, and started to live on his own, moving from one place to another according to his present style of life. In 1970, he divorced.
In 1972, he had his first exibition at the "Jacueline Laugier" Gallery rue Lepic in Montmartre.
Then he left for Switzerland where he had his first exhibition in Geneva, and sold few paintings at the Petit Palais of Geneva.
He will stay in Switzerland during six years, living decently from his work.
In In 1980, he came back to France and established his studio in Cherbourg in the house of one of his friend, doctor.
In 1984, he came back to Paris, and worked for a while with Galery Pittiglio. At the end of 1985, one of his old friend Jean Paul VILLAIN who has been buying many of his paintings, since he started, opened his Galery 29 rue de Miromesnil in Paris. Many exihibitions have been organized in Paris in 1986 and 1987 .
He signed a contract of exclusivity with this galery.
In 1988, an exhibition was organized in Guadeloupe at the PLM Hotel. In 1989, this Galery is preparing an exhibition based on his work about the world of Circus. This is for Roland DUBUC, the begining of success accompanied by an increase of the value of his work within the different auction sales. Some of his paintings are being part of private collections in the United States, Japan, United Kingdom and Israel.

Source: http://www.roland-dubuc.com/