Geneviève Castrée
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Geneviève Elverum ( Gosselin; April 9, 1981 – July 9, 2016), also known as Geneviève Castrée, was a Canadian cartoonist, illustrator, and musician from
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
. An early admirer of comics, she began creating them at a young age.
L'Oie de Cravan L’Oie de Cravan (translated The Goose of Cravan) is a Canadian publishing house based in Montreal, Quebec that specializes in poetry. It was founded in January 1992 by poet and writer . The name is seen as a tribute to the poet-boxer Arthur C ...
published her first book, ''Lait Frappé'', in 2000. By 2004 she had released three more books—''Die Fabrik, Roulatheque Roulatheque Nicolore'' and ''Pamplemoussi''. The latter is considered her artistic breakthrough. Her 2012 book ''Susceptible'' gave her international success and was followed by a book of poems in French entitled ''Maman Sauvage'' in 2015. Her next two works ''A Bubble'' and ''Maman Apprivoisée'' were both released posthumously. She also recorded a total of eight albums under the name Woelv and Ô Paon (stylized in all caps). In 2003, Castrée met musician
Phil Elverum Philip Whitman Elverum (; born May 23, 1978) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and visual artist, best known for his musical projects The Microphones and Mount Eerie. Based in Anacortes, Washington, in the mid-2000s he began ...
, and the two married the following year. In 2015, she gave birth to their first child. That same year, she was diagnosed with
pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...
. She succumbed to the disease in 2016. Elverum later recorded a series of albums centered around her life and death.


Early life

Geneviève Gosselin was born in
Loretteville Loretteville is a former city in central Quebec, Canada. It was amalgamated into Quebec City on January 1, 2002. It is located within the borough of La Haute-Saint-Charles, and also contains the upmarket neighbourhood of Montchâtel. Its population ...
,
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, in 1981.Adam Baumgold Gallery. March 20, 2008
. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
She grew up reading ''
Tintin Tintin or Tin Tin may refer to: ''The Adventures of Tintin'' * ''The Adventures of Tintin'', a comics series by Belgian cartoonist Hergé ** Tintin (character), a fictional character in the series ** ''The Adventures of Tintin'' (film), 2011, ...
'' comics from an early age, so much so that she eventually entered, studied for, and won a ''Tintin'' competition. From an early age, she was drawing comics influenced by artists she loved, including Hergé,
Renée French Renée French (born 1963) is an American comics writer and illustrator and, under the pen name Rainy Dohaney, a children's book author, and exhibiting artist. Her work is characterized by her "obsessive-looking and highly unsettling visual style ...
, Chester Brown, Julie Doucet, and Argentinian artist
Quino Joaquín Salvador Lavado Tejón, better known by his pen name Quino (; 17 July 193230 September 2020), was an Argentinian cartoonist. His comic strip ''Mafalda'' (which ran from 1964 to 1973) is popular in many parts of the Americas and Europe ...
. Doucet in particular had a significant influence on Castrée, influencing her character design and lettering style. When Gosselin was five, her father left her and her mother. At age fifteen, Gosselin traveled around Canada and reunited with her absentee father. Although their relationship was strained, Gosselin's father did build her a log cabin to live in. In her teens, Gosselin, without formal training, began her cartooning career, publishing minicomics and adopting the name Geneviève Castrée. Gosselin had a troubled relationship with her mother, experiencing both a deep connection and feelings of alienation and belittlement. Her relationship with her father was less contentious but also less intimate.


Career


Artistry

In 2000, Montréal publisher
L'Oie de Cravan L’Oie de Cravan (translated The Goose of Cravan) is a Canadian publishing house based in Montreal, Quebec that specializes in poetry. It was founded in January 1992 by poet and writer . The name is seen as a tribute to the poet-boxer Arthur C ...
published her first book, ''Lait Frappé'', followed by ''Die Fabrik'' that same year and ''Roulatheque Roulatheque Nicolore'' in 2001, but it was ''Pamplemoussi'' in 2004 that served as her artistic breakthrough. The release marked her first major movement to integrate her music and visual art into one cohesive practice. In 2012, Castrée released ''Susceptible'', a
graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
that chronicles her childhood growing up in Quebec through the character of Goglu, her childhood nickname. It was released to critical acclaim and saw her achieve international success, as well as helping her feel "unburdened" by her memories of her mother. In 2015, ''Maman Sauvage'', a book of poems in French detailing Castrée's feelings as a mother, was published by L'Oie de Cravan under the name Geneviève Elverum. Following her death, Castrée was included in ''The Best American Comics 2016'', edited by
Roz Chast Rosalind Chast (born November 26, 1954) is an American cartoonist and a staff cartoonist for ''The New Yorker''. Since 1978, she has published more than 800 cartoons in ''The New Yorker''. She also publishes cartoons in ''Scientific American'' and ...
. In 2017, her final book, ''A Bubble'', was posthumously published by Drawn & Quarterly, having been completed by Portland artist Anders Nilsen and Elverum. They were initially wary about finishing it but concluded that it would be better for the book to be in a state of "easy readability rather than burden it with the awkward unfinished look, too cloaked in its context to be functional as a standalone thing." Castrée left instructions for its creation after her death. According to Elverum, she worked on it until her "literal final days". The book was created for her daughter as a gift, although she did intend for it to be published. It centers around their relationship and Castrée's struggle with cancer, which she compares to living in a bubble. It features sparse text and is instead primarily told via an image per page. It concludes with an afterword by Elverum. Elverum noted that its creation was Castrée's way of coping. A book of poems entitled ''Maman Apprivoisée'' was released in 2018. It consists of 44 poems written in French and English. It deals with her feelings surrounding her giving birth in 2015, and being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer the same year. Elverum has said that he is putting together a book of poems by her as well as a monograph of her illustrations.


Musical career

A self-taught musician, Castrée's first release was an accompanying LP to her 2004 book ''Pamplemoussi'', recorded and mixed by Thomas Shields and Matt Skillings of the band Run Chico Run. The two artists provided many of the instruments and backing tracks to the album, as well as musical training and financing for the recording. The album was recorded and mixed in Victoria, British Columbia. It is lo-fi in nature, with Castrée singing in French over "childlike" instruments, such as a keyboard and recorder. Under the name Woelv, Castrée released the 2006 EP ''Gris'' via Elverum's label P.W. Elverum & Sun, Ltd. ''Gris'' saw her expand on her already-established lo-fi sound. Her final release under the Woelv name came in 2007 as ''Tout Seul Dans La Forêt En Plein Jour, Avez-vous Peur?'' (English: ''Alone in the Forest in the Middle of the Day, Are You Scared?''). The album was recorded in
Olympia The name Olympia may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games * ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...
, Washington, via K Records, with Elverum once again involved. In 2009, Castrée established her own label and began releasing music under the name Ô Paon. In 2010, she released an LP, ''Courses'', recorded at Hotel2Tango, Montreal, with
Thierry Amar Thierry Amar is a Canadian musician, engineer and producer. He is a member of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, Earthquake Architecture, The Craig Pedersen Quartet and Black Ox Orkestar. He i ...
, and in 2015 released ''Fleuve'', recorded with Elverum and featuring Nicholas Krgovich and
Lori Goldston Lori Goldston is an American cellist and composer. Accomplished in a wide variety of styles, including classical, world music, rock and free improvisation, she came to prominence as the touring cellist for Nirvana from 1993–1994 and appears on ...
. Castrée also made appearances on recordings by Mount Eerie,
Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...
, Karl Blau, D+ and
Aidan Baker Aidan Baker (born 1974/75) is a musician from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who has released numerous records both as a solo artist and as part of various side projects, including Nadja, ARC, Caudal and Mnemosyne. He has also written several books ...
. She and Elverum helped create the
What The Heck Fest Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.


Themes and style

Castrée's literary work often dealt with topics such as loyalty, her relationship with her parents and childhood abuse. They were typically of a discreet nature, and often eschewed typical comics paneling, alongside using
negative space and open page layouts, among other techniques. Her work featured a meticulous folk art style that made heavy use of vibrant color. Her characters were often expressive, being described as "fragile" and "broken", and were drawn with "wiggly" arms and "bending" legs. Themes such as sorrow and elation were present throughout her work in a symbiotic manner.


Personal life

Castrée was married to musician Phil Elverum, who has released music as the Microphones and Mount Eerie. They met in 2003 and married in 2004. They originally intended to move to Canada but after searching for
residency Residency may refer to: * Domicile (law), the act of establishing or maintaining a residence in a given place ** Permanent residency, indefinite residence within a country despite not having citizenship * Residency (medicine), a stage of postgrad ...
decided to remain in the United States, in the town of Anacortes, Washington, where Elverum grew up. Castrée was also close friends with musician
Lori Goldston Lori Goldston is an American cellist and composer. Accomplished in a wide variety of styles, including classical, world music, rock and free improvisation, she came to prominence as the touring cellist for Nirvana from 1993–1994 and appears on ...
and poet
Joanne Kyger Joanne Kyger (November 19, 1934 – March 22, 2017) was an American poet. The author of over 30 books of poetry and prose, Kyger was associated with the poets of the San Francisco Renaissance, the Beat Generation, Black Mountain, and the New ...
. French was Castrée's primary language. Castrée was diagnosed with
pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...
in 2015, shortly after the birth of her and Elverum's only child. In June 2016, a GoFundMe account was set up by Elverum to assist with their finances. She died on July 9, 2016, at the age of 35. Her husband soon posted an update: "She died at home with me and her parents holding her, hopefully having reached some last minute peace".


Legacy

Her widower, Phil Elverum, released three albums under his Mount Eerie project – ''
A Crow Looked at Me ''A Crow Looked at Me'' is the eighth studio album by Mount Eerie, a solo project of the American musician Phil Elverum. Released in 2017, it was composed in the aftermath of his 35-year-old wife Geneviève Castrée's diagnosis with pancreatic ...
'', ''
Now Only ''Now Only'' is the ninth studio album by Mount Eerie, the solo project of American musician Phil Elverum. It was released on March 16, 2018, on Elverum's record label P.W. Elverum & Sun. Like the preceding Mount Eerie album ''A Crow Looked at ...
'' and ''
Lost Wisdom pt. 2 ''Lost Wisdom pt. 2'' is the second collaborative studio album by Mount Eerie and Julie Doiron. It was released on November 8, 2019. Like the previous two Mount Eerie albums it concerns the death of Geneviève Castrée, the first wife of Mount Eer ...
'' – which chronicle Castrée's life and mourn her early death.
Katherine Paul Katherine Paul (born 1989) is a Swinomish/ Iñupiaq singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Portland, Oregon. Her music is influenced by post-rock, alternative rock, and Native American traditional music. She has released an EP and ...
's debut album ''Mother of My Children'' was inspired by Castrée's death, whom Paul described as her "mentor".
Clyde Petersen Clyde Petersen is an artist based in Seattle, working in film, animation, music, and installation. As a director he is most renowned for ''Torrey Pines'' (2016), an autobiographical stop-motion animated feature film, which toured the world with ...
was inspired by Castrée's death to release an album he had recorded while briefly house-sitting for Castrée and Elverum. Many other artists paid tribute to her. Anders Nilsen called her "one of my favorite people in the world and one of my favorite artists". Former publisher Chris Oliveros expressed graditude and pride at having worked with her and published her works.


Bibliography


Books

All titles published as Geneviève Castrée except where indicated: * ''Lait Frappé'',
L'Oie de Cravan L’Oie de Cravan (translated The Goose of Cravan) is a Canadian publishing house based in Montreal, Quebec that specializes in poetry. It was founded in January 1992 by poet and writer . The name is seen as a tribute to the poet-boxer Arthur C ...
, 2000. * ''Die Fabrik'', Reprodukt, 2000. * ''Roulathèque Roulathèque Nicolore'',
L'Oie de Cravan L’Oie de Cravan (translated The Goose of Cravan) is a Canadian publishing house based in Montreal, Quebec that specializes in poetry. It was founded in January 1992 by poet and writer . The name is seen as a tribute to the poet-boxer Arthur C ...
, 2001. * ''Pamplemoussi'', LP and book,
L'Oie de Cravan L’Oie de Cravan (translated The Goose of Cravan) is a Canadian publishing house based in Montreal, Quebec that specializes in poetry. It was founded in January 1992 by poet and writer . The name is seen as a tribute to the poet-boxer Arthur C ...
, 2004. * ''Masques'', Sweet Dream Press, 2007. * ''Tout Seul Dans La Forêt En Plein Jour, Avez-Vous Peur?'' (as Woelv), CD/LP and book, K Records, 2007. * ''Enfance'', self-published anonymously, 2010 * ''Susceptible'', Drawn & Quarterly/L’Apocalypse, 2013. * ''Maman Sauvage'' (poetry, as Geneviève Elverum),
L'Oie de Cravan L’Oie de Cravan (translated The Goose of Cravan) is a Canadian publishing house based in Montreal, Quebec that specializes in poetry. It was founded in January 1992 by poet and writer . The name is seen as a tribute to the poet-boxer Arthur C ...
, 2015. * ''A Bubble'', Drawn & Quarterly, 2017. * ''Maman Apprivoisée'' (poetry, as Geneviève Elverum),
L'Oie de Cravan L’Oie de Cravan (translated The Goose of Cravan) is a Canadian publishing house based in Montreal, Quebec that specializes in poetry. It was founded in January 1992 by poet and writer . The name is seen as a tribute to the poet-boxer Arthur C ...
, 2018.
''Geneviève Castrée: Complete Works 1981-2016''
Drawn & Quarterly, 2022.


Featured in

* '' Kramers Ergot Four'', Ginkgo Press, 2003. * ''Drawn & Quarterly Showcase #3'', Drawn & Quarterly, 2005. * ''Drawn & Quarterly: Twenty-Five Years of Contemporary Cartooning, Comics, and Graphic Novels'', Drawn & Quarterly, 2012. * ''The Best American Comics 2016'',
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (; HMH) is an American publisher of textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers and adults. The company is based in the Financial Dist ...
, 2016.


Exhibitions

* ''Orange Sanguine'' (drawings and dolls), The Crying Room, Vancouver, BC, 2002. * ''Deviate'' (with Allison Cole), Junc Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 2006. * ''Masques'', Book Gallery Popotame, Tokyo, 2007. * ''Geneviève Castrée : Drawings'', Adam Baumgold Gallery, New York, NY, 2008. *Pia-Anna Borneo Gallery, Lucerne, Switzerland, March 28 - April 5, 2009. * ''Some Shit'', THANKY, Richmond, VA, April 3–27, 2009. * ''Débarrassée/Décomplexée'', Presspop Gallery/Book Gallery Popotame, Tokyo, 2010. * ''Hivers'', Book Gallery Popotame, Tokyo, 2013. * ''Susceptible '', Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery, Seattle, WA, 2013. * ''Forest of Suicides'' (group show), Galeria de Muerte, Tokyo, 2013. * ''Drawn & Quarterly 25th'' (group show), Galerie Martel, Paris, 2016. * ''A Bubble'', Editions de la Pasteque, Montreal, QC, 2018. * ''This is Serious'' (group show), Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, 2019.


Discography


Woelv releases

* ''Pamplemoussi'' (as Geneviève Castrée), LP and book,
L'Oie de Cravan L’Oie de Cravan (translated The Goose of Cravan) is a Canadian publishing house based in Montreal, Quebec that specializes in poetry. It was founded in January 1992 by poet and writer . The name is seen as a tribute to the poet-boxer Arthur C ...
, 2004. * ''Gris'', CD-EP/10" record, P.W. Elverum & Sun, 2006. * ''Le niveau de la mer/Bête à Cheval'', 7" record, K Records, 2007. * ''Tout Seul Dans La Forêt En Plein Jour, Avez-vous Peur?'', CD/LP and book, K Records, 2007


Woelv compilation appearances

* ''Le Béluga'' on ''Trust In Sirens: What The Heck Fest 2004'', CD, Kelp Monthly, 2004. * ''Réconciliation'' on ''Flotsam and Jetsam: What The Heck Fest 2005'', CD, Kelp Monthly, 2005. * ''Le Déserteur'' (
Boris Vian Boris Vian (; 10 March 1920 – 23 June 1959) was a French polymath: writer, poet, musician, singer, translator, critic, actor, inventor and engineer who is primarily remembered for his novels. Those published under the pseudonym Vernon Sulliva ...
) on ''Free The Bird: What The Heck Fest 2006'', CD, Kelp Monthly, 2006.


Ô Paon releases

* ''a)b)c)d)e)'', 7" record, TAUS 001 Disques Ô Paon, 2009. * ''Courses'', CD/LP, TAUS 003 Disques Ô Paon, 2010. * ''Quatorze/Quanze Ans'', 10" record, TAUS 004 Disques Ô Paon, 2013. * ''Fleuve'', LP, TAUS 005 Disques Ô Paon, 2015.


Ô Paon compilation appearances

* ''Raffinerie'' on ''What The Heck Fest 2007'', CD, Charming Tedious, 2007 * ''Les Cerfs-Volants'' on ''The Second Marriage Compilation'', CD,
Marriage Records Marriage Records is a small, independent record label formed in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 2001 by Curtis Knapp and Adrian Orange. The label has released a number of albums by musicians such as Adam Forkner, Dirty Projectors, Little Wings ...
, 2007. * ''Le Retour'' on ''No Band Is An Island'', CD, Knw-Yr-Own, 2008. * ''Nunavik'' on ''Songs For The Arctic Ocean'', digital, Beat is Murder Records, 2009. * ''Certitude'' ( D+) on ''What The Heck?'', CD, Knw-Yr-Own, 2009. * ''Films Americains'' on ''Yeti Ten'', CD and magazine, Yeti, 2010. * ''Evolution (alternative version)'' on ''Resume vol. 2'', digital, 7 e.p., 2011.


Collaborations and appearances

* ''Welcome Nowhere'' by
Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...
, LP, P.W. Elverum & Sun, 2004. * '' No Flashlight'' by Mount Eerie, CD/LP, P.W. Elverum & Sun, 2005. * ''The Watery Graves of Portland and/et Geneviève'' with The Watery Graves of Portland, CD/LP,
Marriage Records Marriage Records is a small, independent record label formed in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 2001 by Curtis Knapp and Adrian Orange. The label has released a number of albums by musicians such as Adam Forkner, Dirty Projectors, Little Wings ...
, 2007. * '' Mount Eerie Pts. 6 & 7'' by Mount Eerie, 10" record and book, P.W. Elverum & Sun, 2007. * ''Karl & Geneviève'', with Karl Blau, 7" record, TAUS 002, Disques Ô Paon, 2011. * ''
Clear Moon ''Clear Moon'' is the fifth studio album by Mount Eerie, a solo project by American musician Phil Elverum. It was released May 22, 2012 on Elverum's own label P.W. Elverum & Sun. The album was written and produced entirely by Elverum, who recorde ...
'' by Mount Eerie, LP, P.W. Elverum & Sun, 2012. * ''Already Drowning'' by
Aidan Baker Aidan Baker (born 1974/75) is a musician from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who has released numerous records both as a solo artist and as part of various side projects, including Nadja, ARC, Caudal and Mnemosyne. He has also written several books ...
, CD/LP, Gizeh Records, 2013. * '' Sauna'' by Mount Eerie, LP, P.W. Elverum & Sun, 2015.


References


External links


P.W. Elverum & Sun
(current official store for Geneviève's books and music)
Ô Paon official website
(no longer updated)
Ô Paon at BandcampGeneviève Castrée at Drawn & Quarterly
*Naomi Fry
The Geneviève Castrée Interview
''The Comics Journal'', April 17, 2013 *Jasmine Alberton
Beyond A Crow: Looking at the Life and Works of Geneviève Castrée
KEXP.org, March 28, 2019 {{DEFAULTSORT:Castree, Genevieve 1981 births 2016 deaths Canadian comics artists Canadian illustrators Canadian indie rock musicians Deaths from pancreatic cancer French Quebecers Canadian women artists Deaths from cancer in Washington (state) Canadian expatriates in the United States Canadian women singers Canadian female comics artists