Eccentric and described as a “supreme paradox” in the LA Times, Jean St. Pierre was a singular figure who wove through the California art scene of the 1960s and 70s. Tethered to Orange County, where his mother lived, St. Pierre was briefly a member of a Benedictine monastery and his most well-known works—small, white encaustic paintings—have been interpreted as “metaphors for a longing for spiritual transcendence over earthly suffering and decay.” St. Pierre was deeply inspired by Jasper Johns, especially the artist's encaustic works, and counted among his collectors the Newport Harbor Art Museum and the Laguna Art Museum, as well as Los Angeles City Councilman Joel Wachs. St. Pierre studied at multiple arts institution, including California Institute of the Arts, and befriended art students at UC Irvine, including Chris Burden. In tandem with this artist cohort, St. Pierre ran the Newspace gallery on Melrose until, saddled with debt and sleeping in the space, St. Pierre convinced Joni Gordon to buy the gallery in 1975—which she did, to great success. As Gordon described the artist, “[Jean] would live for his art or not at all.”
