PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Toronto
Fine Canadian Art, Heffel Fine Art Auction House, November 18, 1999, lot 71
Private Collection, United States

In Halloween Games, William Kurelek recalls in his quintessential style a scene from his own upbringing on the Canadian Prairies: a game of snap apple in full swing. A male student folds his arms behind his back and contorts his body to match the dizzying dance of his target. Students and their teacher look on from the sidelines in front of a chalkboard with the painting’s title cheekily scrawled by a doodle of a jack-o’-lantern.

The action of the central figure takes place at the precipice between the well-lit classroom and the mysterious dark space that lies just beyond the threshold. This work is expertly composed, recalling Jacques-Louis David’s Death of Marat, wherein the central figure is similarly engulfed by a flat black colour field behind. Kurelek’s exceptional talent lies in his ability to condense and frame whimsical memories at the height of their drama, giving us the impression that they could be our own. A bespoke frame made by Kurelek himself makes this work even more special, with its woven ribbon and crimson painted border forming a perfect portal into the world of Halloween Games.

This work is in the original frame made by Kurelek.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars