CPE CSGA CSPWC OSA RCA
1941 - 2022
Canadian
The International Code - Letter J
oil monotype on paper
signed and dated 1998 and on verso titled "J" and dated on the gallery label
22 x 28 in, 55.9 x 71.1 cm
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000 CAD
Sold for: $8,750
Preview at:
PROVENANCE
Gallery One, Toronto
Aquired from the above by the present Private Collection, Toronto
This work is a part of David Blackwood’s exploration of the International Code, a nautical alpha-numeric flag communication system. When Newfoundland joined the Canadian Confederation in 1949, the federal government required all mariners to have an understanding of this system. Though the knowledge of these master mariners was very highly prized, many still struggled. Some could not read or write, and others, such as Blackwood’s father, Captain Edward Bishop Blackwood, had little familiarity with the Code. To remedy this he created a series of cards using cereal box cardboard and wax crayons to quiz himself. Those cards can be seen as precursors of a motif that spans 20 years of Blackwood’s work.
This work is also a monotype, a fascinating aspect of Blackwood’s printwork. The media as applied to the printing plate and transferred to paper allows for one unique printed image. These monotypes allowed Blackwood the gesture and vibrancy found in his paintings and watercolours, bridging the gap between painting and printing.
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