PC CC
1920 - 2013
Canadian
Study for White Canoe
acrylic and ink on paper
dated 29 Apr 87 and 1 May 87 and inscribed variously and on verso titled and dated on various labels
7 x 5 1/2 in, 17.8 x 14 cm
Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000 CAD
Sold for: $22,500
Preview at:
PROVENANCE
Collection of the Artist
Douglas Udell Gallery, Edmonton
Collection of Peggy Marko, Edmonton
LITERATURE
Philip Fry, Alex Colville: Paintings, Prints and Processes, 1983 - 1994, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 1994, page 50, reproduced page 50 and listed page 175 and the 1987 painting entitled White Canoe reproduced page 51 and the studies #701, #70.2, #7.04 and #7.05 listed page 175
Art Gallery of Ontario, Colville, August 23, 2014 - January 4, 2015, traveling in 2015 to the National Gallery of Ontario, the 1987 painting entitled White Canoe reproduced page 115 and listed page 147
EXHIBITED
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Alex Colville: Paintings, Prints and Processes, September 30, 1994 - January 15, 1995, catalogue #7.03
Art Gallery of Ontario, Colville, August 23, 2014 - January 4, 2015, traveling in 2015 to the National Gallery of Ontario, the 1987 painting entitled White Canoe
There is often an unsettling element to Alex Colville’s images, sensed like an air from our unconscious mind. In Study for White Canoe, the figure’s head is unseen, hidden behind the cross-piece of wood in the front of the canoe. The figure crosses the rock-strewn shore, advancing cautiously to the water bordered by a dark forest. The other person who supports the back half of the canoe is also unseen, although they must surely be there. Sightlines across a grid map out the careful positioning of the figure and canoe. Philip Fry writes, “Each meticulous step taken under the weight of the canoe acquires its meaning from its position on the map; side steps, corrective reorientations, even mistaken turns can lead to revisions of the map…Is this portage not an image of our life, of the moment we realize that the means used to help us progress along the way are as dense with bearing, with significance, as the end to be attained?” This remarkable image emphasizes the path we tread and the trust we need to walk it even though we cannot always see clearly everything ahead of us.
All prices are in Canadian Dollars
Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information posted, errors and omissions may occur. All bids are subject to our
Terms and Conditions of Business. Bidders must ensure they have satisfied themselves with the
condition of the Lot prior to bidding. Condition reports are available upon request.