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LOT 005

BCSFA CGP CPE OC RCA
1919 - 2020
Canadian

Summer Bouquet
oil on canvas, circa 1962
signed and on verso titled partially on a label
24 x 30 in, 61 x 76.2 cm

Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000 CAD

Sold for: $28,125

Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave

PROVENANCE
Private Collection, Vancouver


In the early 1960s, Gordon Smith produced a group of works focused on a central cluster of biomorphic shapes that floated on dark colour-field backgrounds. His abstract shapes suggest vegetative forms, further reinforced by his choice of titles for these works (when he did give them titles), such as Night Garden or Blue Still Life. Memories from Smith’s 1951 trip to San Francisco may have been surfacing in these works, in particular from the Arshile Gorky retrospective he saw there, which included the painter’s hybrid plant and internal-organ shapes. In Summer Bouquet, Smith fluidly slides between recognizable forms and abstraction, always driving his work to evolve, but never entirely leaving behind his subject. This painting is bold, painterly and richly coloured, and through the use of expressionist brushwork, it radiates a vibrant, electrical energy. Smith’s use of bright white in the central form gives the impression of a beam of light striking, contrasting with the dark background. In this stunning canvas, Smith’s focus on the qualities of paint itself and his fluid abstraction of his considered objects make him eloquently modernist.


Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000 CAD

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.