Sold for: $17,500

PROVENANCE
Acquired directly from the Artist
By descent to the present Private Collection, Montreal

Betty Goodwin’s oeuvre is known for its evocative imagery. Certain themes recur—she often explored the subject of absence, as she does in this striking piece, Chair. Specifically, this piece alludes to desaparecidos—a Spanish term that refers to victims of enforced disappearance, primarily in Latin America—symbolized here with the titular empty chair. Sensitive to all aspects of the human condition, Goodwin did not shy away from more difficult subjects, but rather treated them with a touching vulnerability. Subtle yet eloquent, this work presents a deft handling of pictorial space in a dynamic composition. Her pigments have an evanescent quality to them, a result of applying her colours in diaphanous veils onto a sheet of Mylar. Her energetic and visceral brushwork imbues the work with a sense of urgency. The circle of deep luxurious aquamarine melts into the bright acid yellow, with discreet passages of chartreuse green. Her sketch-like and gestural use of the black oil stick reveals faint touches of transparent light blue. Astoundingly sensitive, Chair is a work that resonates, probing themes of resilience and humanity.

All prices are in Canadian Dollars