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LOT 056

1950 - 2023
Canadian

The Blue Highway - Jim Morrison
encaustic on canvas
on verso signed, titled, dated 2001 - 2002 and inscribed "01727"
30 x 40 in, 76.2 x 101.6 cm

Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000 CAD

Sold for: $22,500

Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave

PROVENANCE
Chac Mool Gallery, Los Angeles
Private Collection, Montreal


Executed between 1998 and 2002, Tony Scherman’s series The Blue Highway focuses on figures from popular culture, and this work is a cropped and magnified portrait of Jim Morrison, the lead singer of The Doors. Scherman shows him with his eyes closed and head tilted back, and one can easily imagine the musician during one of his compelling performances. Revealing a dramatic chiaroscuro effect—reminiscent of stage lighting—Scherman’s play of light and shadow is truly remarkable and imbues the work with an almost cinematic atmosphere. Morrison’s sensuous lips and luscious curls are beautifully rendered in the ancient technique of encaustic, Scherman’s preferred medium since the mid-1970s. It is a medium that the artist has complete mastery of. Scherman blends oil paint into fluid hot wax and applies it onto the canvas in successive layers, to achieve an optical mix of colours. In this piece, drips of blue, bright yellow and lilac wax demonstrate this complex process. Opulent and lush, Scherman’s technique and style seem tailor-made to capture the allure of the magnetic Morrison.


Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000 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.