Gershon Iskowitz
GERSHON ISKOWITZ "SKETCH FOR TAPESTRY" 1976
In the mid 1970's a small group of the era's leading contemporary Canadian artists (including Michael Snow, Harold Town and Joyce Wieland) were commissioned to submit a design for a limited-edition tapestry.
A few years ago, the unique artwork for this tapestry project came on the secondary market. While all of the designs have merit, and were fine emblems of each artist's aesthetic, the Iskowitz work, offered here, is exceptional. Iskowitz was one of the only artists to create a painting (while the other artists submitted works on paper)
Furthermore small Iskowitz paintings are exceptionally rare. The majority of his works from the 1970's (arguably his best and most iconic period) are large canvases, typically with a dimension of greater than four feet.
Gershon Iskowitz is one of Caviar20's favorite artists and we are excited to see a lot of momentum in his market as a new generation discovers his magical and exuberant artworks.
If you are not familiar with Iskowitz (1921-1988) it is worth starting with his remarkable history:
Born to a religious family in Poland, Iskowitz was allowed to leave Yeshiva (Jewish religious studies) in order to study art in Warsaw. The outbreak of war forced him to return to his hometown where he was shortly after conscripted to forced labor. In 1944 Iskowitz was transferred to Buchenwald, one of the first and most notorious Nazi concentration camps.
Upon liberation Iskowitz spent nearly 9 months in hospital recuperating. Amazingly he would study for six months at the Academy of Fine Art in Munich with Oskar Kokoschka.
Iskowitz would eventually immigrate to Canada. For most of the 1950's he incorporated representation into his art. By the 60's he had established a modest reputation and joined the Gallery Moos stable in 1964.
The legend goes that in 1967 thanks to a Canadian Council grant, Iskowitz took a helicopter tour of the north. The experience of seeing the massive expanse of trees from above inspired a major redirection of his aesthetic and approach.
This is a lovely sized and scaled work from the most desirable period of the artist's oeuvre.
Additional images available on request.
Questions about this piece? Contact us or call +1.416.704.1720
"Sketch for Tapestry"
Signed and dated by the artist
Oil on canvas panel.
Canada, 1976
19.5"H 15.5"W
Framed
Very good condition.
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Our inventory is divided between New York and Toronto.
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We can ship anywhere. Typically when we ship within North America we prefer to use FedEx or DHL. To Europe, Asia and beyond we generally use DHL.
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For shipments within North America, we typically charge a flat rate fee. Many items on our site will list the rate. For shipping outside of North America, we can easily provide a quote and will look for the most efficient and economical option.
Most of the items on our site can be easily shipped internationally.
Occasionally we will recommend that an artwork be removed from its frame for shipping. Larger framed works are typically framed with plexiglass. We export over 80% of what we sell, so we are comfortable shipping anywhere.
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When a work is valued above $2,500 usd there is a possibility of tax of 0.35%, but this is applied sporadically. There can similarly be an additional fee for customs brokerage and this can range from $20 - $65. US Taxes, duties and customs brokerage are not included in our flat rate shipping. However most of our shipments to the US enter without any additional fees.
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- Caviar20 wants you to be 100% satisfied with your purchase. We have a 7 day no-questions full refund return policy for your purchase. Shipping charges are non-refundable. Return shipping is the responsibility of the customer. After 8 days returns are given a credit note. There is no expiration for our credit notes.
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Canadian clients are welcomed and encouraged to pay with interac.