Harold Town (1924-1990) is renowned across Canada and beyond for his eclectic and dynamic body of work.
In the 1950s, Town established his reputation with a series of abstract monotypes (called "Single Autographic Prints"). He would exhibit these works at the Venice Biennale to great fanfare in Europe and at home. By the 1960s, he was considered the most famous artist in Canada.
Town fearlessly experimented with different media and aesthetics - consider how different his "Toy Horse" is from his "Single Autographic Prints" or even his "Pop Star/Icon" works. In every decade, Town would switch gears and embark on new series with courage and conviction.
Town's "Silent Light" series, created between 1968 and 1970, marked a pivotal moment in his abstract painting. This mesmerizing body of work was inspired by the memory of Town's fanciful Christmas tree collapsing, leaving the floor strewn with a kaleidoscopic display of shattered fragments.
Although Town resisted aligning himself with specific art movements, this series evokes the palette and mood of Op Art, with its complex illusions that challenge the flatness of the two-dimensional plane.
Rendered in a pastel palette of bubblegum pink, periwinkle, saffron, tangerine, and teal, this work succinctly demonstrates Town's masterful precision and deliberate technique in this series. Bold, contrasting lines ripple across the canvas, forming an unexpected grid that gradually reveals a collection of hypnotic circles beneath.
"Silent Light" is an exemplary work from Harold Town in the late 1960's. It is remarkable to consider that while Town was creating this complex body of work, he was simultaneously developing his ultra-minimalistic "Stretch" paintings - a true testament to his extraordinary range and versatility as an artist. It also reveals how Town had completely abandoned the gestural and highly textured surfaces that had defined his paintings during the 1950's and 60's.
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"Silent Light"
Canada, c. 1968-1970
Oil and lucite on canvas
Signed by the artist, bottom right and verso
17"H 17"W (work)
Very good condition.
Provenance: the Estate of Harold Town
Note: the price is $20,000 CAD
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