Harold Town (1924-1990) is renowned across Canada 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.
As an artist he 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.
One of his most exciting chapters occurred in the early 1970s. Realizing an idea first considered in 1957, Town and his father created a device that stood 7 feet tall, allowing the artist to flick paint from a string onto a canvas.
Town would repeat this technique thousands of times on a single canvas resulting in richly tactile works appropriately titled "Snap Paintings". While the lines in these paintings are straight, they have a wonderful texture that Iris Nowell compared to chenille. Though it sounds trite, these are works that are best appreciated in person.
Caviar20 is pleased to present this exceptional example from the Snap era. Like the best of Town's work, he incorporates unexpected colors, such as this punctuating aqua, against a retro palette. While many of the Snap paintings are quite large, as the artist was taking advantage of his tall homemade contraption, this work is notable for its intimate domestic proportions.
This piece is essential work for any collection of post-war Canadian abstraction.
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"Untitled (Snap)"
Canada, c. 1973
Oil and lucite on canvas
Stamped by The Estate of Harold Town
12"H 12"W (work)
Very good condition.
Provenance: The Estate of Harold Town
Price: $12,500 CAD
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