Canadian Fine Art Auction

November 21, 2016

LOT 105

Lot 105

DENNIS EUGENE NORMAN BURTON

DENNIS EUGENE NORMAN BURTON
Lot 105 Details
DENNIS EUGENE NORMAN BURTON

BRIDGE NEAR MACLEOD

oil on masonite
signed, titled and dated April ‘58 on the reverse
28 ins x 48 ins; 71.1 cms x 121.9 cms

Estimate $7,000-$9,000

Realised: $7,200
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
DENNIS EUGENE NORMAN BURTON
  • DENNIS EUGENE NORMAN BURTON
  • DENNIS EUGENE NORMAN BURTON
Provenance:

Private Collection, Toronto

Literature:

Joan Murray, Jock Macdonald's Students (catalogue), The Robert McLaughin Gallery, Oshawa, 1981, page 18.

David Burnett and Marilyn Schiff, Contemporary Canadian Art, Hurtig Publishers, Edmonton, 1983, page 88.

Note:

Dennis Burton studied at OCA under Jock Macdonald in whom he found an informed and sympathetic mind on matters relating to abstraction. At the time, this was not a style widely embraced by the Toronto art college's administration or faculty (see lot 99). Joan Murray quotes the following anecdote recalled by Burton: "(Macdonald) told my parents who had come for my graduation in May 1956, that regardless of my final marks, I was the best painter he had encountered since Bill Ronald and that I should be encouraged to continue painting. He said I had 'it'."

Indeed, Macdonald had such faith in Burton's potential that he submitted his name for a Guggenheim fellowship which the artist was actually awarded. Due to an unfortunate case of misplaced correspondence, Burton did not know he had been chosen and never used the award. Ronald (see lot 96) and Coughtry (see lot 112) were also awarded this prestigious fellowship the same year.

After graduating from art school in 1956, Burton struggled to establish a personal direction for his art. Following many visits to New York and closely considering the work of artists such de Kooning and Tworkov, by 1958 Burton’s own approach to abstraction was established. David Burnett interprets Burton’s abstracts as, “seeking to deal with the issues between a tightly organized structure and a free, gestural handling of paint.”

The title of this work may refer to “Old Man River Bridge” in Fort Macleod, a landmark that Burton would have seen on his trips back home to Lethbridge, Alberta.

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 105
×

About Condition Ratings

  • 5 Stars: Excellent - No discernable damage, flaws or imperfections
  • 4 Stars: Very Good - Minor flaws or imperfections visible only under close inspection using specialised instruments or black light
  • 3 Stars: Good - Minor flaws visible upon inspection under standard lighting
  • 2 Stars: Fair - Exhibits flaws or damage that may draw the eye under standard lighting
  • 1 Star: Poor - Flaws or damage immediately apparent under standard lighting (examples: missing components, rips, broken glass, damaged surfaces, etc.)

Note: Condition ratings and condition details are the subjective opinions of our specialists and should be used as a guide only. Waddington’s uses due care when preparing condition details, however, our staff are not professional restorers or conservators. Condition details and reports are not warranties and each lot is sold “as is” in accordance with the buyer’s terms and conditions of sale. In all cases the prospective purchaser is responsible for inspecting the property themselves prior to placing a bid.