Joyner’s Canadian Art Auction

May 25, 2012

LOT 109

Lot 109

HAROLD BARLING TOWN, R.C.A.

HAROLD BARLING TOWN, R.C.A.
Lot 109 Details
HAROLD BARLING TOWN, R.C.A.

WINDOW #2

oil and lucite 44 on canvas, mounted on canvas
signed and dated 1967; signed, titled and dated on the reverse
52 ins x 52 ins; 130 cms x 130 cms

Estimate $20,000-$30,000

Realised: $14,160
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Provenance:

Mazelow Gallery, Toronto.
Private Collection, Toronto.

Exhibited:

Seventh Biennial of Canadian Painting, The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 5 July - 1 September, 1968.

Note:

“Window #2” was painted during a very active year for Town: exhibitions in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Calgary and Chicago were met with great enthusiasm which kept the artist busy both in the studio and in the press. This work was chosen for the Seventh Biennial of Canadian Painting at the National Gallery of Canada held in the summer of 1968. William Sietz, then a curator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, was invited by the gallery to make the selections for this important exhibition of contemporary Canadian art.

“Window #2” is a work which appears on the very cusp of Town’s “Silent Light” series. The artist uses thin strips of masking tape to create the very fine, bold coloured lines seen on the smaller mounted canvas. Vertical and horizontal stripes are painted meticulously in green, yellow, orange and deep violet and are layered over black amorphous shapes. This layering technique creates a tension between the rigid bars and the loose forms below, highlighting Town’s signature play with order and disorder.

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 109
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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.