Above All; Georgian Bay; Love Seat; Spanish Grotto; Young at Wellesley; Eastern Western

Private Collection, British Columbia

Irving Layton (Drawings by Richard Gorman), “Dance with Desire”, The Porcupine’s Quill, Erin, Ontario, 1992, page 152 (”Above All” illustrated) and page 188 (”Georgian Bay” illustrated) Literature: Nancy Baele, “A Marriage of Words and Images”, The Ottawa Citizen, Saturday March 14, 1992, page G2. Irving Layton’s “Dance with Desire” presents a collection of the author’s love poems republished by Porcupine’s’ Quill and with reproductions of erotic drawings by Richard Gorman. A later deluxe portfolio edition of the book was produced with accompanying etchings and drawings by Gorman; writer John Metcalf had commissioned Gorman for the artworks. Six etchings from this limited portfolio edition of 100 are presented in this lot, along with a copy of the Porcupine’s Quill edition of “Dance with Desire”. Gorman was commissioned by Metcalf to create images that were in the spirit of Layton’s poems, but not literal illustrations. Prior to this project, the artist had never been experienced or interested in etching; Gorman preferred painting and drawing, lithography and woodcuts. He immersed himself in this new medium and quickly mastered the technique. The etchings for the deluxe portfolio celebrate Richard Gorman’s youth, while he was living in Toronto in an apartment at Yonge and Wellesley and vacationing at Georgian Bay. Nancy Baele remarks that “the image “Spanish Grotto” is based on the years during the late ‘60s when he was in Spain, taking time out, playing jazz. “Eastern, Western” recalls the train journeys he made from Toronto to Montreal when he was in love with a woman who figured in Leonard Cohen’s songs.”