Abstraction , 1974

Private Collection, Montreal

Joan Murray, “Canadian Art in the Twentieth Century”, Toronto, 1999, pages 99 and 122 Wanda Nanibush and Georgiana Uhlyarik, “Rita Letendre: Fire and Light”, Art Gallery of Ontario, 2017, pages 17-19

Letendre’s large canvases of the 1970s explore her fascination with depicting speed and vibration. The use of airbrushed paint creates a dimension of depth in “Abstraction”, while the dramatic shift in palette occurs when the black ‘arrow’, framed by two vivid neon green and bright pink stripes, constrained by turquoise and azure bands, slices through the surface of the work. Joan Murray discusses these works produced by the artist during the 1970s, stating, “Rita Letendre explored colour, line and composition through the use of forceful chevrons that cut across the composition diagonally or horizontally from one corner of the painting to the other. She obtained extra energy from applying narrow ridges of contrasting colour to the borders of each ray.” The sharp lines of bright colour all converge to a single point at the tip of the black ‘arrow’ in these works, magnifying and concentrating the energy. Like the birth of a supernova, light and energy burst forth from the image plane in “Abstraction”. The use of an airbrush was an integral element to Letendre’s exploration into the emphasis of radiating light in her works. Wanda Nanibush writes: “The use of an airbrush gave her considerable control over texture and coverage so she could execute pure, flat, evenly distributed arrows. The airbrush, coupled with tape, allowed for the colours to be butted up against each other in perfect lines.” This new technique allowed Letendre to have a smooth sense of control over her application of paint to further the formal elements of line and colour in her works. Light remaining the focus of the work, the white bands act as pure light forces juxtaposing the ink black arrow. Nanibush explains: “Light moves through her work like a beacon of hope, a pathway to somewhere else and as an uncontainable futurity.” The peacock colour palette, coupled with the innovative application of medium in “Abstraction” is a testament to Letendre’s exceptional artistic practice and exemplifies the vibrational energy the artist sought to explore and share through her art.