signed and dated 1973 lower right; signed and titled on the reverse
34 × 54 in (86.4 × 137.2 cm)
Auction Estimate:$10,000 - $15,000
Sale date:December 3, 2020
Price Realized
$8,400
(including Buyer's Premium)
Provenance
Private Collection, Ontario
Literature
Terry Fenton, ‘Dorothy Knowles: Land Marks’ in “Dorothy Knowles: Woven Beauty”, Han Art, Montreal, 2017, pages 4-5
Dorothy Knowles initially studied biology at the University of Saskatchewan before enrolling in the Emma Lake Artists’ Workshops and focusing increasingly on her art practice. These workshops allowed painters to train under innovative, internationally acclaimed artists, creating an important cultural hub in the province. In 1963, Knowles attended with her husband Bill Perehudoff and studied under American abstract artist Kenneth Noland. Noland encouraged her to experiment with a fluid technique involving layering thin, transparent washes of paint. This approach contrasted with the thick impastos of Abstract Expressionism, allowing Knowles to develop a distinct painterly sensibility. This method was well suited to capturing the subtle, atmospheric light of her environment. In “The Noon Sun”, Knowles depicts western fields in delicate yellows, blues and greens. The low horizon emphasizes the open expanse of the prairie sky. The darker form of the central grove pulls the viewer’s attention into the painting’s visual depth. Knowles continuously experimented with technique, but maintained a practice of working “en plein air” in direct observation of the land.
