signed, titled and dated “1991-1992” on the reverse
29.25 × 31.25 in (74.3 × 79.4 cm)
Sold
$2,100
Provenance
Joyner Waddington’s, auction, Toronto, May 27, 2011, Lot 219
Private Collection, Ontario
Exhibited
After executing this work in France in 1991/92, the painting was part of a touring exhibition across the country. The exhibition visited Paris, Honfleur, Amiens, Dieppe, Caen and Rouen.
Later, the artwork was exhibited in shows in southern and western Ontario, with stops at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Jackson Square (Hamilton), City Centre Plaza (Hamilton) and the Central Public Library (London).
The reverse of the canvas includes the complete title (in English and French):
“Oh to be a bird on high
To soar above man’s domestic destruction,
Or to be that ‘Bird of Peace’ to
Herald the Voice ‘Stop!’
...But I flap on, I flap on...”
“Oh être un oiseau en haut
Prennant mon essor au-dessus de
la destruction domestique de
l’homme.
Ou être cet «Ouiseau de Paix»
qui
Proclame la Voix «Stoppe!»
...mais je m’affole, je m’affole”
Stephen Arthurs - To Be A Bird on High... | Cowley Abbott
