Bengal 1 by John Meredith

Provenance:
The Isaacs Gallery, Toronto
The Women’s Committee of the Art Gallery of Toronto
The Collection of Dennis Reid, Toronto

Exhibited:
"Canada art d’aujourd’hui", Musée National d’Art Moderne, Paris, 12 January-18 February 1968, no. 38 as "Bengale 1", 1962
"Toronto Painting: 1953-1965", National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 15 September-15 October, 1972
"John Meredith: Fifteen Years", Art Gallery of Ontario Extension Services, Toronto, 1974 October-1975, June (also travelling to the Sarnia Public Library and Art Gallery; St. Catharines and District Arts Council, Rodman Hall; Vancouver Art Gallery; London Public Library and Art Gallery; Winnipeg Art Gallery; and the Windsor Art Gallery)
"Small Villages, The Isaacs Gallery in Toronto, 1956-1991," Art Gallery of Hamilton, 10 September-10 November 1992

Literature:
"Canada art d’aujourd’hui", France, 1968, no. 38, unpaginated, reproduced
Dennis Reid & Barry Hale (Introduction), "Toronto Painting: 1953-1965", National Gallery of Canada, 1972, reproduced page 58
William Withrow, "Contemporary Canadian Painting", Toronto, 1972, mentioned page 147, reproduced page 149
Ian Thom, "John Meredith Drawings: 1957-1980", Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, 1980, unpaginated, artwork mentioned
Gary Michael Dault in James Geoffrey et al, "Visions: Contemporary Art in Canada", Vancouver, 1984, listed on page 116

John Meredith had little interest in formal theories but worked instinctively and experientially, drawing from inner resources. Many of his early works of the late 1950s were executed with a vigorous palette knife impasto. Drawing was always central and crucial to Meredith’s work, developing a personal calligraphic vocabulary. "Bengal 1", dating to 1962, demonstrates Meredith’s shift away from sombre colours to more bright and linear compositions. The artist had recently held his second solo show in 1961 at Toronto's Isaacs Gallery. The exhibition was favourably reviewed in the ""Toronto Star"" and he joined the Isaacs Gallery in 1962.

This artwork, as well as lot 69, are from the Collection of the late Dennis Reid, esteemed academic, author and curator.

For additional images and/or details related to this artwork, please visit the digital catalogue: https://rb.gy/fy8zwo