Artwork by Roy Kiyooka,  Strang, 1963
Thumbnail of Artwork by Roy Kiyooka,  Strang, 1963 Thumbnail of Artwork by Roy Kiyooka,  Strang, 1963 Thumbnail of Artwork by Roy Kiyooka,  Strang, 1963

Preview this item at:

Cowley Abbott
326 Dundas St West
Toronto ON M5T 1G5
Ph. 1(416)479-9703

Lot #84

Roy Kiyooka
Strang, 1963

enamel and aqua-tex on paper glazed with polymer
signed and dated 1963 lower right; titled and dated "December 1963" on an artist label on the reverse
45.25 x 35 in ( 114.9 x 88.9 cm )

Auction Estimate: $8,000.00$6,000.00 - $8,000.00

Opens June 10th at 10:00:00 AM EDT
Closes June 24th at 02:45:00 PM EDT
Provenance:
Douglas Gallery Limited, Vancouver
George and Angela Bowering, Vancouver
Catriona Jeffries Gallery, Vancouver
Private Collection, Vancouver
Private Collection
Exhibited:
Possibly "Twenty Canadians," Douglas Gallery, Vancouver, 1967, no. D2
"Roy Kiyooka: 25 Years," Vancouver Art Gallery; travelling to University of Calgary; Art Gallery of Windsor; the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, 21 November 1975-April 1976, no. 54
Literature:
Christopher Varley, "Roy Kiyooka: 25 Years," Vancouver, 1975, unpaginated, no. 54, listed
For Roy Kiyooka, the early 1960s were a bold and experimental period during which the artist explored a range of styles and techniques. Kiyooka had attended the Emma Lake Workshops in Saskatchewan in the late 1950s, absorbing the influence of American critic Clement Greenberg and painter Barnett Newman. In 1960, Kiyooka moved to British Columbia to teach at the Vancouver School of Art.

Working in a variety of mediums, Kiyooka became interested in seeking new ways of combining disparate modes of image-making. Applying enamel paints on glass, and then pressing them to paper allowed the artist to employ methods of painting and printmaking simultaneously. The resulting “monotype improvisations” of paint on paper could then be collaged into bold new re-configurations. "Strang" exemplifies this playful and idiosyncratic combination of techniques. Resembling a window, the hard-edge geometric structure contains the startling view of a twisting, knot-like central form. Like the visual approximation of an abstract expressionist gesture, the knot is both painterly and graphic. The flat enamel ground of the pictorial space provides a bold textural contrast. Building on these experiments, Kiyooka would go on to earn acclaim for his inventive and personal approach to visual expression.

"Strang" was previously in the collection of Canadian novelist and poet George Bowering. Like his good friend Bowering, Kiyooka wrote poetry in addition to his visual art practice. Commenting on the writing of his contemporary, Bowering stated, "I admire in Roy Kiyooka’s writing what I have always admired in his painting, sculpture, photography and conversation — his accuracy. Accuracy of perception and accuracy of rendering it. In all we are met by a high finish, a final clarity of line, perfect rest, that is not statement but spirit, a knowing that whatever has been moving has come to centre exactly."
Get updates or additional information on this item
Watch This Item Ask a Question Request Condition Report

Preview this item at:

Cowley Abbott
326 Dundas St West
Toronto ON M5T 1G5
Ph. 1(416)479-9703


Share this item with your friends

Roy Kiyooka
(1926 - 1994)

Born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Roy Kiyooka studied painting at the Provincial Institiute of Technology and Art, Calgary, 1946-49 under J.W.G. MacDonald and I.H. Kerr; at the Instituto Allendo, Mexico (on scholarship), 1955, where he studied with James Pinto; at the Universty of Saskatchewan Emma Lake Workshops with Barnett Newman and others. During his study he received a Diploma in Fine Arts at the Institute of Technology and Art, Calgary, 1949. His early work was representational and in 1950 he was winner of the O’Keefe scholarship. In 1952 he exhibited his work with three other artists Gregory Arnold, George Mihalcheon, and Ronald Spickett. Viewing this four man show Leonare Crawford of “The London Free Press” noted, “Roy Kiyooka has used palette knife and varnish effectively in several canvases. ‘House by Night’ has interesting greens and reds contrasted to give excellent comparison of the dreary cold of outside and the warmth and brightness of within. ‘They Also Lived Here,’ says something old satisfactorily and ‘Fisherman’ is a powerful study, replete with symbolism…”

By 1954 a change in his work was noted by Dr. R. W. Hedley in “The Edmonton Journal” “a visit to the Arts building of the University of Alberta to see the 19 pictures by Roy K. Kiyooka. The pictures range from the realistic style to the abstract, with a wide choice of subjects, and in a wide range in styles of expression. Some are very good and some are not so good. One fact stands out prominently, when he wishes to do so he can paint and paint well. He is a young man and is evidently exploring many styles and techniques…and knows how to handle paint well… Probably in time he will settle on one style which he finds is particularly appropriate to express himself. He should go far as an artist.” He was now instructing at the Provincial Institute of Technology, Calgary, evenings while days he worked as a display artist with a local firm. Later he became an advertising manager for a supermarket firm in Nelson, B.C. It was then that he won a scholarship at the Institute San Miguel d’Allende in Mexico City.

In 1955 his “The City” (an oil on Masonite) was accepted in the First Biennial Exhibition of Canadian Painting and was reproduced in the exhibition catalogue. It was acquired by the National Gallery and reproduced in the Gallery’s catalogue of Canadian paintings. In 1956 he became full-time instructor at the Regina College of Art; at night he taught there as well. Also that year his exhibition with Maxwell Bates, Janet Mitchell, Roy Stevenson took place at the Norman Mackensize art gallery. His work was selected for the Walker Biennial exhibition in Minneapolis in 1958. He also held a one man show of 21 watercolours at the Norman Mackenzie art gallery and achieved success at the Winnipeg Show where he won a prize. These are only a few of his activities. Many one man shows followed; he held ten one man shows before 1957. In 1964 he exhibited with his brother artist Harry, at the Alberta College of Art, Calgary, when “The Albertan” noted, “Though the Kiyooka brothers have shown widely on an individual basis throughout North America this exhibition represents the first time their works have been shown together.”

It was in 1964 that Roy Kiyooka received a senior art fellowship from the Canada Council and took a year’s leave of absence from the Vancouver School of Art where he has been teaching since 1960. He began his ‘oval series’ of paintings. Described by the “Western Homes & Living” as follows, “These are pure forms belonging to the world of art alone, but their inspiration can be traced to such prosaic sources as a neon sign through the slats of bamboo blind, the moving pattern of shadows on his studio floor, or an oval panel of bevelled plate glass in an old West End door. All these things, and other aspects of modern urban life, hold a continuous fascination for Roy Kiyooka as he moves about the city or sits in his studio. ‘Art is uniquely human experience; everything is possible and nothing is forbidden – in art,’ he explains. His uniquely personal expression of visual experience is producing some of his most stimulating art in Canada.” At the close of 1964 he held a one man show of his paintings at The New Design Gallery. The year 1965 was an important year of achievement with his honourable mention award at the Eighth Biennial Exhibition at Sao Paulo, Brazil. He had also joined the staff of Sir George Williams University and held a one man show at Galerie du Siècle.

In 1966 he was awarded a thousand dollars for his painting “Green Connecting” at the Winnipeg Show, also in 1966 an exhibition of his paintings took place at the Laing Galleries in Toronto. His visit to Vancouver in 1967 brought forth an extensive article by Joan Lowndes in “The Province” which revealed Vancouver artists Michael Morris, Brian Fisher, Bodo Pfeifer, Claude Breeze, Jane Adams and Brent Gifford had studied under him at one time or another.

A mosaic muralist as well, he designed and executed commissions of the First Presbyterian Church, Regina, and the Biology Building of the University of Saskatchewan. He has also written two books of poems, “Kyoto Airs and Nevertheless These Eyes.” He is represented in the following public collections: University of Victoria’ University of British Columbia; National Gallery of Canada; the Saskatchewan Arts Board; the Calgary Allied Art Centre; the Norman Mackenzie Art Gallery, Regina; Vancouver Art Gallery; Art Gallery of Ontario; Victoria Art Gallery; University of Alabama and in the private collections of Samuel Zacks, Joseph Hirshhorn and many others. He has also exhibited his work at the David Mirvish Gallery, Toronto, and R.C.A. shows.

Source: "A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, Volume 3: Jacobi-Lismer", compiled by Colin S. MacDonald, Canadian Paperbacks Publishing Ltd, Ottawa, 1979