Her Nature, 1985 by John McEwen

Provenance:
Ydessa Gallery, Toronto
The Bailey Collection (sold to benefit The Bailey Arts Foundation)

Literature:
Jane Lind, "John McEwen", Vancouver/Toronto, 1990, reproduced pages 22-23

Toronto-born artist John McEwen is one of Canada’s most prominent sculptors. Continually exploring different modes of representation, McEwen’s work often depicts animals through two main sculptural approaches: flattened silhouettes and hollow forms made of mesh of steel stars. Wolves, dogs and deer are recurring motifs for the artist, often appearing in imaginative combinations with human-made objects. McEwen’s subjects consistently explore poetic dynamics between the natural and the manufactured.

"Her Nature" is a two-part sculpture consisting of similar bench-like forms. The space between the two components is an integral part of the work. One part features the silhouette of a standing deer. The deer’s turned head contrasts against the flat, graphic shape, adding dimension and complicating the sculpture’s representational mode. This gesture gives the animal a gentle, lifelike quality in juxtaposition with the austere and industrial material of the work. Simple and direct in form, the deer conveys cautious alertness and attention. The animal seems ready to bound away at a moment’s notice. The companion piece employs the negative space of a cutout shape, resembling an eye. While the body of the deer faces away from the cutout, the turned head looks back at the cutout. This tenuous connection through gaze is loaded with poetic associations.

While many of McEwen’s works were created as commissions for public spaces, Her Nature was proposed as a private commission and became a catalyst for further experiments. Initially this was an edition of six, but as McEwen experimented with the concept, only four were eventually assembled. In subject and scale, this notable and rare work has an engaging and intimate quality.

This artwork is being sold to benefit The Bailey Arts Foundation.