HAROLD TOWN "VALE VARIATION" INK DRAWING, 1977
Harold Town (1924-1990) is renowned across Canada for his eclectic and dynamic body of work.
In the 1950s, Town established his reputation with a series of abstract monotypes (called "Single Autographic Prints"). He would exhibit these works at the Venice Biennale to great fanfare in Europe and at home. By the 1960s, he was considered the most famous artist in Canada. One of the most remarkable characteristics of his career is his alternating between working in figuration and abstraction.
From 1972 through 1977, Town created "Vale Variations", a series of work that drew inspiration from a single pen and ink drawing by his friend, Florence Vale. These drawings typically have three key representational elements; nude silhouettes (often evocative of Matisse), angels, and a mountain. While the color and details varied, there was consistently a playful exploration of form and line work. The series is easily recognizable for its graphic forms and allusions to mythology.
This Vale Variation is a dynamic paradigm from the series, completed during the tail end of the era. Rendered in dramatic washes of India ink, this drawing reimagines Vale's original work, "Pyramid of Roses," infusing it with a remarkable motion and mystery.
Here stylized figures emerge as negative space, their forms stretched, elongated, and exaggerated through the surrounding black ink. Town introduced this bold and silhouetted style in the late 1970s, another example here.
Bound by the subject matter, "Vale Variations" offered the artist an avenue to challenge his expansive imagination and unwavering commitment to his artistic evolution.
Today, Town's work is represented in prestigious collections across North America including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Museum of Modern Art (New York), and the Guggenheim (New York).
Questions about this piece? Contact us, call +1.416.704.1720, or visit our Toronto gallery.
"Vale Variation"
Pen and ink on paper
Canada, 1977
Signed "H Town" and dated "Sept 77" by the artist, lower left
28.5"H 22.5"W (work)
32"H 26"W (framed)
Newly framed with museum glass
Very good condition
Provenance: The Estate of Harold Town
Note: price is $3,950 CAD
Original: $3,950.00
-70%$3,950.00
$1,185.00More Images
HAROLD TOWN "VALE VARIATION" INK DRAWING, 1977
Harold Town (1924-1990) is renowned across Canada for his eclectic and dynamic body of work.
In the 1950s, Town established his reputation with a series of abstract monotypes (called "Single Autographic Prints"). He would exhibit these works at the Venice Biennale to great fanfare in Europe and at home. By the 1960s, he was considered the most famous artist in Canada. One of the most remarkable characteristics of his career is his alternating between working in figuration and abstraction.
From 1972 through 1977, Town created "Vale Variations", a series of work that drew inspiration from a single pen and ink drawing by his friend, Florence Vale. These drawings typically have three key representational elements; nude silhouettes (often evocative of Matisse), angels, and a mountain. While the color and details varied, there was consistently a playful exploration of form and line work. The series is easily recognizable for its graphic forms and allusions to mythology.
This Vale Variation is a dynamic paradigm from the series, completed during the tail end of the era. Rendered in dramatic washes of India ink, this drawing reimagines Vale's original work, "Pyramid of Roses," infusing it with a remarkable motion and mystery.
Here stylized figures emerge as negative space, their forms stretched, elongated, and exaggerated through the surrounding black ink. Town introduced this bold and silhouetted style in the late 1970s, another example here.
Bound by the subject matter, "Vale Variations" offered the artist an avenue to challenge his expansive imagination and unwavering commitment to his artistic evolution.
Today, Town's work is represented in prestigious collections across North America including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Museum of Modern Art (New York), and the Guggenheim (New York).
Questions about this piece? Contact us, call +1.416.704.1720, or visit our Toronto gallery.
"Vale Variation"
Pen and ink on paper
Canada, 1977
Signed "H Town" and dated "Sept 77" by the artist, lower left
28.5"H 22.5"W (work)
32"H 26"W (framed)
Newly framed with museum glass
Very good condition
Provenance: The Estate of Harold Town
Note: price is $3,950 CAD
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Description
Harold Town (1924-1990) is renowned across Canada for his eclectic and dynamic body of work.
In the 1950s, Town established his reputation with a series of abstract monotypes (called "Single Autographic Prints"). He would exhibit these works at the Venice Biennale to great fanfare in Europe and at home. By the 1960s, he was considered the most famous artist in Canada. One of the most remarkable characteristics of his career is his alternating between working in figuration and abstraction.
From 1972 through 1977, Town created "Vale Variations", a series of work that drew inspiration from a single pen and ink drawing by his friend, Florence Vale. These drawings typically have three key representational elements; nude silhouettes (often evocative of Matisse), angels, and a mountain. While the color and details varied, there was consistently a playful exploration of form and line work. The series is easily recognizable for its graphic forms and allusions to mythology.
This Vale Variation is a dynamic paradigm from the series, completed during the tail end of the era. Rendered in dramatic washes of India ink, this drawing reimagines Vale's original work, "Pyramid of Roses," infusing it with a remarkable motion and mystery.
Here stylized figures emerge as negative space, their forms stretched, elongated, and exaggerated through the surrounding black ink. Town introduced this bold and silhouetted style in the late 1970s, another example here.
Bound by the subject matter, "Vale Variations" offered the artist an avenue to challenge his expansive imagination and unwavering commitment to his artistic evolution.
Today, Town's work is represented in prestigious collections across North America including the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Museum of Modern Art (New York), and the Guggenheim (New York).
Questions about this piece? Contact us, call +1.416.704.1720, or visit our Toronto gallery.
"Vale Variation"
Pen and ink on paper
Canada, 1977
Signed "H Town" and dated "Sept 77" by the artist, lower left
28.5"H 22.5"W (work)
32"H 26"W (framed)
Newly framed with museum glass
Very good condition
Provenance: The Estate of Harold Town
Note: price is $3,950 CAD
