Lot 70
RITA LETENDRE, R.C.A.
Additional Images
Provenance:
The Women’s Committee of the Art Gallery of Toronto, Sale of Canadian Art
Private Collection, Toronto
Literature:
Roald Nasgaard, Abstract Painting in Canada, Douglas & McIntyre Ltd., Vancouver, 2007, page 180.
Note:
Evoking magic and mysticism, Letendre’s canvas is an amulet of red, green, and gold. Images crafted of wide strokes of jagged paint, such as this lot, developed into one of her signature styles. As Nasgaard explains: “A more distinct look emerged in the early 1960s, when scale grew and the concatenation of the gestural marks expanded into great thick flame-like bursts of explosive colour. A sense of turbulent drama was intensified by brighter colours pushing, as if seeking liberation, against masses of black…” Often created by the person for whose use it is intended, the talisman has an intimate connection to its bearer. It contains magical properties, which protect she who wields it from harm, bringing about good fortune. In fierceness and in passion, Talisman is imprinted with Letendre.