Canadian Fine Art Auction

May 26, 2014

LOT 84

Lot 84

JOE FAFARD

JOE FAFARD
Lot 84 Details
JOE FAFARD

THE OPENING #1

painted bronze, glass and flourescent light (with light switch), mounted on a wooden base
signed, dated /88 and numbered 1/5
height height 33 ins; 83.8 cms

Estimate $30,000-$50,000

Realised: $28,320
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Provenance:

Charles Bronfman’s Claridge Collection, Montreal

Literature:

Nancy Tousley, Joe Fafard: The Bronze Years, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, 1997, page 51, cat. no. 22, for The Opening illustrated in colour.

Note:

Perhaps best known for his sculptures of cows, Joe Fafard has maintained a towering influence over the Canadian art world for over forty years.  Born in Saskatchewan in 1942, where he still maintains a studio and foundry, Fafard has often said that his perceptions of the world have been shaped by his upbringing on a farm near the village of Sainte-Marthe, SK.
 
Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s Fafard worked primarily in clay, creating ceramic figurines that depicted members of his family and community.  The insight, humility, and humour of these clay sculptures brought him to prominence in Western Canada early in his career.  By 1983, however, Fafard felt that he had reached the limits of the medium and needed a change to pursue new ideas.

The shift he was looking for came in 1984 when he was awarded with a commission from the Toronto Dominion Bank to create a public work for the public plaza on Wellington Street in downtown Toronto.  The Pasture, his winning submission, was his first significant venture in bronze, and after this he took to the medium full time, even opening his own foundry in Pense, Saskatchewan.

The Opening, cast early in the life of Fafard’s foundry, was created in the midst of a series of portraits of famed artists, among them Cézanne, Renoir, and Van Gogh (c. 1984-1993).  The Opening shows particular semblance to the portrait of a young Picasso, Standing Pablo, also completed in 1988. Holding pipes and posed with feet firmly planted, both figures look out from under their flat caps to make direct contact with the viewer.  In the case of The Opening, the figure may also be perceived to be examining himself, as the frame can also be viewed as a mirror.

Sold to benefit Historica Canada.

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 84
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About Condition Ratings

  • 5 Stars: Excellent - No discernable damage, flaws or imperfections
  • 4 Stars: Very Good - Minor flaws or imperfections visible only under close inspection using specialised instruments or black light
  • 3 Stars: Good - Minor flaws visible upon inspection under standard lighting
  • 2 Stars: Fair - Exhibits flaws or damage that may draw the eye under standard lighting
  • 1 Star: Poor - Flaws or damage immediately apparent under standard lighting (examples: missing components, rips, broken glass, damaged surfaces, etc.)

Note: Condition ratings and condition details are the subjective opinions of our specialists and should be used as a guide only. Waddington’s uses due care when preparing condition details, however, our staff are not professional restorers or conservators. Condition details and reports are not warranties and each lot is sold “as is” in accordance with the buyer’s terms and conditions of sale. In all cases the prospective purchaser is responsible for inspecting the property themselves prior to placing a bid.