Canadian & Inuit Fine Art

May 27, 2019

LOT 67

Lot 67

KAZUO NAKAMURA, R.C.A.

KAZUO NAKAMURA, R.C.A.
Lot 67 Details
KAZUO NAKAMURA, R.C.A.

SUSPENDED REFLECTIONS, 1968

oil on canvas
signed and dated; also signed and dated on the stretcher
29 ins x 36 ins; 73.7 cms x 91.4 cms

Estimate $15,000-$20,000

Realised: $26,400
Price Includes Buyer's Premium ?

Lot Report

Additional Images
KAZUO NAKAMURA, R.C.A.
  • KAZUO NAKAMURA, R.C.A.
  • KAZUO NAKAMURA, R.C.A.
Provenance:

Private Collection, Toronto

Note:

Founding member of Painters 11, Kazuo Nakamura (1926-2002) strove to use painting to reveal the “universal patterns” found in nature and science, approaching fundamental and underlying truths through abstraction, repetition, and form.

This approach is readily apparent in Suspended Reflections, a compelling work that marks a shift from his earlier stylised landscapes towards the schematic, mathematical grid paintings he would produce in the 1970s and 80s. Here, Nakamura depicts a shuddering lake beneath a tremor of a treeline, all in the same monochrome blue. A blue haze of a sky is hinted at above. The landscape is framed against an indeterminate blue void - not once, but multiple times: the same scene recurs in refracted doublings that recede backwards. Two small sections are segmented out and dappled below. This repetition is reinforced by a bold white laddering along the left-hand edge. The formative geometry comes as a surprise compared to the naturalistic impression of the lake, and self-consciously reveals the structure of the canvas and of the landscape it depicts. Highly analytical and studiously ordered,

Nakamura’s paintings are exceptional examples of the productive possibility of fusing landscape and abstraction.

CONDITION DETAILS

For condition information please contact the specialist.

LOT 67
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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.