Additional Images

Provenance:

Charles Bronfman’s Claridge Collection, Montreal

Note:

Sold to benefit Historica Canada.

The abstract paintings of the prolific David Bolduc are known for their poetic and lyrical quality. Maintaining a style often referred to as ‘exotic’ or ‘eccentric’ modernism, Bolduc is undoubtedly an heir to the abstraction of his many great predecessors such as Jack Bush and Gershon Iskowitz, although he works in a style of softness as opposed to the gestural. Inspired by motifs in nature such as flowers, trees and stars which he admired during his many worldly travels, Bolduc interpreted his subjects using a colourful palette and building bold, impasto surfaces.

In West Night, Bolduc presents a bright night sky with a dynamic burst of colour emanating through the centre. Stars speckle the top half of the canvas, descending upon the rippling waves below. The irregular lines which interject this peaceful scene liven the surface by bringing a sense of movement to the still night. Unsure whether this form indicates a shooting star, a mass of land, or a life form, Bolduc keeps the viewer guessing with his unique sense of the abstract.

Bolduc was born in Toronto in 1945 and spent one year at the Ontario College of Art (Toronto) before studying at the Museum of Fine Arts School in Montréal. It was in Montréal that he would hold his first solo show at the Elysée Theatre in 1966. Bolduc’s artistic career spanned over three decades and included an extensive exhibition schedule with many commercial galleries in Toronto. His work is represented in major public collections throughout Canada. Since his passing in 2010, he has remained an important figure of abstract art in Canada.