Additional Images

Provenance:

Gallery Moos, Toronto, ON;
Miriam Shiell Fine Art, Toronto, ON;
Gershon Iskowitz Foundation

Proceeds from the sale of this lot to benefit the Gershon Iskowitz Foundation.

Note:

In the early 1980s, Iskowitz returned to painting bold and colourful “lozenge figures” that first appeared in his Lowlands series, 1969-1970, and in the first of the critically celebrated Uplands paintings in 1970 (collection National Gallery of Canada). The palette-range for the “lozenges” are purple, red, green, yellow and blues against primarily red, blue and green “grounds.” Titles varied for these related paintings; Northern Lights, Sunlight and Midnight. This period of work included Iskowitz’s ambitious multi-panelled, large scale Septet paintings, 1984-1986, with the title-preface “Northern Lights.” A rare Iskowitz statement from 1986 can be applied to Midnight #9: “[to] create…space and depth in terms of the sky and flying shape.” He also referred to his 1967 Churchill, Manitoba trip, which served as the catalyst and inspiration for the Lowlands and Uplands paintings.

In Midnight #9, and related works, Iskowitz, created a subtle “second figure” in purple with white highlights on the darker blue ground. The “lozenges” float on this double-ground deep-space in a dramatic and calculated balance of warm/hot and cool colours. Iskowitz did not make studies for paintings; rather they were disciplined responses and a “direct approach [and doesn’t matter if it takes three hours or finish it, or three days or three months.]” [1] The Midnight paintings were shown in his final lifetime exhibition at Gallery Moos, November 29, 1986-January 9, 1987. In the last formal publicity photograph, Iskowitz and long-time dealer Walter Moos are posed in front of the Midnight #3 diptych.

Closely related to Midnight #9 is one of only two Iskowitz print editions, Midnight #2, 1987; an impression is in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario. Midnight A, 1986, is in the collection of the Art Gallery of Windsor; Midnight #4 (diptych) 1986 is in the collection of the Glenbow Museum. Related “Northern Lights” paintings are in the collections of Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, Nickle Arts Museum, Calgary and the Art Gallery of Peterborough.

Ihor Holubizky is a cultural essayist and art historian. He received his PhD in art history from the University of Queensland.

(1) “Round Midnight, Gershon Iskowitz in conversation with David Bolduc,” Proof Only 1, no. 3 (January 15, 1974.)

References:
Lowlands No. 9, 1970

Northern Lights: Septet No.3, 1985