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SATURDAY EVENING POST
November 2nd, 2024
We are celebrating the release of Jack Bush Paintings: A Catalogue Raisonné, a monumental achievement documenting the life and work of one of Canada’s most internationally acclaimed artists, Jack Bush (1909–1977), recognised as a foremost abstract colourist of the 20th century. This highly anticipated catalogue spans six decades of Bush's work, capturing his artistic evolution from early landscapes to celebrated abstract compositions in an exhaustive four-volume set. With more than 1,850 paintings documented across these volumes, each cloth-bound hardback provides detailed information on provenance, exhibition history, bibliography, and, where relevant, Bush’s diary entries and critical commentary, offering a definitive survey of his oeuvre.
By Dr. Sarah Stanners, this comprehensive catalogue features essays by notable art historians and critics, including Michael Fried and Karen Wilkin, with a reprint of Clement Greenberg's seminal 1980 essay, "Jack Bush." Published by Coach House Press and DM Books, each volume begins with a chapter on Bush’s biography and concludes with a visual index, providing readers with an accessible overview of the paintings en masse. Across more than 2,000 pages, Jack Bush Paintings: A Catalogue Raisonné includes hundreds of never-before-seen archival images, over 1,600 color photos, and the first complete biography of Bush, chronicling his life from birth to death. It also presents a full exhibition history from 1930 to the present, along with the most comprehensive bibliography on the artist to date.
The project, led by Dr. Stanners in collaboration with the University of Toronto’s Art History Department, has been based in Toronto since 2011. Supported by private donations, with major contributions from Audrey and David Mirvish, the catalogue has been authorized by the Estate of Jack Bush, headed by Bush’s youngest son, Terry. Dr. Stanners has spent over a decade meticulously researching and documenting Bush’s works, traveling globally to locate paintings, verify records, and collaborate with institutions and collectors. Her deep engagement with the artist’s legacy traces back to her doctoral studies, which included a focus on Bush, and continued through her career in curatorial roles, notably at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, where she co-curated a touring exhibition of Bush’s works.
The launch event, held on October 30, 2024, at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto, celebrated the culmination of this ambitious project. The event featured a roundtable discussion with Dr. Stanners, contributing essayist Karen Wilkin, AGO Associate Curator of Modern Art Adam Welch, and collector and major contributor David Mirvish. The panelists delved into the extensive research behind the catalogue, the impact of Bush's work on Canadian and international art, and the rigorous process involved in compiling such an expansive documentation of his painted legacy.
Beyond its current importance, Jack Bush Paintings: A Catalogue Raisonné is positioned as a foundational resource for future publications, exhibitions, and special projects dedicated to Jack Bush, helping ensure his legacy remains vibrant and accessible to generations to come.
If you would like one of the sold out collector’s edition of the Catalogue Raisonné, please contact us.
ABOVE IMAGES:
A photo of the collector’s edition of Jack Bush Paintings: A Catalogue Raisonné. Image courtesy of the Jack Bush Catalogue Raisonné Facebook page
Roundtable discussion at the AGO: Adam Welch, Dr. Sarah Stanners, Karen Wilkin, David Mirvish.
Dr. Sarah Stanners and Adam Welch
Karen Wilkin and David Mirvish
Karen Wilkin and Paul Kyle
Paul Kyle, Dr. Sarah Stanners, Miriam Shiell, Sharon Fischtein
Then we visited the AGO’s Moments in Modernism exhibition after the talk. We would like to share a few works we really enjoyed.
ABOVE IMAGES:
Mark Rothko, No.1, White and Red, 1962, Oil on canvas, 259.1 x 228.6 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario.
Gerhard Richter, Abstraktes Bild, 1977, Oil on canvas, 225.1 cm x 200.5 cm, Catalogue Raisonné 417
Gerhard Richter, Abstraktes Bild, 1986, Oil on canvas, 225 cm x 200 cm, Catalogue Raisonné 612-3
Gerhard Richter, Fluss (River), 1989, Oil on canvas, 300 cm x 250 cm, Catalogue Raisonné 693
Jack Bush, Dazzle Red, 1965, Oil on canvas, 205.7 x 264.2 cm
Lastly, we would like to share with you Guido Molinari’s Trinoir, 1956, oil on canvas, part of The Thomson Collection at the Art Gallery of Ontario. We have the small version of this work in our inventory, it is 10 x 12 in, and enamel on canvas on board. Please inquire for availability.
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