Lot 138
  • 138

Ronald Albert Martin b.1943

Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 CAD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed

Description

  • Ronald Albert Martin
  • Mass Plane Black, one in the series
  • stamp of a previous owner and dated 1976 - 1977 on a label on the reverse
  • acrylic on canvas
  • 18 by 24 in.
  • 45.7 by 61.0 cm.

Provenance

Private Collection, Toronto

Private Collection, Vancouver

Literature

Roald Nasgaard, Abstract Painting in Canada, Toronto, 2007, p. 284

Condition

This painting is in excellent condition with no apparent issues under UV. It would benefit from a light cleaning as dust has accumulated on the impasto.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

This painting can be dated to 1976-77.  From 1974 on, Martin's paintings are black.  The early ones are characterized by broad sweeping gestures of both the brush and later the artist's fingers and hands which move the paint across the canvas.

This Mass Plane Black is one in a series and less gestural in formation.  The paint is thick and gooey and in some works, ten to fifteen gallons of paint were used.  Nasgaard notes, "The paint flowed and covered, yielded to or resisted and sometimes overruled the artist's hand or the tool used to spread it.  It glistened or pulled darkly in on itself."