Jack Bush (1909-1977) is known as one of Canada’s most successful abstract artists.
Beginning in the 1960s, he achieved international recognition for his contributions color-field painting, putting him in dialogue with the leading American artists of the day. Bush was championed by the esteemed art critic Clement Greenberg, one of the most authoritative voices in the art world.
Made by tearing and collaging pieces of thick paper with watercolor, this early work creates a heightened sense of dimension, not only through its expressive passages of color but also through the layered construction of the sheet itself. The overlapping forms introduce subtle shifts of depth and shadow, revealing Bush's experimental approach to composition before the expansive chromatic language that would come to define his mature practice.
This collage also reflects Bush’s sustained interest in the material possibilities of paper. Rather than treating the sheet as a passive support, he used cutting, tearing, layering, and colour to activate its surface. The irregular edges and visible overlaps retain a sense of immediacy, while the restrained composition anticipates the simplified forms and intense colour relationships that became central to his later work. In this respect, the collage offers an intimate view of Bush’s process, revealing how his abstract vocabulary developed through an ongoing dialogue between colour, structure, and material.
A graduate of Toronto’s OCAD (Ontario College of Art and Design) and a key member of Painters Eleven, Bush was also hugely influential in the developing Torontos' art scene in the 1960's and 70's. Bush represented Canada at the 1967 Sao Paolo Biennale, and the Art Gallery of Ontario toured a retrospective of his work in 1976. Needless to say Bush experienced tremendous commercial and critical success during the 60s and 70s...which has strongly endured until today.
Questions about this piece? Contact us, call +1.416.704.1720, or visit our Toronto Gallery.
"Collage for Christmas" (aka Red Green)
Canada, 1957
Collage and watercolor
19.5"H 22"W (work)
22.5"H 28.75"W (framed)
Very good condition
Provenance: The Estate of Jack Bush
Note: The price is $20,000 CAD
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