Artwork by John McEwen,  Maquette for Boat Sight

John McEwen
Maquette for Boat Sight

steel and wood sculpture
accompanied by a limited edition copy of “John McEwen: Public Work” (Southern Alberta Art Gallery, 1988) which was published in an edition of 50 copies, contained within a presentation stand designed and fabricated by the artist
25.5 x 17.75 x 8.75 ins ( 64.8 x 45.1 x 22.2 cms )

Auction Estimate: $7,000.00$5,000.00 - $7,000.00

Price Realized $7,670.00
Sale date: May 29th 2018

Provenance:
Acquired directly from the artist (1988)
Private Collection, Regina
Literature:
Bruce W. Ferguson, Public Work: John McEwen, Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge, July 23 - September 4, 1988, pages 36-41 for “Boat Sight” (1984-85) located at the Parc des Portageurs, Hull, Quebec
Gary Michael Dault, John McEwen, Canadian Art, Summer 1985, pages 46-52
McEwen's large-scale public artwork “Boat Sight” is located on the Ottawa River just above the Chaudière Falls. Ferguson writes that “the steel frame of a boat is lodged between the limestone slabs, a steel guard dog 'looks' across the river while a steel wolf 'circumvents' the site.” The work was commission by the National Capital Commission, Government of Canada. In a 1985 article, Gary Michael Dault describes that “the hull of McEwen’s ‘Boat Sight’ is a steel drawing in space, a derelict icon of culture as a container.” John McEwen proposes that, in this work, “ an animal moves to the site, an animals moves down to the water, a boat moves ashore. One stands then between two very different objects, between the container and the animal, between the container of culture and the life of the animal.”

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John McEwen
(1945)