MMFA 2019: Bruce Bailey Collection - Paterson Ewen

Paterson Ewen's Paitings
Bailey Collection

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is currently exhibiting works from a private collection of an Ontario philanthropist and art collector W. Bruce C. Bailey. You can read about this exhibition entitled ForEvery Atom Belonging to Me as Good Belongs to You here.

The exhibition presents 3 impressive works by Paterson Ewen (1925-2002). He was born in Montreal and in the late 1960s moved to London, Ontario. It was there that he developed his hallmark carved-wood style paintings. There are two such striking attention-holders oaintings on display at the MMFA’s Bailey Collection exhibition.

At the top of this article you can see his painting Right Angle Tree, 1977, acrylic and metal on gouged plywood. Just below is his Comet, 1970s - 1980s, acrylic on gouged plywood. 

The third Paterson Ewen’s painting at the exhibition is Forked Lightning, 1971, acrylic, canvas, linoleum, and metal on gouged plywood (see below). It especially attracted my attention when I noticed quite unexpectedly a faded figure of a man at the bottom of one of the lightning's branches, the middle of his head to the left of the lowest leftward zig-zag. Ewen is a non-figurative artist, and this image of a man who appears to admire the nature's powerful light display, was quite a surprise. I invite you to visit the exhibition to discover this hidden image for yourself, as my photo does not do it full justice.

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Hover over images for description and credits.

For more information about the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts exhibitions and activities, visit the museum's website.

You can read more about W. Bruce C. Bailey's collection here.