Alexandra Luke ( 1901 – 1967 )
Transmutation 1952
Oil on canvas, 40 x 31 ½ in.
Provenance:
Mr. & Mrs. E.R.S. McLaughlin, Oshawa
Exhibited:
Canadian Group of Painters, Art Gallery of Toronto, Nov. 1952; Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Jan. 1953 #48.
First Biennial Exhibition of Canadian Painting, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, 18th. May-20th. June 1955 (circulating: Norman Mackenzie Art Gallery, Regina (SK), Sept. 1955; Edmonton Museum of Art, Edmonton (AB), Oct. 1955; University of Saskatchewan, (SK), 14th. Nov. 1955; University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, (MB) Nov.-Dec. 1955; Vancouver Art Gallery, (BC), 29 Dec. 1955-15 Jan. 1956; Calgary Allied Art Centre, (AB), Feb. 1956; Musée de la Province de Québec, (QC), 14th. Mar-1st. Apr. 1956; Sackville Art Association, Sackville (NS), Apr. 1956; Halifax Memorial Library, Halifax (NS), May 1956; London Public Library and Art Museum, London (ON), June-July 1956; Mount Allison University, Sackville (NS), Aug. 1956.
Toronto Painting 1953-1965, National Gallery of Canada, 15th. Sept.- 15th. Oct. 1972; Art Gallery of Ontario, 10th. Oct.- 10th. Oct. 1972 #2.
Illustrated:
Alexandra Luke, Continued Searching, Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, 1987 catalogue, pg. 7 the artist illustrated with the painting.
Toronto Painting 1953-1965, National Gallery of Canada, 1972 catalogue, full page illustration B&W plate 2.
Painters Eleven In Retrospect, Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, 1979 catalogue, pg. 6.
Alexandra Luke (Margaret McLaughlin) was born in Montreal. She trained under Jock MacDonald at the Banff school of fine arts in 1945 and later in 1947 with Hans Hofmann in Provincetown, R.I. In 1952, she organized the Canadian Abstract Exhibition and exhibited at the 1953 Abstracts at Home exhibition at Simpson’s which lead to the formation of the Painters Eleven. Painting is like life itself: you learn as you go along, what to select, what to leave out — this is very important, what goes with what, how to get interest and excitement with unity and balance, how to take the bad days with the good and last but not least how to enjoy and learn at the same time. — Alexandra Luke.
Provenance
Private collection, Ontario.
For further information on the Painters Eleven, click on the following link: www.painters-eleven.com