Description:

Alex Janvier, CM, AOE, RCA, LLD (b. 1935)

CHERRY CHEERS, CA. 2006

watercolour on paper
signed lower left
sheet 22.5 x 30 in — 57.2 x 76.2 cm

Estimate: $6,000—8,000

  • Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist
    Private Collection, Halifax, NS
  • Dimensions: sheet 22.5 x 30 in — 57.2 x 76.2 cm
  • Medium: watercolour on paper
  • Notes: Known for his steady calligraphic lines and bright colour palette, Janvier’s prolific paintings draw inspiration from his Denesuline heritage and culture. His work is a nod to the traditional imagery of his ancestors, yet is painted through a contemporary lens.

    Janvier’s acclaimed style developed as a result of his childhood experiences and education. At eight years old, he was sent to Blue Quills Indian Residential School, Alberta. He spent ten years separated from his land, language, community, belief system and identity. Janvier then went on to receive formal art training at the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art in Calgary (now the Alberta College of Art and Design) in 1960, studying under Canadian painter Marion Nicoll. Janvier was encouraged to pursue automatic painting, as he sourced inspiration from Western abstract painters, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and Joan Miró. There is freedom in the expression of automatic painting: a breakthrough from restriction and a liberation of control. This sense of freedom is prevalent in Janvier’s work.

    Alex Janvier has made lasting contributions as a painter, muralist, activist and teacher. In the early 1970’s, Janvier formed the Professional Native Indian Artists Inc. (PNIAI) with six other artists: Jackson Beardy, Daphne Odjig, Eddy Cobiness, Norval Morrisseau, Carl Ray and Joseph Sánchez to promote and advocate for emerging Indigenous artists. A year after Cherry Cheers was produced, Janvier was made a member of the Order of Canada (2007). The following year he received the Governor General’s Award for Visual and Media Arts. The National Gallery of Canada ran a major retrospective dedicated to Alex Janvier from 2016-2017.

    With his family, Janvier currently runs The Janvier Gallery, located in Cold Lake First Nations, Alberta.
  • Condition: Very good overall condition. Float mounted.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

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29 May 2024 18:00 EDT
Toronto, ON, CA

Waddington's

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
CA$0 CA$249 CA$10
CA$250 CA$499 CA$25
CA$500 CA$999 CA$50
CA$1,000 CA$1,999 CA$100
CA$2,000 CA$4,999 CA$250
CA$5,000 CA$9,999 CA$500
CA$10,000 CA$19,999 CA$1,000
CA$20,000 CA$49,999 CA$2,000
CA$50,000 CA$99,999 CA$5,000
CA$100,000 CA$299,999 CA$10,000
CA$300,000 CA$999,999 CA$25,000
CA$1,000,000 CA$1,999,999 CA$50,000
CA$2,000,000 CA$2,999,999 CA$100,000
CA$3,000,000 CA$4,999,999 CA$200,000
CA$5,000,000 + CA$300,000