Description:

William Kurelek, OSA, RCA (1927-1977), Canadian
INUKSHUKS, 1968

oil on hardboard
signed with monogram and dated "68" lower right; titled to frame verso; titled and dated to exhibition and gallery labels verso
10.5 x 18 in — 26.7 x 45.7 cm

Estimate: $20,000—30,000 CAD

    Provenance:
  • Isaacs Gallery, Toronto, ON
    Walter Klinkhoff Gallery, Montreal, QC
    Private Collection, Ontario
  • Dimensions:
  • 10.5 x 18 in — 26.7 x 45.7 cm
  • Artist Name:
  • William Kurelek, OSA, RCA (1927-1977)
  • Exhibited:
  • William Kurelek - A Point of View: Cape Dorset, NWT, 13 Sep 1970-16 Jun 1971, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, ON.
  • Literature:
  • William Kurelek - A Point of View: Cape Dorset, NWT (Toronto: Art Gallery of Ontario, 1969) no. 21 (exhibition pamphlet).
  • Medium:
  • oil on hardboard
  • Notes:
  • William Kurelek was deeply curious about the world around him. While the Christian artist could sometimes take a moralizing view, moments like those represented in View on Frobisher Bay (lot 311) and Inukshuks (lot 310) bear witness to a refreshing openness. Both works are part of Kurelek’s Cape Dorset series: 30 paintings reflecting a seven-day working trip the artist took in May 1968 to Kinngait on Baffin Island with Terry Ryan, the general manager of the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative (WBEC). What distinguishes this series, which was exhibited at the Art Gallery of Ontario in 1970-71, is its documentary inquisitiveness.

    This tourist’s view, of people and landscape, is frankly observational and refreshingly contemporary—one painting in the series, for instance, depicts locals returning home after watching a “Cowboy Movie.” Frobisher Bay captures Kurelek’s unique sense of awe and humour: a vast and overpowering landscape looms before us, even as a bathetic snowmobile trundles by. The grouping of inuksuit and inunnguat—the latter distinguished as human-shaped—are likely at Inuksugalait, or Inuksuk Point, 90 kilometres from Kinngait. Both paintings are custom framed by the artist, reflecting his professional training in this skilled trade.

    The Cape Dorset series was not the only body of work Kurelek made in and about the Arctic; but it is arguably the one that stands the test of time. Unlike his illustrations for the 1976 book The Last of the Arctic—in which Kurelek was urged by his publisher to produce “a record of a pretechnological society” before “it had its streetlights and Skidoos and telephone poles”—the 1968 paintings brim with a candid, authentic sympathy for the north.[1]

    [1] Patricia Morley, Kurelek: A Biography (Toronto: Macmillian, 1986), p. 253. Kay Kritzwiser, “Kurelek: Documenting the Ancient Way of Eskimo Life, and Cutting Budget Corners by Eating Only One Meal a Day,” Globe and Mail, May 20, 1978.

    Contributed by Andrew Kear, Head of Programs at Museum London and the past Curator of Canadian Art at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Andrew co-curated the 2011/2012 touring exhibition William Kurelek: The Messenger and is author of the Art Canada Institute’s William Kurelek: Life & Work, available online at www.aci-iac.ca.
  • Condition:
  • Good overall condition.
    Minute area of paint loss upper right corner.
    Artist-made frame.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

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

Shipping

The Auctioneers will not undertake packing or shipping. The purchaser must designate and arrange for the services of an independent shipper and be responsible for all shipping and insurance expenses. The Auctioneers will, upon request, provide names of professional packers and shippers but will not be held responsible for the service or have any liability for providing this information. Reliable pre-auction estimates of shipping costs of lots offered in this sale may be obtained from:

PICK UP & SHIPPING FROM TORONTO:

When contacting the shippers please have your invoice # and item information ready.

PakShip
Attn: Taurus Chan
Tel: 905.470.6874
416.293.8225
Fax: 905.470.6875
[email protected]
www.pakship.ca

Safer Shipping
Attn: Perry Hehn
Tel: 416.299.3367
Fax: 416.299.9750
[email protected]
www.safershipping.ca

PICK UP & SHIPPING FROM VANCOUVER:

Please note that lots in our Waddington's West auctions are located in Vancouver, B.C. When contacting the shippers please have your invoice # and item information ready.

The UPS Store 424
Tel: 604-559-5446
[email protected]

PakMail
Tel: 604-472-6245
[email protected]
www.pakmailcanada.com

CITES WARNING:
Restrictions exist regarding the import and export of species protected under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). This includes but is not limited to items made of or containing bone (whalebone etc.), ivory, tortoise shell, seal skin, rhinoceros horn and any other animal part and is strictly controlled or forbidden by most countries. Please review your country's laws before bidding on pieces made of or containing these restricted items. It is the sole responsibility of the buyer to inquire about and obtain the proper permits for artwork purchased that may contain restricted materials, if such permit can be obtained. Please contact the department for further assistance. For more information please visit www.cites.org

May 29, 2025 8:00 PM EDT
Toronto, ON, CA

Waddington's

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
CA$0 CA$199 CA$10
CA$200 CA$499 CA$20
CA$500 CA$999 CA$50
CA$1,000 CA$1,999 CA$100
CA$2,000 CA$4,999 CA$200
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