PROVENANCE
Galerie Samuel Lallouz, Montreal
Private Collection, Montreal

Oscar Cahén had a tumultuous past as a German wartime immigrant who was imprisoned as an enemy alien in a Quebec camp in 1940. Contacts in the Canadian art world finally released him, and he set to work as an illustrator in Montreal in 1942 before moving to Toronto in 1944. This proved to be a good move for his career, as he found full-time work as a successful commercial artist. While an illustrator in Toronto he met Harold Town, Walter Yarwood and other members of the then-stagnant art scene, which led to his joining the revolutionary Painters Eleven in 1953. He was an exceptionally talented member of this group, and this work was produced at the beginning of this important period. Cahén is remembered as a unique member of the group, and his influence – particularly for his adept abilities in colour and sensitive awareness of space – continued to radiate throughout the group after his untimely passing. This strong work with its non-representational forms and suggestions of organic growth are clear manifestations of his commitment to abstraction in Canada.

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