CPE OC
1923 - 2008
Canadian
Shirt IV
etching on paper
signed, titled, editioned Artist Proof 4/5 and dated 1971 and on verso inscribed "BG-E-1971-08" and "SH.002" and stamped Studio Betty Goodwin
31 1/4 x 23 1/2 in, 79.4 x 59.7 cm
Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000 CAD
Sold for: $8,750
Preview at: Heffel Montreal
PROVENANCE
Estate of the Artist
LITERATURE
Rosemarie L. Tovell, The Prints of Betty Godwin, National Gallery of Canada, 2002, page 11, listed page 160 and reproduced page 161
Please note: the full sheet size of this work is 37 5/8 x 28 1/4 inches.
Born in Montreal in 1923, Betty Goodwin worked for nearly 50 years in a variety of media – painting, drawing, collage, printmaking and sculpture. Often associated with themes of loss, absence and memory, her works are poignant and connect deeply with both the public and critics. In 1968, Goodwin attended Yves Gaucher’s etching class at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University). This decision proved immensely significant for her career, as printmaking allowed her to reconnect to her artistic beginnings and brought her national and international recognition. In the words of art historian and curator Rosemarie L. Tovell, “over the last three decades, Goodwin has created one of the most significant and original bodies of prints produced by any Canadian artist.”
Similar to her earlier still life paintings, Goodwin focused on household objects for her printmaking practice, often running the actual object through the soft-ground plate to better capture its essence. Many of her series focused on different articles of clothing, as she was interested in their anthropomorphic qualities. For the Shirt series, she would often “pose” them with slumped shoulders or bent arms, imbuing them with an animated presence. She also folded them neatly into themselves, in a manner that is reminiscent of her Parcels series.
According to Rosemarie L. Tovell, this print holds a special place in Goodwin’s oeuvre. The print was made with her son’s shirt, and was selected for the Arts Council of Great Britain Prize at the Third British International Print Biennale in 1972. This was the first significant recognition she received in this medium after almost 20 years of printmaking.
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