My heartfelt thanks to Mary Handford who patiently entertained my speculations on her husband and gave me access to a wealth of material; Matthew Teitelbaum who has done so much to sustain Paterson Ewen’s legacy and responded graciously to all my queries; Kim Moodie who was both a student and a colleague of Paterson (he was also a student of Guido Molinari!); the many students and friends of Paterson whom I ran into during my research who volunteered so many wonderful anecdotes; my partner, Karen, who is thrilled to have her husband back, and sons, Robbie and Pat, who are tired of hearing about Ewen; the archivists at the Art Gallery of Ontario; John Shearer of the Canadian Art Group; my assiduous research assistants Shelley Kopp and Leah Abaza; Kim Neudorf, who helped with several of the images; Anna Hudson and Sara Angel who eagerly took up my suggestion of writing a volume on Ewen; Eva Lu, a former student of mine, who did some amazing detective work in sourcing the images; Kendra Ward who oversaw the production of my text; and Lucy Kenward, who is a phenomenal editor and deserves much of the credit for keeping my text on track and my verbosity to a minimum.
From the Art Canada Institute
The Art Canada Institute gratefully acknowledges the generosity of Richard and Donna Ivey, the Title Sponsor of this book.
The Art Canada Institute gratefully acknowledges its other sponsors for the 2017–18 Season: Aimia, Alexandra Bennett in memory of Jalynn Bennett, Consignor Canadian Fine Art, Kiki and Ian Delaney, the six children of Betty-Ann McNicoll-Elliott and R. Fraser Elliott, The Sabourin Family Foundation, Sandra L. Simpson, and TD Bank Group.
We also sincerely thank the Founding Sponsor for the Art Canada Institute: BMO Financial Group; and the Art Canada Institute Founding Patrons: Jalynn H. Bennett, Butterfield Family Foundation, David and Vivian Campbell, Albert E. Cummings, Kiki and Ian Delaney, Dr. Jon S. and Mrs. Lyne Dellandrea, the Fleck family, Roger and Kevin Garland, Glorious & Free Foundation, The Scott Griffin Foundation, Gershon Iskowitz Foundation, Jane Huh, Michelle Koerner and Kevin Doyle, Lawson Hunter, Phil Lind, Nancy McCain and Bill Morneau, Sarah and Tom Milroy, Partners in Art, Gerald Sheff and Shanitha Kachan, Sandra L. Simpson, Stephen Smart, Pam and Mike Stein, Nalini and Tim Stewart, The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, Robin and David Young, and Sara and Michael Angel.
We thank our Lead Benefactors: Alexandra Baillie, Alexandra Bennett, Grant and Alice Burton, Kiki and Ian Delaney, Dr. Jon S. and Mrs. Lyne Dellandrea, Michelle Koerner and Kevin Doyle, James and Melinda Harrison, Sarah and Tom Milroy, Partners in Art, Pam and Michael Stein, and Sara and Michael Angel.
We thank our Patrons: Connor, Clark & Lunn Foundation and Lawson Hunter.
The ACI gratefully acknowledges the support and assistance of the Alan Klinkhoff Gallery (Alan Klinkhoff); Art Gallery of Hamilton (Christine Braun); Art Gallery of Ontario (Eva Athanasiu, Tracy Mallon-Jensen); Art Gallery of Peterborough (Fynn Leitch); Art Gallery of Windsor (Nicole McCabe); Canadian Art Group (John Shearer); Dance Collection Danse (Amy Bowring); Estates of Dr. Blema and Mr. H. Arnold Steinberg (Laura Battisi, Adam Steinberg); Galerie Eric Klinkhoff (Eric Klinkhoff); Galerie Simon Blais (Paul Bradley); Heffel Fine Art Auction House (Molly Tonken); McIntosh Gallery (Brian Lambert); Michael Gibson Gallery (Michael Gibson, Jennie Kraehling); Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Marie-Claude Saia); Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (Pascale Tremblay); Museum London (Janette Cousins Ewan); National Gallery Canada (Raven Amiro); Newzones; Norton Simon Museum of Art (Britta Traub); Olga Korper Gallery (Shelli Cassidy-McIntosh, Aaron Guravich); Phillips (Roselyn Mathews); SODRAC (Gilles Lessard); The Toronto Club (Trevor Noonan); University of Lethbridge Art Gallery (Andrea Kremenik); Vancouver Art Gallery (Danielle Currie); and Isadora Chicoine-Marinier, Clarence Epstein, Yechel Gagnon, Toni Hafkenscheid, Mary Handford, Bryan Maycock, and Françoise Sullivan. The ACI recognizes the numerous private collectors who have given permission for their work to be published in this edition.
Image Sources
Every effort has been made to secure permissions for all copyrighted material. The Art Canada Institute will gladly correct any errors or omissions.
Credit for Banner Images
Biography: Paterson Ewen, 1996. (See below for details.)
Key Works: Paterson Ewen photographed with Gibbous Moon, 1980. (See below for details.)
Significance & Critical Issues: Paterson Ewen working in his studio, n.d., photographer unknown. Courtesy of Mary Handford.
Style & Technique: Ewen’s paint brushes, n.d., photograph by Mary Handford. Courtesy of Mary Handford.
Where to See: Contact sheet showing several photographs of a gallery installation, n.d., photographer unknown. Courtesy of Mary Handford.
Sources & Resources: Paterson Ewen’s studio, 1971, photographer unknown. Courtesy of Mary Handford.
Credits for Photographs and Works by Other Artists
Adoration of the Magi, 1304–06, by Giotto di Bondone. Scrovegni Chapel, Padua.
The Angel Standing in the Sun, c. 1846, by J.M.W. Turner. Tate Museum, London, U.K., accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest, 1856 (N00550).
Artists Bryan Maycock, Steve Parzybok, and Robert Bozak help install Drop of Water on a Hot Surface, 1970, for the Pie in the Sky exhibition, 1970, photographer unknown. Courtesy of Bryan Maycock.
The Black Star, 1957, by Paul-Émile Borduas. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, gift of M. and Mme Gerard Lortie (1960.1238). Photo credit: Denis Farley.
Cover of Paterson Ewen, the book accompanying the 1996 exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto. Courtesy of the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Cover of the catalogue from the 1982 Venice Biennale. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa.
Cover of the catalogue for Nine Canadian Artists / Kanadische Künstler, 1978, Kunsthalle, Basel.
Eighteen members of the Non-Figurative Artists’ Association of Montréal (NFAAM), 1957, photograph by Louis T. Jaques. Courtesy of Sotheby’s.
Figure 2, 1949, by Fernand Leduc. Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, anonymous gift (D 75 36 P 1). Photo credit: Richard-Max Tremblay.
The First Step, c. 1909–13, by František Kupka. Museum of Modern Art, New York, purchased from the artist with the Hillman Periodicals Fund, 1956 (562.1956).
Guido Molinari, Paterson Ewen, and Mary Handford, n.d. Photographer unknown. Courtesy of Mary Handford
Impression—Sunrise, 1872, by Claude Monet. Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris.
Mariko, c. 1840, by Utagawa Hiroshige. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Francis Lathrop Collection, purchase, Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1911 (JP771).
Moonlight Marine, c. 1870–90, by Albert Pinkham Ryder. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Samuel D. Lee Fund, 1934 (34.55).
Paterson Ewen, 1948, photographer unknown. Courtesy of the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto.
Paterson Ewen, 1996, photograph by Ken Faught. Toronto Star Photograph Archive. Courtesy of Toronto Public Library.
Paterson Ewen in his army uniform, c. 1944. Photographer unknown. Courtesy of Mary Handford.
Paterson Ewen in Montreal, c. 1932, photographer unknown. Courtesy of the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto.
Paterson Ewen photographed with Gibbous Moon, 1980, photograph by Doug Griffin. Toronto Star Photograph Archive. Courtesy of Toronto Public Library.
Paterson Ewen routing in his studio at the University of Western Ontario, 1979, photograph by Mary Handford. Courtesy of Mary Handford.
Paterson Ewen and Françoise Sullivan in New York, 1957, photographer unknown. Dance Collection Danse Archive, Toronto.
Paterson Ewen and Mary Handford in his studio, 1992, photograph by Don Vincent. Don Vincent Photo Archive, McIntosh Gallery, Western University, London, Ontario.
Paterson Ewen’s copy of Views in Naikai, cover. Courtesy of Mary Handford.
Paterson Ewen’s copy of Views in Naikai, interior page. Courtesy of Mary Handford.
Paterson Ewen with his sons, c. mid-1960s, photograph by Françoise Sullivan. Courtesy of Mary Handford.
Paterson Ewen working on Cumulous Cloud as Generator, 1971, photographer unknown. Courtesy of the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto.
“The Phases of the Moon,” from Amédée Guillemin’s The Heavens: An Illustrated Handbook of Popular Astronomy, 1871.
Possibilities at Sea, 1932, by Paul Klee. Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, the Blue Four Galka Scheyer Collection (P.1953.067).
Rain, 1889, by Vincent van Gogh. Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Henry P. McIlhenny Collection in memory of Frances P. McIlhenny, 1986 (1986-26-36).
Rainstorm over the Sea, c. 1824–28, by John Constable. Royal Academy of Arts, London, U.K., given by Isabel Constable, 1888 (03/1390).
Simultaneous Counter-Composition, 1929–30, by Theo van Doesburg. Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Sidney and Harriet Janis Collection (588.1967).
The Starry Night, 1889, by Vincent van Gogh. Museum of Modern Art, New York, acquired through the Lillie P. Bliss Bequest (472.1941).
Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), also known as The Great Wave, from the series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei), c. 1830–32, by Katsushika Hokusai. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, H.O. Havemeyer Collection, bequest of Mrs. H.O. Havemeyer, 1929 (JP1847).
White on White, 1918, by Kazimir Malevich. Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1935. Acquisition confirmed in 1999 by agreement with the Estate of Kazimir Malevich and made possible with funds from the Mrs. John Hay Whitney Bequest (by exchange) (817.1935).
Winter Moonlit Night, 1919, by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. Museum of Modern Art, New York, purchase (495.1949).
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication.
Hatch, John George, 1960-, author
Paterson Ewen : life & work / John G. Hatch.
Includes bibliographical references.
Contents: Biography — Key works — Significance & critical issues — Style &
technique — Sources & resources — Where to see.
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-1-4871-0160-2 (hardcover).—ISBN 978-1-4871-0159-6 (MOBILE).—
ISBN 978-1-4871-0158-9 (PDF). —ISBN 978-1-4871-0157-2 (HTML)
1. Ewen, Paterson, 1925-2002. 2. Ewen, Paterson, 1925-2002—Criticism
and interpretation. I. Art Canada Institute, issuing body II. Title.
![Interior, Fort Street, Montreal [#1], 1951,](/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/art-books_28_paterson-ewen-interior-fort-street-montreal-contextual.jpg)
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