Greg Curnoe (1936-1992) was a highly revered artist, bookmaker and competitive cyclist. He was based in London, Ontario but beloved across the country. He would represent Canada at the Venice Biennale in 1976.

Unwavering in his allegiance to the Canadian/local art scene, Curnoe led the London Regionalism movement alongside fellow artists such as Jack Chambers, Tony Urquhart, and Murray Favro. Together, they championed their hometown of London, Ontario by focusing on local life in their art, activism and loyalty.

In an act of cruel irony, Curnoe died in a tragic cycling accident while riding the same yellow Mariposa bike that was a frequent subject in his work.

Curnoe’s lifetime passion for sport had a large presence in his practice and iconography. Capturing subject matter from local social and cultural milieu, Curnoe was devoted to depicting personal objects and experiences from his day-to-day life, inspiring a generation of artists to do the same. While Curnoe could be considered a second-generation Pop artist, there was something more personal and intimate in both his approach and artwork.

Although Curnoe created many works on paper, he curiously did very little printmaking. Here we find an unusual application of ink to lithograph using several hockey stick blades. The effect is intriguing, simultaneously familiar and abstracted. Hockey Stick Blades from West Lions Park, London includes stamped numbers and graphic arrows in the iconic yellow Curnoe fans know well. While not considered a monotype, each print in the edition varies slightly from the arrangement of hockey blades, the intensity of the ink and of course the bold numbering.

This work was published as part of the Toronto 20 Portfolio, a suite of 20 prints in various media on wove paper; published by Art Publications in cooperation with The Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1965;

Greg Curnoe’s works can be found in numerous public and private collections across Canada. The most significant collections are at Museum London, the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, and Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto. The E.P. Taylor Research Library.

The Art Gallery of Ontario holds the archives of Greg Curnoe.

Condition--Very good