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185 of 269 lots
Circus Cat by Joe Sleep
Circus Cat by Joe Sleep - 1Circus Cat by Joe Sleep - 2Circus Cat by Joe Sleep - 3Circus Cat by Joe Sleep - 4Circus Cat by Joe Sleep - 5Circus Cat by Joe Sleep - 6
185
Circus Cat by Joe Sleep
Estimate:
CA$2,000 - CA$3,000
Sold
CA$3,250
Live Auction
Folk Art
ARTIST
Joseph Sleep (1914-1978) grew up in Saint John, New Brunswick. He spent his life working in the fishing industry and as a jack-of-all-trades before becoming a worker for the 'Bill Lynch Shows' travelling carnival. It was not until 1973, when Sleep was hospitalized at the Halifax Infirmary, that he discovered his passion for drawing. The nurses requested he draw posters for them, and provided him with paper and art supplies - a gesture which started him on his late-life career as a painter. He later opened a small art studio on Argyle Street in Halifax. His folk art pieces incorporated many materials including latex, cardboard, canvas, masonite, felt markers and even spray paint. Work by Joe Sleep is included in the collections of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Dalhousie University Art Gallery, National Gallery of Canada and the Canadian Museum of History.
Size
24 x 24".
Category
Paintings & Drawings
Description
Saint John, New Brunswick. Ca. 1976. Joseph Sleep spent years working for the Bill Lynch Carnival. Here he devotes full attention to one of his favourite subjects, the cat. One of Joe's most sought after images is his cats, a centralized cat surrounded by an ornamental border. There is a explicit romantic lyricism, detached from the normal demands of art. These images offer us a coherent life view of a kind of peaceable kingdom. This relatively large work exemplifies Sleep's creative mastery, and his colourful past. Signed, "Joseph Sleep", lower center.
Condition
Minor stains.
Medium
Mixed media on board.
Provenance
Purchased directly from the estate through Zwicker Gallery.
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