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Lot 63: COLIN MCCAHON Jump E4

Est: $250,000 NZD - $350,000 NZDSold:
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers’Auckland, New ZealandAugust 09, 2021

Item Overview

Description

Colin McCahon

Jump E4

1973

acrylic on jute on canvas

signed C. McC., dated 73. and inscribed JUMP/(E.4) in brushpoint lower edge

910 x 442mm

 

PROVENANCE

Collection of Judith Gifford, Christchurch. Acquired from Brooke/Gifford Gallery, 1975.

 

EXHIBITIONS

Jumps and Comets: Related Events in My World, Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland, 27 May - 7 June 1974.

 

NOTE

Colin McCahon Online Catalogue (www.mccahon.co.nz) number: CM001053.

 

Colin McCahon – Jump E4

Essay by NEIL TALBOT

 

In 1974, Barry Lett Galleries presented an exhibition of paintings by Colin McCahon titled Jumps and Comets: Related Events in My World. Many of the works in the show were McCahon’s Jump paintings, a thematically linked series of works that shared common traits: stark columns of black paint, dotted lines against mottled backgrounds suggestive of sky, and the word ‘jump’ painted onto the surface. These works were inspired by McCahon’s observations of the gannet breeding colony at Otakamiro Point, the clifftop separating Muriwai Beach and Maukatia (Māori Bay) west of Tāmaki Makaurau. This coastline is subject to wild weather; strong winds incessantly buffet the cliffs that loom above the seething ocean. In such conditions, fledgling gannets make their first attempts at flight, leaping perilously and stretching their wings.

 

This ‘leap of faith’ is the thematic substance of the Jump paintings. In this series, one can interpret psychological motifs of overcoming fear and navigating internal responses to danger and risk; the perilous jump of the young gannets a metaphor for human experiences of adversity. This isn’t unique to the Jump paintings; McCahon’s work often engaged with complex aspects of the human condition. Deep questions about the nature of existence, undercurrents of the psyche, and spiritual paradox appear everywhere, as if the very water he swam in. Nevertheless, his Jump paintings remain highly sought after, their quality appreciable.

 

Jump E4 is a particular standout from this widely-admired series. The work possesses elements observable throughout: the monolithic black rectangle, which one could interpret as a sheer cliff face, the perforated diagonal line, perhaps representative of a terrifying yet exhilarating flight trajectory, and the word ‘JUMP’ at the bottom of the picture plane. In black, white and grey, its palette is elemental, conveying stark gravitas. Subjective interpretation might lead a viewer to sense the artist urging them to shake off their fears and attempt a kind of psychological flight, unencumbered and free. In sum, Jump E4 possesses all of the distinct qualities that have made McCahon such an enduring force: painterly restraint, visual poetic, and purpose of vision.

 

At the time Jumps and Comets: Related Events in My World showed, Barry Lett Galleries was under the directorship of Rodney Kirk-Smith and Kim Wright. In 1975, Barbara Brooke and Judith Gifford established Brooke/Gifford Gallery in a large space in 112 Manchester Street, Christchurch. The site was cluttered with old motorbikes leaking oil and a floor splattered with years of paint. Brooke and Gifford were undaunted, and transformed the space into an environment for the exhibition of contemporary New Zealand art. Impressed by the ambition and determination of the Christchurch pair, Kirk-Smith and Wright sent them a consignment of important artworks as a gesture of support. These works were then included in one of Brooke/Gifford’s earliest shows. Jump E4 was one of the works consigned. It caught the attention of Gifford, no doubt in part because of the particular qualities which make it such a strong painting. Gifford purchased the work, with Brooke encouraging the acquisition, referring to the painting as ‘standout work’.

 

A member of Gifford’s family spoke of the fact that McCahon painted his Jump paintings, including Jump E4, in a small house on a hill at Muriwai Beach. After Judith Gifford purchased the work, she and her husband hung it in a similarly modest home nestled into a hill in Clifton Spur, overlooking Sumner Beach – echoing the environment it was created in. It remained there for 46 years. The painting has kept Gifford and her family captivated, remaining in their collection until now – an enduring testament to the leap of faith in starting the Brooke/Gifford Gallery.

Dimensions

910 x 442mm

Artist or Maker

Medium

acrylic on jute on canvas

Exhibited

Jumps and Comets: Related Events in My World, Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland, 27 May - 7 June 1974.

Provenance

Collection of Judith Gifford, Christchurch. Acquired from Brooke/Gifford Gallery, 1975.

Notes

Colin McCahon Online Catalogue (www.mccahon.co.nz) number: CM001053

Payment & Shipping

Payment

Accepted forms of payment: American Express, COD (cash on delivery), MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Other, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

SHIPPING
For shipping both national and international we recommend the services of Pack and Send Ltd, who work closely with our business to enable the safe return of your new purchase.
All costs associated with the freight of your goods (packaging, shipping, consumables etc) are to be paid by the purchaser, in addition to the winning bid.

Details for Pack and Sends are listed below, or please feel free to organise another contractor of your choice.

Pack and Send Ltd
+64 9 909 9099
aucklandcity@packsend.co.nz
Contact: Neel

COLLECTION
Purchases are to be taken away at the buyer's expense immediately after the sale once payment in full has been made. If this is not done, Mosgreen-Webb's will not be responsible if the lot is lost stolen damaged or destroyed. Any payment by cheque will not be considered paid until the payment has cleared. Any items not collected within seven days of the auction may be subject to a storage and insurance fee. A receipted invoice must be produced prior to delivery of any lot.

Auction Details

Works of Art

by
Webb’s – Specialist Auctioneers’
August 09, 2021, 06:30 PM NZST

33a Normanby Rd Mt Eden, Auckland, 1024, NZ

Terms

Buyer's Premium

17.5%

Bidding Increments

From:To:Increment:
$0$499$20
$500$999$50
$1,000$1,999$100
$2,000$4,999$200
$5,000$9,999$500
$10,000$19,999$1,000
$20,000$49,999$2,000
$50,000$99,999$5,000
$100,000$199,999$10,000
$200,000$499,999$20,000
$500,000+$50,000

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Shipping & Collection

SHIPPING
For shipping both national and international we recommend the services of Pack and Send Ltd, who work closely with our business to enable the safe return of your new purchase.
All costs associated with the freight of your goods (packaging, shipping, consumables etc) are to be paid by the purchaser, in addition to the winning bid.

Details for Pack and Sends are listed below, or please feel free to organise another contractor of your choice.

Pack and Send Ltd
+64 9 909 9099
aucklandcity@packsend.co.nz
Contact: Neel

COLLECTION
Purchases are to be taken away at the buyer's expense immediately after the sale once payment in full has been made. If this is not done, Mosgreen-Webb's will not be responsible if the lot is lost stolen damaged or destroyed. Any payment by cheque will not be considered paid until the payment has cleared. Any items not collected within seven days of the auction may be subject to a storage and insurance fee. A receipted invoice must be produced prior to delivery of any lot.