Lot 3: Thomas Sherlock Hodgson 1924 - 2006 Canadian oil on canvas Thelonious at the Five Spot #1

Thomas Sherlock Hodgson 1924 - 2006 Canadian oil on canvas Thelonious at the Five Spot #1
50 x 50 inches 127 x 127 centimeters signed and dated 1963 and on verso titled and inscribed "Riverside"
Provenance:
Private Collection, British Columbia Thelonious at the Five Spot #1 is a direct representation of the energy that had newly emerged onto the Toronto arts scene with the success of Painters Eleven. After the group's official disbandment in 1960, Tom Hodgson continued to display his flair for Abstract Expressionism and for hosting social gatherings - this work being a combination of both talents. Hodgson's studio, the Pit, was the unofficial party quarters during the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s for Hodgson and his painter friends. During one notably interesting evening at the Pit, one of Hodgson's studio models stood in front of a slide show frame while his colourful abstract images were projected onto her body as she danced to the jazz music of famous pianist and composer Thelonious Monk. The title refers to Monk's recordings at the famous Five Spot Café in New York. This legendary jazz club was a popular haunt for artists, and Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline and Joan Mitchell were regulars. Hodgson had his own distinct visual rhythm, which is clearly manifest in this work through broad brush-strokes, varied textures and a sense of spontaneity.