Lot 78: William Hodd (Bill) McElcheran 1927 - 1999

William Hodd (Bill) McElcheran 1927 - 1999 Canadian bronze relief plaque The Crowd 17 x 17 x 3 inches 43.2 x 43.2 x 7.6 centimeters initialed, editioned A/P 2/3 and dated 1981 Provenance:Private Collection, Vancouver William McElcheran is well known for his iconic businessman images, portrayed individually, in small groups or in a crowd, as in this refined wall relief. He portrayed crowds in small-scale three-dimensional groups, editioned bronze wall reliefs or large-scale works such as the ceramic wall relief in the Dundas subway station in Toronto. McElcheran was a strong proponent of the integration of sculpture into architecture, and another crowd scene, a free-standing bronze relief, is installed at Toronto's John M. Kelly Library. Following a 1971 exhibition at Roberts Gallery that included relief works, a reviewer noted that McElcheran had studied Assyrian bas-reliefs, in which the position in society of the people portrayed was indicated by their clothing and posture. In The Crowd, the foreground figures are finely detailed, both men and women in their classic uniform of business, while in the background, detailing is indistinct and the figures anonymous. They march forward together, a symbol of progress and determination, radiating a quietly heroic stance in contrast to their conformity. Included with this lot is a plexiglass stand that measures 42 1/2 x 19 x 16 1/2 inches.