1 art original ; silkscreen on paper ; 32.5 x 25.5 cm
Notes:
To view image click on "Access Content Now" above Ivan Eyre’s Laylak is a silkscreen print on paper, depicting a mirror reflection of a reclining nude figure. The female figure here, like many of Eyre’s subjects, has been abstracted symbolically. As described by the National Gallery of Canada, Eyre’s subjects are “often metaphors for psychological states”. Created over five decades, his large body of work includes panoramic landscapes, portraits and still lives, often combined into complex compositions with elements of Cubism, Surrealism and Expressionism. This is evident in this image where Eyre’s fragmented forms, geometric shapes and hard edges create an irrational sense of space. The title, “Laylak” may be inspired by the Turkish word for “lilac” and could refer to the light purple colour used in this silkscreen. Ivan Kenneth Eyre RSA (1935—) was born in Tullymet, Saskatchewan. His family moved to Saskatoon in 1946, and this is where he began his extensive academic career. Eyre studied with the painter Ernest Lindner at the Saskatoon Technical Institute (1949-53), and with the abstract sculptor Eli Bornstein at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon (1952). He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg (1957). Eyre spent the following year as a master’s candidate at the University of North Dakota (1958-59) where he taught as a graduate assistant. In addition to his studio practice, Eyre worked as a professor at the University of Manitoba School of Art until retirement (1959-1993). His artwork has been exhibited internationally, and is in numerous private and public art collections, including at the Pavilion in Assiniboine park (Winnipeg, Manitoba) with the entire third floor dedicated to Eyre (1998). Among his many honours, Eyre was elected a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, and received the Queen’s Gold and Silver Jubilee medals, the Order of Manitoba, and an honorary Doctor of Law from the University of Manitoba. Eyre currently lives and works in Winnipeg
