Charles Pachter

A PAINTED OSTRICH EGG BY CHARLES PACHTER A painted hollow Ostrich egg depicting an image of a moose walking in a landscape. Signed on verso, 'Pachter 99.' Mounted on a round, wooden base. Charles Pachter is a well known contemporary artist, known for his steel and granite moose silhouette sculptures that have been installed across Canada. His images of the queen, moose and the maple leaf flag are pop icons of Canadian art . 6.5" x 4.5" — 16.5 x 11.4 cm.

LOT 124 CHARLES PACHTER THE PAINTED FLAG, oil on canvas, signed and dated ‘84 26" x 24"; 65 cm x 60 cm Auction Estimate: $12000 / $15000 Provenance: Private Collection, Toronto. Literature: Bogomila Welsh-Ovcharov, Charles Pachter, Toronto, 1992, pages 71, 84, 86-87 and colour plates 88-91 for other works from the artist’’’’ s “The Painted Flag” series. Bogomila Welsh-Ovcharov discusses the Toronto artist’’’’s beginnings in depicting Canada’’’’s flag and the comparison of Pachter’’’’s “The Painted Flag” series to the depictions of the American flag by contemporary American artist, Jasper Johns: “In June of 1980, Pachter began a series of paintings which later eclipsed his streetcar and queen on moose themes in capturing the public imagination. After building an improvised flagpole on his Oro farm, he observed the different configurations produced by the rippling flag in rapid succession. He photographed hundreds of variations for later reference. This approach was different from that of American artist Jasper Johns, whose unmodulated grid-like studies of the American flag were seen less as patriotic symbols than as points of departure for formal abstractions. In contrast, Pachter painted the Canadian flag hovering in the air, observed from various angles and distances with emphasis on light and shadow. In variations on this theme, Pachter alternated the scale of the flag to pole, or abandoned the pole altogether. He also introduced different background shades of blue and improbable hues such as black and pink, suffusing “The Painted Flags” with an aura that extended far beyond the moment captured.”

CHARLES PACHTER RED BARN REFLECTED acrylic on canvas signed and dated /03 36.00" x 48.00", 90.00 cm x 120.00 cm Provenance: Private Collection, Toronto. Charles Pachter is one of Canada’’’’s leading and most celebrated contemporary artists. His paintings of the maple leaf flag, the Queen and moose have become pop icons in Canada. Pachter’’’’s work is humorous and often ironic, escaping intellectualism and enamoured of the graphic image. His work is in most of the major public and corporate collections in Canada and his flag paintings are displayed in the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Canadian Embassy in Washington. Est. $25000 / 30000

CHARLES PACHTER TOUR DE FORCE, acrylic on canvas, signed and dated/08 30" x 24"; 75 cm x 60 cm Provenance: Private Collection, Toronto. Literature: Bogomila Welsh-Ovcharov, Charles Pachter, Toronto, 1992, colourplates 48, 51, 53, 55, 59, 60-66 and 131 for works featuringimagery of the Moose. Pachter, Charles, M Is For Moose: A Charles Pachter Alphabet,Toronto, 2008, n.p., reproduced in colour (representing “Q is forQueen, trooping the colour.”) At the 1947 Canadian National Exhibition, a young Charles Pachtercame face to face with a powerful but peaceful animal that wouldhave a lasting effect on the artist’’’’s life and work. For close toforty years, the moose has been a signature subject for Pachter,the “Monarch of the North” having become a true icon of CanadianPop Art. Pachter, in “M Is For Moose,” describes some of the experienceswhich led him to develop his unique and powerful depictions of hisCanada, remembering “when I was a fine arts student in university,it was often suggested to me by patronizing professors that theCanada of my imagination was not as important as the iconographyfrom other places. If it came from elsewhere, it was consequential.If it came from here, not. So I began to draw, paint, and make prints in which I wanted tomake Canada look cool, elegant, interesting, even “glamorous,” andput it on a level playing field with all those other countries Iwas told were more worthy of notice. My experience was similar tothat of many other visual artists, composers, and writers. Each ofus has created a Canada that is unique, based on our accumulatedlife experiences, where we happen to live, who our friends are.” While Pachter’’’’s earlier paintings of the moose usually depictedthe animal along with the Queen, he eventually came to focus on itas a solitary icon. The dancing silhouette of the moose made itsfirst appearance in 1975’’’’s Look Out Barbara Ann. However it wasTour De Force I, 1987 which first depicted the agile creature in anurban setting, atop the second level of a concrete diving platform.Tour De Force II followed in 1988, depicting the moose carefullybut confidently walking a tightrope above Toronto’’’’s CN Tower. WithTour De Force I and II, Welsh-Ovcharov called the two paintingsPachter’’’’s “zenith with moose imagery”, noting that both works “confirm the undaunted determination of the monarch of the north toestablish its domain within urban Canada by a display ofsure-footed acrobatic ability, leaving its subjects awestruck”. We extend our thanks to Charles Pachter for providing importantinformation in the cataloguing of this work.

LOT 196 CHARLES PACHTER B. 1942 LOOKOUT 2009 signed and dated lower right Pachter '09; titled and dated onthe reverse acrylic on canvas 15,000—25,000 CAD measurements measurements 91.4 by 121.9 cm. alternate measurements 36 by 48 in. signed and dated lower right Pachter '09; titled and dated onthe reverse Private Collection, Toronto Bogomila Welsh-Ovcharov, Charles Pachter, Toronto, 1992, p.55 Bogomila Welsh-Ovcharov writes: Pachter reached his zenith with moose imagery... it confirms theundaunted determination of the monarch of the north to establishits domain within urban Canada.