Perehudoff: Three Decades

Perehudoff: Three Decades follows the Canadian abstractionist through the 1960s to his later work of the 1990s. This exhibition traces the evolution of William Perehudoff, one of Canada’s foremost colour field painters, through three transformative decades. From the 1960s to the 1990s, Perehudoff’s work evolved from the bold, geometric abstractions of his early career to more expansive, atmospheric compositions that explore the vibrancy of colour and the nuances of light.

Perehudoff’s broad canvases, brightly saturated colours, and neutral “fields” were informed by American abstraction as well as his Prairie setting. He was heavily influenced by the colourful abstract works of painters like Kenneth Noland and Amédée Ozenfant, and in the early 1960s Perehudoff attended several of the Emma Lake Artist’s Workshops held by Noland and Clement Greenberg. Greenberg was an enormously influential art critic who advocated for “formalist” painting: abstract works that explored colours, forms, textures, and compositional space rather than representation. Noland was a prominent American Colour Field painter. In the 1960s, Perehudoff’s bold colours, abstract shapes, and neutral grounds showed the influence of these workshops. Through the 70s, Perehudoff further explored the interaction of colour and form with the Thalia series. Thalia #10 is one of the largest efforts in the series. Rukaj Gallery is pleased to present several seminal works from the Thalia series.