Artist Allan Harding MacKay
Title Candelight 200 c.
Media photograph on two pieces of plexiglass
Dated 1980
Size 24 x 24 in. / 61 x 61 cm.
Estimate $350 - $700

Notes
unsigned; two pieces of plexiglass that can be mounted on top of each other or separately; unframed

Reference
At the core of MacKay's practice lies an insistent questioning-not merely of portraiture as a genre, but of the very conditions that grant images cultural authority and lasting resonance. The artist's intent is fueled by a compulsion to ask questions and an innate curiosity-about Canadian art history, its community, and the subsequent ramifications for contemporary art practice. MacKay engages with drama and light, referencing historical portrait traditions while compressing visual information into predetermined formats using unconventional materials like Plexiglas.

This inquiry manifests in the Candlelight Series, where a seemingly random model appears as an unknown face in obscure light, rendered through photo-based technique with occasional mark-making to preserve a reference to traditional portraiture. The work is equalising and non-hierarchical-paradoxically, the anonymity of the model and the unusual materials lead to a contemplation of the nature of portraiture rather than consideration of the subject of the portrait.

Similarly, the Source/Derivation Series [Holgate] examines the construct of an icon within Canadian art history, employing a medieval grid that offers a step-by-step deconstruction of one of Holgate's quintessentially Canadian works. Through multiple responses to this source, MacKay explores the societal construct of an iconic work within the canon of Canadian art practice.

In both series, the use of constraints allows MacKay to explore the nuance of portraiture and interrogate the enduring presence of certain images for artists and audiences alike. Within a 21st-century context, this powerful combination invites contemplation of the art history of portraiture and introspection of our reactions to the human presence-dramatic or otherwise.

Provenance
this work was generously donated by Willock and Sax Gallery; proceeds will be donated to the Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts) Centennial Scholarships fund in celebration of the university's Centennial year. The Centennial Scholarships fund is a transformative initiative to provide future artists, craftspersons, and designers with tuition-free education. Centennial Scholarships will reduce financial barriers and provide students with a tuition-free year of study. For more information or to donate directly visit: auarts.ca/donate-now