Jack Bush Art for Sale: Prints & Originals

Jack Bush is luminary figure in the pantheon of 20th century abstractionists, his work an energetic exploration of colour and form. With a career defined by innovation, Bush's contributions to Abstract Art is a testament to his interest in aesthetic harmony and bold simplicity.

Born in Toronto, Canada, in 1909, in his early career Bush worked in commercial illustration, a vocation he pursued for years before pursuing painting. During his early artistic education was taught by Charles Comfort and Jock Macdonald, two figures facilitated Bush in developing his unique voice within the Abstract Expressionist movement. Bush honed his skills at the Ontario College of Art, an institution that provided a fertile ground for his burgeoning talent.

Bush's artistic journey underwent a series of transformations, each phase marking new styles and approaches. His membership in the Painters Eleven—a group of avant-garde artists who championed Abstract Art in Canada—propelled him into the practise of non-representational painting. It was during this period that Bush began to distil his aesthetic, eschewing the gestural expression of his contemporaries in favour of a more structured visual language.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Bush's work evolved under the influence of art critic Clement Greenberg and the Post-Painterly Abstraction movement. His canvases became spaces for the interplay of unadulterated colour and simplified shapes, imbued with a sense of spontaneity and rhythm that belied their careful composition. Notable works from this period, such as Tall Spread, showcase his approach to colour field painting and his ability to evoke emotion through the subtle manipulation of hue and space.

Printmaking played a crucial role in Bush's broader practice. His 1974 screenprint, Purple Thrust, exemplifies his approach during this period. This work, part of a series sometimes referred to as Totems, features a central form dominating the composition, set against a textured background. This textural quality, which Bush initially developed for large-scale canvases, marks a departure from the flatly applied colours of his 1960s works, adding depth and complexity to his prints.

Bush's contributions to the art world were recognised through major exhibitions, including a retrospective at the Art Gallery of Ontario and participation in the São Paulo Art Biennial. His work found a receptive audience internationally, cementing his stature as one of Canada's preeminent Modern painters.

Despite his early interest in art, Bush did not emerge as a prominent painter until his mid-fifties. Initially working as a commercial artist in Toronto, Bush's potential remained somewhat dormant until the 1950s. American art critic Clement Greenberg facilitated his transition to full-time painting. Greenberg recognised Bush's exceptional talent and encouraged him to pursue a purer form of art, free from commercial constraints. Consequently, Bush's vivid abstract works gained international recognition, securing his pivotal position in Modern Art.
Bush is a leading figure of the Colour Field movement, a variant of Abstract Expressionism. This style is characterised by large expanses of unmodulated colour, aiming to make colour the artwork's primary subject. Bush's approach to Colour Field painting was distinguished by his use of bright, bold colours and clear, firm boundaries. His work is noted for its emotive power, achieved through the interplay of colour and form.
As a member of the Painters Eleven, a group of abstract artists founded in Toronto in 1953, Jack Bush played a significant role in shaping Canada's Modern Art scene. Painters Eleven sought to challenge the conservative Canadian art scene, which was predominantly focused on landscape painting. Along with his peers, Bush helped to foster a new sense of national identity in Canadian art that embraced international modernist trends while still retaining distinct character.