Harold Town, Day Neon (detail), 1953 Oil on Masonite, 91.1 x 63.5 cm, Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa
The painting’s title points to an urban scene; the neon lights of Toronto’s developing streetscape are a frequent theme in Town’s work at this time. He believed that great formal art could be inspired by the modern city: “I suddenly realized these signs were beautiful, all those gorgeous blues, and I realized that if an Egyptian from the time of one of the great Pharaohs were to walk down the street he would have found them a mystery, an overwhelming mystery. There’s everything there.”
This Spotlight is excerpted from Harold Town Life & Work by Gerta Moray.
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