John Meredith (Smith)

Artists we never hear of anymore
John Meredith (Smith) I had many enjoyable evenings at the old Pilot discussing art with John and he did some great paintings
http://www.artnet.com/ar…/john-meredith/past-auction-results
John Meredith (1933 - 2000)
John Meredith was born in Fergus, Ontario, in 1933. Av Isaacs, who represented Meredith for over thirty years, noted that, “Meredith produced brilliant paintings that just popped with vitality. His colour sense was quite unique. His works on paper, both colour and black and white, were just as important. Meredith created lines that had an electric quality to them.” Meredith’s most noted works are colourful, large format paintings with recurring motifs and linear patterning.

John Meredith was the brother to celebrated artist William Ronald. John Meredith studied at the Ontario College of Art from 1950 to 1953, and had his first solo exhibition at the Gallery of Contemporary Art, Toronto in 1958. Av Isaacs of the Isaacs Gallery in Toronto represented John Meredith from 1960 until Isaacs Gallery closed in 1991.

John Meredith had an extensive exhibition history during his career. His agent, Av Isaacs of the Isaacs Gallery, Toronto, exhibited John Meredith’s works for over thirty years from 1960-1991. In 1974, The Art Gallery of Toronto held a solo exhibition of Meredith’s work, this exhibition travelled to other public institutions in 1975. In 1984-85, the Art Gallery of Ontario held another solo exhibition of his work.

John Meredith participated in many important group exhibitions at public institutions throughout his career. This included group exhibitions at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa in 1965, 1967, 1971 and 2005. John Meredith also participated in a number of group exhibitions in the United States during his career. John Meredith passed away in September, 2000.

Rodeck said she was a “little disappointed” in some of the bidding for John Meredith’s work, but by morning — “in the cold light of day” — was “celebrating” prices paid for Meredith’s art, which only a few years ago were fetching only a few thousand dollars.

“John Meredith has always been highly regarded by curators and galleries and we’ve always thought he was good, I don’t know why it has taken so long for buyers to say ‘We need to look at this painter,’” said Linda Rodeck, managing director of Sotheby’s Canada.

Rodeck said a Meredith painting was featured on the back cover of the auction catalogue after the auction house set a record was set last year for the Meredith painting, Rio, a large canvas that sold for $152,000.

Sotheby’s expected three of Meredith’s pieces to be sold for bids ranging from $10,000 to a high of $30,000 and all three met expectations with Sketch for Red Circle selling for $15,600, slightly above the estimate, Reclining Figure going for $20,400 and Untitled for $14,400, just shy of the pre-auction high estimate of $15,000.