Ted Godwin

(1933-2013)

Located above University of Regina Career Centre, RC 163 (Dr. William Riddell Centre, 2nd floor)

 

 

5/4 Freight, 1967
Copolymer and oil on canvas
102” x 216″
University of Regina President’s Art Collection; pc.1970.1

Ted Godwin was a professor at the University of Regina Campus from 1964 until 1985, when he retired. Godwin’s works were among those of the May Show (1961), an exhibition at the Norman MacKenzie Art Gallery, which eventually led to the Five Painters From Regina (1961) exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada and toured the country giving the group national focus. He also took part in the Emma Lake workshops, where he gained great influence on his work from sessional workshop leaders, particularly Barnett Newman and John Cage.

5/4 Freight was part of a series of paintings where Godwin focused on a segment of action. These works were generally horizontal and interacted with the edge of the painting. The effect Godwin wanted to convey was an implied other space. He described it as inserting a razor blade into the wall to expose the hidden reality underneath.[1] This signifies that the painting embodies action or movement, coupled with the title of this work, which has musical implications (the “5/4” meter). The painting gives visual representation to multiple melodic lines interweaving together. Godwin achieved this within 5/4 Freight, through the movement of the brushwork and the manner in which he applied the medium. The upper portion is moving faster than the bottom large coloured band. The bottom segment is much more dense and contains smaller partials that allot for the feeling of movement. This work was celebrated by the artist, because he no longer felt restricted by scale within his work; this painting is one of the largest he completed.

[1] Ted Godwin in Ana Davis, A Dionysian Journey: Ted Godwin’s Regina Paintings, “Ted Godwin- The Regina Years: 1957- 1967”, The Nickle Arts Museum, University of Calgary, 2008, 35.