Joseph Amar Mixed-Media Collage, 1978

Updated September 5, 2026

Lot number	54
Estimate	3,000.00 - 4,500.00 CAD
Auction	IMPORTANT CANADIAN ART AUCTION Wednesday Sept 16th 7pm
Date	September 16, 2026 at 6:59 PM EDT
Auction house	Erin Auctions
Location	Erin

An important and visually compelling original mixed-media collage by acclaimed Canadian artist Joseph Amar, executed in 1978 during the formative years of his Toronto practice. The work exemplifies Amar's distinctive exploration of texture, symbolism, and materiality through the incorporation of layered collage elements, gestural drawing, and earthy pigments. The composition features four abstract stone-like forms arranged in a rhythmic sequence against a richly textured field, accented by expressive graphite marks and a bold red linear element traversing the lower edge. The work demonstrates Amar's fascination with archaeological forms, memory, and the physical qualities of materials—hallmarks that would define his mature artistic career. Date: 1978 Medium: Original mixed-media collage on handmade paper Signed: Lower right, "J. Amar '78" Sight Size: 23 × 31.5 in. Frame Size: 30 × 38 in. Artist BiographyJoseph Amar (1954–2001) was a celebrated Canadian contemporary artist born in Casablanca, Morocco, before immigrating with his family to Toronto in 1957. Awarded the prestigious Dorothy Reid Scholarship to attend the Ontario College of Art in 1974, Amar soon left formal studies to pursue an independent studio practice focused on experimentation with materials and process.Influenced by Arte Povera, Dada, and the work of Spanish artist Antoni Tàpies, Amar developed a highly individual visual language that incorporated found objects, collage, cement, wire, fabric, and textured surfaces into his paintings. In 1979 he relocated to Brooklyn, New York, while continuing to exhibit internationally and periodically teach in Toronto. His work entered significant museum and private collections, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and is represented in numerous institutional collections. His promising career was tragically interrupted following a devastating automobile accident in 1991, from which he never fully recovered.Today, Joseph Amar is recognized as one of the most innovative Canadian mixed-media artists of his generation, with works increasingly sought after by collectors of post-war Canadian contemporary art.

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