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<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWilliam Ronald in his studio, 1970 in front of Altar, 1970, oil on canvas, 78 x 60 inches. Courtesy of the Christopher Cutts Gallery<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many art historians, critics, and collectors alike call him one of Canada\u2019s most critically acclaimed and internationally successful artists emerging in the 1950s. He was born William Ronald Smith in Stratford, Ontario in 1926.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWilliam Ronald, Opus No. 3, 1963, oil on canvas, 36 x 42 inches. Private collection<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ronald graduated from the Ontario College of Art in 1951 and then went to New York to study with Abstract Expressionist Hans Hofmann. Upon his return to Toronto, in a landmark exhibition, Painters Eleven was formed in 1953. The group was accredited with bringing avant-garde American abstract expressionism into the mainstream Canadian art scene. Ronald is best known for the crucial role he played in establishing this highly influential group.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWilliam Ronald, Altar, 1970, oil on canvas, 78 x 60 inches. Courtesy of the Christopher Cutts Gallery <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ronald was a flamboyant character with a love for the dramatic. He loved to paint in public, frequently hiring strippers and showgirls to dance around him as he painted. He was incredibly prolific creating large-scale, explosive abstract expressionist paintings that disrupted the traditional Canadian art market. His work evolved significantly over his career, shifting from raw, textured gestures into structured colour blocks, along with ambitious public murals. He became internationally famous for creating the central image style within abstract expressionism. Rather than scattering detail across the entire canvas, his paintings featured a singular, highly energetic focal point surrounded by aggressive brushstrokes.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWilliam Ronald, Wellfleet Harbour, 1983, oil on canvas, 20 x 20 inches. Private collection<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ronald moved back to NYC and eventually became an American citizen. He shared a studio with Frank Stella and joined the stable of artists at Manhattan\u2019s Kootz Gallery. He was accepted by critics and collectors and enjoyed a period of success. Eventually, Ronald returned to Toronto and continued with his career that included work for CBC, CTV and CityTV as the host of a variety show. He continued to paint through the 1970s, \u201980s and \u201990s, moving to Montreal and then to Barrie, Ontario where he maintained an active studio.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWilliam Ronald, Jamine, 1997, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 36 inches, inscribed on verso \u201cfirst painting executed at 21 Dunlop St. Barrie\u201d. Private collection<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He continued to work until his death in 1998 when he suffered a heart attack while painting. However, he lived long enough to name the work Heart Attack.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWilliam Ronald, Untitled, 1997, acrylic on canvas, 72 x72 inches. Recognized as one of Ronald\u2019s final work. Courtesy of the Christopher Cutts Gallery<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ronald won the International Guggenheim Awards, Canadian Section in 1956, and was part of the National Gallery of Canada\u2019s Second Biennial of Canadian Painting in 1957.\u00a0 In 1977, he was awarded a Canada Councils senior arts award to pursue his Prime Ministers project. He gained some notoriety for his portrait series of Canadian Prime Ministers, abstracted portrayals of heads of government opened by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in Toronto. The exhibition toured Canada. These works are in the permanent collection of the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery in Kitchener, Ontario.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n1984 media photograph capturing Canadian abstract painter William Ronald standing alongside then-Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau in front of Ronald\u2019s vibrant, non-representational portrait of the politician<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Christopher Cutts Gallery is hosting the exhibition from September 10th to October 10th, showcasing a selection of works spanning from the 1950s to the 1990s, including one of the artist\u2019s final pieces that encapsulates his extensive creative journey. Cutts\u2019s connection with William Ronald began serendipitously when Ronald entered the gallery, acknowledging his status as a member of Painters 11 with the declaration, \u201cI\u2019m here.\u201d This encounter led to Ronald being represented by the Cutts Gallery. Ronald is a significant figure in the art world, with his works featured in major museum collections across North America, including The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and The Whitney Museum of American Art, as well as numerous Canadian institutions such as the National Gallery and the Art Gallery of Ontario. A standout piece in the exhibition is titled September, a 1961 oil on canvas from the Rockefeller collection, measuring 60\u00d750 inches, which was acquired from the Kootz Gallery in New York City. Additionally, the exhibition will include an Untitled painting from 1997, an acrylic on canvas measuring 72\u00d772 inches, recognized as Ronald\u2019s final work.<\/p>\n\n\n