Jack Chambers (1931-1978) is a renowned Canadian artist with international acclaim for his painting, filmmaking, and significant contributions to art theory. 

A wanderlust, Chambers spent his young adulthood traveling throughout Europe before landing in Madrid to pursue a formal education at the prestigious Escuela Central de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. The years spent in Spain had a profound impact on Chambers, informing both his personal and professional life. 

Upon returning to Canada in 1961, Chambers developed a deep admiration for the blossoming Canadian art scene and established the London Regionalism movement alongside fellow artists including Greg Cunroe, Tony Urquhart, and Murray Favro. Together, they championed their hometown of London, Ontario by focusing on / promoting local life and in their art, activism, and loyalty.

In 1969, Chambers authored the article "Perceptual Realism", which expounded his artistic practice of the same name. Perceptual realism puts emphasis on the sensory experience of his work, prioritizing the essence of the content rather than the grade of its realistic rendering. 

Completed in 1958 while studying abroad, this delicate work on paper is an early example from Chamber's ouevre. The austere study features a young sitter, his soft gaze focusing ahead as he holds his pose. Rendered through a series of low-contrast shadows (and the notable absence of any contour lines) the drawing has a dreamlike quality, capturing the boy's ethos with only the essential details.

Chambers' work was the subject of a major retrospective at the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2012. His work is celebrated in major public collections across Canada including the National Gallery, Museum London, and the Art Gallery of Ontario, to name a few. 

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"Study of a Young Boy in Sweater" 

Spain, 1958

Graphite on paper

Signed and dated by artist

19"H 11.5"W (work)

26.75"H 18.25"W (framed)

Very good condition.