Three Gladstone sculptures united

Three sculptures by Gerald Gladstone (1929-2005) are now installed in Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business Building.

While hung together, the three sculptures come from different donors. Pictured are two works called Untitled, created around 1960 out of steel. One was donated by Dr. Samuel Schecter in 1972, and the other by John G. McConnell in 1965. The third is titled, Hanging Form No. 3. Created in 1963, it was a gift from Mr. and Ms. Hyman Feldman in 1964. | Photo by Paul Smith

Composed of suspended metal disks and rods, the works are representative of Gladstone’s signature style in terms of technique and iconography. The tension between the weight of the materials and the evocation of lightness, created by the suspension and form of these sculptures, is characteristic of his work.

Created between 1960 and 1963, two of the pieces are Untitled, and the third is Hanging Form No. 3. Donated by three separate donors to the Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery, between 1965 and 1972, these sculptures are now part of the gallery's permanent collection.

The integration of these sculptures into a public area is the result of a collaboration between the Office of Special Projects and Cultural Affairs and the Ellen Art Gallery.

The career of the Toronto artist was at its height during the 60s and 70s, and Gladstone notably created three public commissions for Expo 67. Several Canadian museums feature his paintings and sculptures, and he was the subject of an important retrospective at the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2003 and 2004.

Today, Gladstone is known primarily for his monumental works exhibited permanently in Windsor, Toronto, and Montreal (Female Landscape, 1972, Place Ville Marie).

Related links:
•    Concordia's Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery 
•    Concordia's Public Art