Tom Forrestall, while in Toronto to attend his important exhibition at Mira Godard Gallery, stopped by Alan Klinkhoff Gallery at 113 Yorkville Avenue, where our outstanding Forrestall painting, The Fallen Rider, is in our front window. Alan and Tom enjoyed a wonderful conversation, talking about many things including the sell out exhibition he had at Walter Klinkhoff Gallery some 50 years ago. Tom Forrestall is truly a great talent of his generation.

 

Tom Forrestall, C.M., R.C.A. 1936- 
Out of the Headlands / Falling Rider / Startled Horse / Give it Your Own Title - TF, 2003 (Autumn)
signed "Tom Forrestall" (recto, lower left);
inscribed, dated, and signed in black ink, '"EGG TEMPERA - AUTMN 2003. Tom Forrestall. "
titled and inscribed in black ink, '"OUT ON THE HEADLANDS" "FALLING RIDER" "STARTLED HORSE" GIVE IT YOUR / OWN TITLE -TF [enclosed in a rectangle shape]’"(verso, upper centre); 
further inscribed by the artist in black ink, 
'HORSES ARE WONDERFUL, THEY DRAW ME TO THEM, NOT TO RIDE OR / 
TO OWN BUT TO BE A WITNESS. MANY YEARS AGO I SAW A RIDER / 
TAKE A TUMBLE FROM A HORSE, NO ONE WAS HURT BUT THE INCIDENT / 
STAYED WITH ME, I WAS A WITNESS. AS WITH MOST OF WHAT I CREATE. / 
STANDING BACK AND TAKING IT ALL IN. ONE THING PILES UPON AN / 
OTHER, THEN 2 OR 3 OR MORE JOIN UP IN MY IMAGINATION AND I GET GOING. / 
"IMAGINATION IS GREATER THEN [sic] KNOWLEDGE [underlined]” A GREAT QUOTE FROM SOME ONE [sic]. / 
AND IT SO APPLIES IN CREATING ART. IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE THING TOO / 
WELL THERE'S ROOM FOR IMAGINATION AND POETRY (IN PAINT) TO TAKE OVER AND / 
CARRY THE WHOLE THING OFF. TOO MUCH KNOWLEDGE WOULD STIFFLE [sic] THE ART / 
AND THE MYSTERY OF IT ALL. TOO MUCH KNOWLEDGE WOULD TURN ME OFF, TURN / 
ME AGAINST IT. THERE'S A MAGIC POINT IN PRELIMINARY STUDIES WHERE THERE'S / 
NOT TOO MUCH ACTUAL FACTS THAT WOULD DAMPEN INSPIRATION BUT ENOUGH TO / 
LIGHT THE FIRE AND BEHOLD THE VISION ALGOW. FOR BETTER OR WORSE I MUST / 
MAKE THE CREATION MY OWN. TOO MUCH KNOWLEDGE, LIKE A PHOTOGRAPH ROBS ME OF / 
THIS POSSESSION, THIS CONTROL. I MUST OCCUPY IT. MY PAINTING SOMETIMES / 
USE PHOTOGRAPHS BUT THEY NEVER, THANK HEAVENS, LOOK LIKE ONE .... MY SISTER / 
KIT AND HER DAUGHTER HAVE HAD HORSES FOR MANY YEARS, WITH WALLS COVERED / 
IN RIBBONS. I'M NO JOINER BUT I AM A WITNESS AND IN THIS WAY I SEE FROM A DISTANCE / 
AND DISTANCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN INGREDIANT [sic] OF MY ART, THERE'S ALWAYS A PERSONAL / 
CONNECTION TO WHAT I DO. THIS IS IMPORTANT BUT DISTANCE HAS TO BE THERE. THE / 
FALLING RIDER, MY SISTER'S HORSES. CLOSE BUT NOT TOO CLOSE. THIS IS HOW I SEE .... / 
KNOW TOO MUCH AND KNOWLEDGE RULES. WHEN EVER I START TO PAINT IT'S DONE WITH NO / 
IDEA HOW TO DO IT OR HOW IT WILL FINISH. Tom Forrestall.' (verso).
Egg tempera on masonite - Tempera à base d'oeuf sur masonite
20 1/4 (h) x 35 1/2 (w) x 20 3/4 in (w)
51.4 (h) x 90.2 (w) x 52.7 cm (w)
(irregular, trapezoid shape)

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