In the spirit of Jackson Pollock, Reta Merkur's canvasses replace identifiable representation with raw color and energy. It is rhythmic and real, true to emotional landscapes that are unique and inviting.

Max and Reta Merkur
Max & Reta Merkur

Reta Merkur · 1920 – Toronto

Reta Merkur grew up in Toronto, her parents from Brooklyn and from Russia. She married Max Merkur, founder of Meridian Properties and patron to Canada's most celebrated painters, the Group of Seven. Max was their friend and confidante — a businessman with keen foresight, yet also a visionary in art and culture.

Together they assembled an outstanding collection of Canadian paintings, driven by Max's enthusiasm for collecting and Reta's love and knowledge of art.

Reta was an avid and accomplished painter in her own right, inspired by the abstract expressionism of the mid-twentieth century, especially Jackson Pollock. Her work embodies the energy, inspiration, and vibrancy of Pollock's drip paintings. Incredibly prolific, she amassed a body of work that showcases her boundless enthusiasm for painting.

Previously exhibited at Arctic Experience McNaught Gallery, Hamilton. Selected works sold at charity auction.

Abstract Expressionism

The movement of modern art gave form and image to ideas much more than things. Piet Mondrian subjected color and shape to laws of reason and balance. Abstract Expressionism, in contrast, is expressive of emotion — energy twirling and bursting, unapologetic for its primal and simple goal to represent no more than color on canvas.

Jackson Pollock shattered the conventions of easel painting in the late 1940s, laying canvases on the floor and pouring, dripping, and flinging paint in continuous, rhythmic gestures. The result was not randomness but a new kind of order — one governed by the body's movement and the artist's unconscious impulse. Pollock proved that a painting could be an event rather than a picture, and that raw energy could carry as much meaning as any figure or landscape.

It is in this tradition that Reta Merkur painted — not imitating Pollock, but sharing his conviction that color and gesture, freed from representation, can speak directly to something real and deeply felt.

Available Works

The Merkur Collection

Inquiries

These over-sized, colourful pieces make a powerful impression — perfect for modern homes and offices. Reach out to discuss pricing, dimensions, and shipping.

boruchmerkur@gmail.com
Available