Artist

Materials

Description

Small bust of Diefenbaker showing his head and torso without arms. The bust is made of plaster and is coated with a thin layer of gilded bronze. The bust depicts Diefenbaker looking slightly downward and sideways to his left. The figure is placed at the centre of a square base from which the torso extends in a gentle V-shape. Diefenbaker is depicted wearing a suit jacket with a vest underneath and a collared shirt and tie. There is extensive detail which shows wrinkles in the clothes Diefenbaker is wearing, the lines on his face, and the wavy texture of his hair. The artist signature “Randa” is visible on the proper-left and is etched into the flat area which tapers down from the shoulders, where the arm would have rested. The bottom of the base is covered with a black velvet fabric which is mostly covered with a white label which contains information about the manufacturer and artist. The sticker is damaged at the centre so much of the information is incomplete or difficult to read. 

The artist Josef Randa (1933-2005) was born in Prague, Czech Republic and began his studies at the Ceramic School of Prague in 1952. Due to political unrest and the threat of war Randa and his wife decided to move to Canada in 1968 and settled in Winnipeg, Manitoba. By the mid 1970s he was able to work full time as a sculptor, and he worked with a variety of mediums including bronze, plaster, glass, and fibreglass. 

In Winnipeg he was well known for his role in Winnipeg's Citizen Hall of Fame program, from which he received a number of commissions. When he died in Winnipeg in 2005 a retrospective of his art was held at the Pavilion Gallery Museum at Assiniboine Park, accompanied by a commemorative catalogue of his work.

Marks/Labels

Text on bottom label, partially obscured by wear

“1977…World Trading…Ltd.”

“Winnipeg”  

“J. Randa (Artist)”

Artist's mark etched into the proper-left side “Randa” 

Accession number on reverse bottom right “23.1.2” 

Category