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The 2 Most Famous Gordon Rayner Paintings, Each One of a Kind
Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 3 works by Gordon Rayner in our catalogue
In short
Watch This Space (1975) is the Gordon Rayner painting that draws the most eyes; the original belongs to the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Among the 3 works of Gordon Rayner in our catalog, these 2 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.
1935 – 2010, Toronto
Most works: National Gallery of Canada
Top 10 paintings by Gordon Rayner, through the gallery's eye
The museums that keep Gordon Rayner's originals
The museum that holds the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Gordon Rayner | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 National Gallery of Canada |
Ottawa | 2 | Watch This Space, Dew Wet |
Gordon Rayner across the years: the unique originals of each
Between 1972 and 1975, 4 years in all, Gordon Rayner made every dated original shown here: a short span, followed year by year.
Works per year
Pick a year to see its originals.
Gordon Rayner's paintings: questions for the gallery
What is the single most famous work of Gordon Rayner?Reveal the answer
Watch This Space (1975).
At what age did Gordon Rayner create Watch This Space?Reveal the answer
40 years old: Watch This Space dates from 1975, and Gordon Rayner was born in 1935.
How many works by Gordon Rayner are known?Reveal the answer
Our catalog holds 3 works by Gordon Rayner, dated from 1972 to 1975.
Where can the most famous Gordon Rayner originals be seen?Reveal the answer
Mostly in National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa). The museum table above lists them all.
Which famous Gordon Rayner painting is the earliest, and which the latest?Reveal the answer
On this page, the earliest is Dew Wet (1972) and the latest Watch This Space (1975).
What Gordon Rayner originals can I see at the National Gallery of Canada?Reveal the answer
Watch This Space and Dew Wet: the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa holds 2 of the works on this page.
Gordon Rayner: a portrait of the artist
The Evolution of an Abstract Expressionist
Gordon Rayner was a Canadian abstract expressionist painter whose creative process was defined by constant innovation and a frequent transformation of his medium. His early training began under his father, a commercial artist, and Jack Bush. Following a period of working in commercial art, Rayner’s direction shifted toward abstraction, influenced by the work of artists such as Willem de Kooning and the exhibitions of Painters Eleven. During the late 1950s and the first half of the 1960s, he began to incorporate found materials into his paintings, a practice influenced by the neo-Dada movement.
In 1966, Rayner entered a period focused on the Magnetawan area, located north of Toronto. These works served as a space for experimentation with technique and materials, allowing him to refer to nature through oblique references and a thick, expressionist technique. His work was exhibited with Toronto's Isaacs Gallery, leading to his association with the Isaacs Group of artists.
Later Shifts and Subject Matter
By the 1980s, Rayner’s artistic focus shifted toward the figure. He explored realism in the context of the body, often painting himself in inventive scenes that addressed the spiritual self. This period included the Oaxaca Suite, inspired by his time living in Oaxaca, Mexico, in 1993 and 1994.
Throughout his career, Rayner received various public commissions, including the porcelain enamel on steel mural Tempo for the Toronto Transit Commission's St. Clair Station in 1977. His legacy is held in numerous institutions, including: