KEITH PATTERSON NZ/SPAIN 1925 – 1993

Keith Patterson was a leading contemporary painter in NZ during the 1950’s, who moved to Spain in 1960. He became a well known artist and teacher there, winning many art awards. He returned to New Zealand briefly in 1989 and 1990/1991 where he completed a major series of assemblage and mixed media works.

From cubist beginnings in the 1950’s, Patterson’s work gradually became more abstract during the 1960’s. He also painted a significant series of cubist window studies in 1959 and 1960 and several of these were included in a major exhibition of Contemporary NZ Artists at the Auckland City Gallery in 1960. Curated by the Director, Peter Tomory the exhibition included Colin McCahon, Toss Woollaston, Rita Angus and Dame Louise Henderson. During the 1950’s this style was experimental for leading New Zealand modernists such as Colin McCahon, Dame Louise Henderson, Kase Jackson and Keith Patterson.

Exploring and experimenting with mixed media following his departure to Spain in 1960, Patterson eventually produced quite outstanding assemblage work which incorporated found objects such as dinghy oars, sea shells, old fishing nets and demolition timber. These works, born out of Patterson’s idyllic environment (a coastal fishing village in Spain) depicted interpretations of rustic fisherman’s houses and weathered fishing dinghies. Patterson’s return in 1990 after a long absence from NZ (29 years) instilled a new found fervour in his work which revitalized his career in NZ. Converting an old fruit packing shed in Oratia, Auckland, to a studio Patterson worked tirelessly producing a major series of assemblage works and Mixed Media on paper. Several were based around his Fisherman’s Houses and “Dinghy” series he had developed in Spain.

The most significant of these were several works of Pakiri beach, a place Patterson “discovered” upon his return. He considered this beach quite magnificent and unique with its long, sandy sweeping shoreline. He visited it several times, often taking driftwood, found objects and scallop shells to incorporate into his painting. All the objects Patterson used held significance, particularly the scallop shell, an ancient symbol of love. The recessed sun (or in some cases moon) also held special significance for Patterson as a symbol of power and life force. These symbols appear in most of his paintings from this period.

Keith Patterson once said he was “not a political Artist, Artists should paint, politicians do the talking”. Nevertheless Patterson was a dedicated, passionate and inventive artist who became a master of mixed media and the two series he completed during his return to NZ in 1990 and 1991 were arguably some of his best.

Patterson also possessed an innate respect and interest in Maori culture, often visiting the Auckland Museum to study Maori carving. Patterson incorporated Maori motifs into three large Pakiri works, one titled Paddle of the Tribal Sea. One paddle was an old one he sourced from a friend while two he purchased new. Two paddles he decorated with a koru pattern, which symbolized the arrival of the Maori while the other, undecorated, symbolized the arrival of the Pakeha. Patterson returned to Spain in 1991 but died after a short illness in 1993. He is represented in the ACAG, Rotorua Art gallery and other public institutions.

One of the major oil paintings Window in Spring was purchased by the ACAG. Patterson also painted several excellent, but more stylized cubist family portraits and during the 1950’s, which Michael Smither credited as providing inspiration for his domestic series later that decade.