EXHIBITIONS: Summer Catalogue 2010/2011

Artist:

Robyn Kahukiwa

Title:

Wahine, Kereru, Kaka beak

Medium:

Oil & Alkyd Oil on Canvas

Size:

76 x 102 cm

Date:

2010

Price:

$8,500

Sold:

No

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Welcome to our Summer Catalogue for 2010-2011.

Once again we present a superb range of fine art from

3 centuries of New Zealand Art.

An exquisite early oil by E. A.  Aldis depicting Shelly

Beach in Auckland features from the 19th century

period. This artist, one of New Zealand’s most

underrated from this period, painted many early

beach scenes around the Auckland region before

motorways, motor vehicles and development

changed the landscape forever. Many of these early

scenes are now unrecognisable and they provide a

fascinating flash back to a time when New Zealand

remained a remote colony, largely undeveloped and

sparsely populated.

By the 1920s and 30s New Zealand had become a well

established colony (New Zealand became a self-

governing Dominion in 1907) and artists based here

were influenced and many were well trained by

overseas immigrant artists or teachers. Maud

Sherwood is one of New Zealand’s most outstanding

water-colourist’s from this period and studied under

one of New Zealand’s foremost immigrant

impressionist painters of the time James Nairn.

Sherwood moved to Sydney in 1933, becoming one of

the leading watercolourists there and is represented

in most Australian public art Galleries. Sherwood

specialised in Flower Studies although her output was

certainly not limited to this subject. Two fine still life

works (“Red Hibiscus” and “Blue and White Irises”)

are included in this catalogue, which display

Sherwood’s elegant and confident and omnipotent

ability with the watercolour medium.

In the 1950s two of the leading painters who emerged

from the Kelliher landscape movement were Austen

Deans and Douglas Badcock. Along with Peter

McIntyre these artists stood out and probably

fulfilled Sir Henry Kelliher's aspiration for art to more

truly represent and celebrate the beauty of New

Zealand's landscape – perhaps in the manner of

Australia’s early landscape artists such as Tom

Roberts, Ernest Streeton, Ernest Buckmaster, Sir

William Dargie and their followers. Both these New

Zealand artists were in fact prize winners of the

Kelliher art awards during the 1950s and 60s and two

fine examples of their works are included in this

catalogue Broadleaves, Peel Forest by Deans and

Towards Lewis Pass by Badcock.

Almost anathema to this genre of art, the 1960s saw

the real arrival of contemporary and pop art in New

Zealand and included in this movement were artists

such as Don Binney, Patrick Hanly, Michael

Illingworth, Michael Smither, Ian Scott and Richard

Killeen.

Don Binney's art was an inspired response to the

environment and an acknowledgement of New

Zealand’s precious native birdlife and their

surroundings.   In a 1968 review Gordon Brown

stated, “His work has a compelling quality which

makes it memorable… Don Binney is in the truest

sense an image maker with the capacity to instil into

his images the potentials of a symbol… native birds...

which have an important place in his pictorial

language…’ 1

The painting “Sunday, City Domain”  dated 1965, is a

major work from this seminal series of paintings. The

Tui is one of New Zealand’s most recognisable and

favourite native birds and we see the bird depicted

here in an almost stylised form, or as Gordon Brown

so aptly stated, perhaps as ‘a symbol’.

Another artist from this period was Trevor Moffitt,

(1936 - 2006) but his art was more concerned with

the Human Condition and the figure. At School in

Japan is part of an extensive series of over 100

paintings which graphically displayed the fall from

grace of a young girl following a visit to Japan as an

exchange student. Trevor Moffitt’s art is unique and

his depiction of New Zealand folklore, his father’s life

and the Human Condition form not only an important

part of New Zealand’s art but an enduring record of

New Zealand’s culture and history.

An artist who studied in Christchurch at the same

time was Philippa Blair who was a formative part of a

group of abstract and expressionist artists nurtured

by Rudi Gopas. While continuing in the same style

Blair’s work has endured, becoming more confident,

sophisticated and resolved. Go Parrot ¬Go, a recent

work is a triumph of this abstract style, bold primary

colours woven and layered on to the canvas

suggestive of the shimmering jewel like colours of the

bird’s feathers.

Major South Pacific artist Fatu Feu’u has included a

typical work which features the South Pacific symbols

and the painterly qualities on which this artist has

built a formidable reputation.   A fine  early example

of Nigel Brown’s genre works Family Table is also

included in the catalogue, in addition to a Pacifica

series work entitled Tivaevae Dog.  A delightful

painting from Viky Garden entitled Billie, the

“character” cat is also a feature of the Summer

Catalogue.   Three artists who have risen to

prominence recently are also featured in the

catalogue; Mazda Art Award Winner Alexander

Bartleet has included Crop, Nick Wall includes East

East West and Mark Wooller has submitted Parnell

Rise. These three artists have solo shows scheduled

for 2011 and these paintings are a taste of what to

look forward to next year. Separate catalogues will be

produced for each artist at show time which will

provide details of these talented artists work.

We remind you all paintings are available for

immediate sale and trust you will enjoy this quality

display of New Zealand art from over three centuries

of New Zealand Art.

1.  Brown, Gordon. Ascent. The Auckland Scene –

Reviews. No.64, Vol #2, July, 1968