Gow Langsford Gallery Annual Catalogue 2022 by Gow Langsford Gallery

Gow Langsford Gallery Annual Catalogue 2022

Introduction

Earlier in the year I saw a listing on E-bay UK for a copy of the 1995 John Leech and Gow Langsford Galleries Annual Spring Catalogue. It was £12. This was the first Spring Catalogue the Gallery produced and although a nominal sum, its presence on a British selling platform more than twenty years later is, in a small way, significant for us. The catalogue was an annual tradition and a highlight of the exhibition calendar for many years but in more recent times we have focussed our efforts on other formats for our publications and on artist monologues. The past eighteen months with the various stages of lockdown and restrictions have caused us to think differently again. For 2021 we were working towards a series of off-site exhibitions that would complement our regular exhibition schedule and include this collection of work, but with the arrival of Delta and the subsequent new restrictions, we faced the real possibility of online only exhibitions. The return to a good, longstanding tradition seemed prudent. For the first time the Annual Catalogue 2021-22 is accompanied by a publication focussed on our represented artists, who are at the very heart of our business. Although uncertain, we hope you will be able to view this exhibition at the gallery and we look forward to welcoming you in, whenever it may be. -Anna Jackson, Director. November 2021

John Leech and Gow Langsford Galleries Annual Spring Catalogue, 1995 Previous spread

Frances Hodgkins A Country Window (detail), c.1929 Pages 42-43 4

Still life is a subject that has been addressed by artists for many centuries. It is a deeply personal exploration of objects, an interpretation of an artist’s particular vision. Sydney based artist Jude Rae’s still life paintings are a central component of her oeuvre; the subject matter allows her to explore the communication of form and materiality outside of a narrative structure. As an internationally exhibited artist for over thirty years, Rae’s work has questioned how humans experience the visual, and she has stated, “A painting can recall not only the look of things, but also the feel of that seeing.” (Rae, 2017). This 2003 work, Still Life 140, emanates a feel of calm in its pristine compositional structure. Three objects sit slightly right-of-centre of the canvas, upon a flat white surface. They contrast in tone and colour to the flowery wallpaper behind them, and this sense of displacement further emphasises their raw construction. These static forms are almost unidentifiable; as anonymous bottles or canisters, their purpose is not an important aspect of the painting. Rae chooses objects of no particular significance to the narrative of the work, so as not to detract from the purity of their form. These bottles stand erect, unflinching, stoic. Clean vertical lines create their shape, which is in stark perpendicular contrast to the surface they sit upon. Rae hints at their three-dimensional, cylindrical form with the curve of their bases, but even their shadows extend down in straight vertical lines to the bottom of the canvas. There is a hyperreality in this, as we don’t know where the light source is coming from to create these shadows. This emphasises the curated nature of the still life as Rae is controlling our perception of her chosen subject matter. She is curating a feeling, an ambiance for the viewer to consider; one of quiet and considered precision. The simplicity and purity of their forms as they stand nestled in next to each other offers self-assurance to viewers, with no other objects to distract or surprise us. As David Broker, Director of Canberra Contemporary Art Space, has noted, “One leaves the gallery with a series of translucent after-images that reflect a deceptively simple purity of form and its relation to light… at the end of the day it will not be the objects that are remembered but rather their shape and their relation to one another.”

(Broker, 2010, p. 39).

Jude Rae has been granted residencies in New Zealand, France and Italy and her work has been exhibited in New Zealand, Australia, Germany and the United States. Her work is held in major private and public collections across Australia and New Zealand, as well as the United Kingdom and the United States. -IC References Rae, J. 2017. ‘In Plain Sight’. Jude Rae. Accessed: https://www.juderae.com/ in-plain-sight Broker, D. 2010. ‘Power of Two: Judith Waller and Jude Rae’, Art Monthly Australia, No. 231, July 2010: 37-39

Jude Rae b. 1956, Australia

Still Life 140, 2003 oil on belgium linen 760 x 910mm signed, dated and inscribed ‘SL 140’ verso Provenance

Paul & Kerry Barber Collection. Purchased from Jensen Gallery, 2004; Private collection, Auckland Exhibited

Still Life in New Zealand, 2004, Pataka, Wellington, New Zealand

Richard Killeen b. 1946, Aotearoa New Zealand

Know This Place, 1993 32 pieces, acrylic and screen-print on aluminium 2200 x 2400mm (dimensions variable) Signed, titled and dated

Provenance

Private collection, Sydney Exhibited

New Paintings, Ray Hughes Gallery, Sydney, 1993

Know This Place, could be read as both a challenge and a question… The artist is being particularly ambiguous. Richard Killeen went to Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland and was taught by Colin McCahon, among others, so he knew about the politics of place, this place: Aotearoa New Zealand. Killeen was often criticised in the 1970s for working in the ‘international’ style and was therefore in opposition to the other artists of his generation, who were following in McCahon’s footsteps by looking for a New Zealand aesthetic in painting. Painters of this era were stripping the landscape back by removing the blotches of society to reveal the raw essence of place. Killeen was broader in his vision; he wasn’t looking for a regional or international style to hang off, he was looking for a universal language. Killeen took the tree stumps, dogs, architecture, and whatever other blotches the others had removed, and painted them as icons. In 1978 Killeen made his first cut-out paintings, which he exhibited at Peter McCleavey Gallery in Wellington. Initially the cut-outs were bold graphic interpretations that represented an idea, not a specific thing. You could argue that his initial cut-outs were following in the tradition of all Modernist painters, who were interested in the painting moving forward to meet you in the space, rather than the painting acting as a passive window into a world. As Killeen developed his cut-outs, they become more painterly and more layered, more complex, but less clear. The cut-outs of the 1990s could be thought about as a reflection of a new landscape that emerged after the removal of the import restrictions in 1984. Suddenly New Zealand was connected to the world in a way like never before – the market exploded with new information and new commodities. Post-modernism is here, and Modernism is truly dead. Killeen’s cut-outs are no longer singular but reflect an overwhelming build-up of things. Some shapes stand alone, and others emerge off-centre from a misty frame. A dog-cum-table floats alongside a boot, while bugs and sketches of architectural details hang in space. I like how the airplane and the leaf seem to have a similar origin. Killeen is challenging us to look, not just at his work, but at the multitudes of things that surround us. He reminds us that our lives are complex and interesting – made from meaning, memory and aesthetics. I’m not sure that we will ever know this place, as like this work, it is always changing. -FMJ

In the spring of 1956, Picasso was admiring a new selection of his ceramic plates, which had just been delivered to him from Madoura Pottery at Vallauris, France. These were a new range of plates where he worked on a larger scale, adding sculptural elements to the surface, and carving directly into the clay. Studying his own work, he started thinking about the opulently chased gold and silver platters of the 16th and 17th century, and thought his plates would look wonderful executed in precious metals. Master goldsmith François Hugo took on Picasso’s commission, transforming the designs in ceramic to sterling silver. Picasso was delighted with the outcome and continued to give Hugo further commissions. As Hugo and Picasso continued to work together, Picasso gave Hugo greater freedom to execute the designs with the tools and processes he saw fit. The two always acknowledged that these works were a collaboration between artist and goldsmith. François Hugo worked as a goldsmith for many artists specialising in small editions. He loved the materiality and process of working with metal, preferring to use traditional techniques. This plate, Tête en Forme d’horloge, is made with the repousse method of hammering with cold tools directly into the metal. The metal sheet is pressed onto a bed of firm jewellers wax, and a design traced onto the surface, which is then carefully worked on both sides, gently beating the metal into shape. Between 1956 and 1961 Picasso commissioned Hugo to complete many different platters, medallions, and free-standing sculptures, including some in solid gold. These were never exhibited in Picasso’s lifetime, with all his metalwork kept in relative secrecy in Picasso’s own private collection. It was in 1967 when François Hugo was offered his own exhibition to show the work he had done for other artists—the likes of Jean Arp, Jean Dubuffet, Max Ernst, Sidney Nolan, Jean Lurçat and Jean Cocteau—that Picasso finally agreed that Hugo could make and show a limited edition of his plates. Looking at Picasso’s practice during the 1960s you can see how these platters fit into his wider oeuvre. Paintings and drawings from this period have strong stylistic resemblance to the markings found in his ceramic and repousse work. Tête en Forme d’horloge was conceived in 1956 by Pablo Picasso and executed in silver in 1967 by master goldsmith François Hugo in Paris. This work is part of a larger series of plates designed by Picasso and made by Hugo. - FMJ

Pablo Picasso 1881-1973, Spain

Tête en Forme d’horloge, 1956/1967 sterling silver, 1950 grams 430 x 430mm edition 4/20, stamped reverse: Picasso 4/20; ref. no. 1436 Serial. 3765 (numbered edition of 20 plus 2 artist’s proofs and 2 studio samples) Sold with original burl wood case, Case: 530 x 530 x 80mm Provenance

Collection of Pierre Hugo, France

In 1946, while on holiday in Vallauris, Southern France, Pablo Picasso met Georges and Suzanne Ramié, who operated the Madoura Pottery Workshop. The Ramié family opened their workshop to Picasso and allowed him to experiment and play with clay. Picasso made a series of unique ceramic works in the summer of 1946. When he returned in 1947, he was so excited with how his work turned out that he set forth making a range of unique and editioned works with the Madoura Pottery Workshop, a relationship that lasted to the end of his career in 1971.

Pablo Picasso 1881-1973, Spain

Face Tankard (Chope Visage), 1959 Produced by Madoura Pottery Workshop, Vallauris, Southern France white earthenware turned pitcher decoration in oxide on white enamel 213mm height inscribed 'Edition Picasso 193/300 Madoura’ & stamped 'Edition Picasso’ / ‘Madoura Plein Feu' to base Provenance

Private collection, Auckland; Private collection, South Island; Private collection, Auckland

Free from the history of ceramics, Picasso set about making sculptures in clay; often transforming classic forms, such as bottles, into mythical animals and people. For Picasso, ceramics were a return to the earth and a way to a simpler life after the war. This jug is most likely modelled after Picasso’s second wife Jacqueline Roque, who he met at the Madoura Pottery Workshop. Picasso became obsessed with Roque’s dark eyes, eyebrows, and high cheekbones. Roque became Picasso’s most depicted muse. Picasso started his ceramics career with plates and bowls, then moving to jugs and vases. He developed two main ways of working with Madoura. He would either sculpt a piece of clay and glaze it (which would become the model Madoura Pottery would create), or he would incise directly onto a clay tablet master which editions were moulded from. Picasso researched ancient Greek ceramics and realised of all the arts, painted and glazed ceramics survived time better than any other artefact. Thus, in Picasso’s mind, ceramics were to become his most enduring legacy. Picasso joked to his friends about an imagined future where archaeologists would reconstruct a civilisation and narrative based on his ceramics. -FMJ References Alain Ramié, Picasso: Catalogue of the edited ceramic works 1947-1971, published by Galerie Madoura, 1988 Christies, 2012. The Madoura Collection of Picasso Ceramics. Accessed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPbJjM9laxE Nasher Sculpture Center, 2015. A Legacy in Clay: The Ceramics of Pablo Picasso in Return to Earth. Accessed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjNAO-NDFew

1960 was a pivotal year for Pat Hanly, with the émigré artist producing what would be his first cohesive series, Fire on Earth. Painted in London, three works from the series (including Fire Above the City) were featured in a group exhibition. It was held at the pioneering Gallery One in London’s Soho, a new exhibition space for emerging artists with radical ideas and practices. Having moved to the UK in 1957, Hanly and his wife Gil were thrust into the midst of the insidious terror created by the Cold War. With titles reflecting the constant and growing threat of nuclear warfare, we can see the paintings as a personal response to the political climate, and they received great critical acclaim. Yet, despite their apocalyptic subject matter, the paintings are serene; beautiful in their lyrical rhythm and composition and uplifting in their expressionist use of colour. The Fire on Earth paintings anticipated Hanly’s commitment to an exuberant palette. Warm reds, oranges, yellows, were often juxtaposed with richly oceanic blues and greens, and he would further explore this on his return to Aotearoa just two years later. In Fire Above the City, we see the beginning of what was to come in the artist’s lifelong dedication to the development of key motifs, colours, and his unswerving political conscience. -AJ/GS

Patrick Hanly 1932-2004, Aotearoa New Zealand

Fire Above the City, 1960 oil on board 700 x 610mm / 850 x 705mm framed Signed, titled and dated verso Original Gallery One label affixed verso Provenance

Private collection, London; Private collection, Auckland Exhibited

Gallery One, London, 1960

Jacqueline Fahey, now in her nineties, stands out as one of few female career artists of her generation in New Zealand and is certainly the first to actively paint from a woman’s perspective. As a young artist her works were highly unconventional—particularly (but not exclusively) in her presentation of the little discussed reality of feelings of isolation felt by suburban mothers.

Jacqueline Fahey b. 1929, Aotearoa New Zealand

The car as the erotic machine in the domain, or sacred and profane love, 1981-82 oil and glitter on canvas 1700 x 1700mm signed, titled and dated Provenance

Collection of the artist

Despite the international fashion for abstraction that was popular in Aotearoa in the mid-20th century, Fahey has remained determined that her paintings should tell a narrative, and further, that that narrative ought to relate directly to the New Zealand people. Her stories play out in the everyday environment, in kitchens and living rooms, on familiar streets and local parks. Her paintings collide portraiture with urban and suburban landscapes to create riotously colourful compositions that revel in the chaos of the ordinary. Throughout her lengthy career, Fahey’s subject matter has varied considerably, but her methodology has not. Her works are intimate observations of social practices, constructs, and politics, grounded in close consideration of how these issues affect the daily lives of those around her. This 1982 painting The car as the erotic machine in the domain, or sacred and profane love, makes clear her commitment to tackling uncomfortable subject matter and although she is known for her no-nonsense approach, the intent of this painting isn’t immediately obvious. The title however provides a clue; it is about sacred and profane love… in a parked-up car. Around this time the artist often walked her dog in the Auckland Domain, while her daughter took music lessons nearby. Here, she saw the familiar scene of lovers in parked-up cars. For Fahey, “the car in this place was transformed into the erotic machine, pressed into the service of profane love! An illustration of the divide men invented to divide women. The whore and the angel in the house” (email to author, 2021). With the clock reading close to midnight, the magpie represents the family man, not yet home to his family having said he would be home for dinner. As a pair, the two birds are a metaphor for the pressures of an urban couple in meeting the necessities of their children. The haphazard use of perspectival space forces the viewer into the claustrophobia of the female experience. Nestled amongst the treetops is a naked male body of Adonis, the mortal lover of Aphrodite in Greek Mythology. Fahey notes that Adonis “represents beauty and love making—exciting creativity and fine art” (ibid). At his feet is a child suggesting that he too is trapped in the traditional structure of marriage but unlike his wife, he has the power to make it work. The bird he holds in his hand, acts as reminder that it is better to hold on to what he has than to risk losing it in the pursuit of something better. Yet the temptation is always there: Adonis is, perhaps, also a devil. The seducer. The spotted pink around him are Lucifer’s lust flowers representing the herpes virus, which at the time (before AIDs took hold) was understood to be the punishment for free love. Fahey is reminding us of the burden of love during this period; the conflict between the entrapment of marriage versus the dangers of loving outside of it. She invites us to question the societal structures we exist within, as men and women, within the vivid narratives of her work. Even as the painting is divided—with the canvas sliced up into unequal, skewed quarters— there is a compartmentalising, a multi-faceted approach to her narrative. Thus, the work echoes the complexity of the circumstances; Fahey is wrestling with substantial themes of how and why women and men live the lives they do, with the power of her painting guiding her viewers to question the very soil they stand upon. -AJ

Bill Hammond’s paintings often depict silent, birdlike creatures that are part human and part bird, inhabiting strangely familiar landscapes. In this painting, however, Hammond has stripped away any grounding notion of landmarks or perspectives, creating a blank slate before filling it with his figures. The figures, painted in an inky blue on a parchment-coloured ground are reminiscent of colonial watercolours. Painted with an obsessive intensity these creatures resemble something more of a fever dream, as beads of paint, like sweat, run down the surface. Figures that are part human, part bird and the occasional horse dot the canvas. Most unnerving are the human-like figures with swollen heads - they seem to be observing us as we observe them. The words Jealous Lover hang in the top corner. Are these the scrawling of an obsessed stalker? Quite possibly. Hammond was fascinated with New Zealand ornithologist Walter Buller (1838-1906) who obsessively and jealously collected birds, even in the face of extinction, sending thousands of skins back to the scientific enthusiasts of England. Buller believed that the native animals and plants would inevitably become extinct, and replaced with exotic species through colonisation, and had no qualms about his rampant collecting of bird specimen (Galbreath). Hammond has made several paintings examining Buller, and more broadly the vulnerability of life in the precarious world we live in. These ideas partly came about after Hammond visited the Auckland Islands in 1989. Setting foot on the island, Hammond was overwhelmed by a primal landscape, and most noticeably by how the bird life had not been affected by humans or other pests. Hammond imagined what Aotearoa might have been like if humans never arrived and birds had evolved to inhabit it instead; but he also tried to imagine what Buller may have been thinking, as he harvested paradise. Hammond is not searching for a pure landscape. He is aware of the problems, choices, and dilemmas we encounter in our daily lives and so he paints them. In this painting he shows us a world view. It may be one that is narrow and problematic, but in doing so, it reminds us that we all have a particular way of looking at things and we should be aware of our actions. -FMJ References Galbreath, R., ‘Buller, Walter Lawry’, Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 1990 by Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Accessed: https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1b46/buller-walter-lawry

Bill Hammond 1947-2021, Aotearoa New Zealand

Jealous Lover, 1997 Maimeri acrylic on linen 2100 x 2000mm signed, titled and dated Provenance

Private collection, Auckland

Tony Cragg’s Gate continues his exploration of human heads and faces which first appeared in his work in the early 2000s. These abstracted human forms are stacked in a seemingly moving, circular column of material (in this case bronze), with heads and faces appearing and disappearing at will. Cragg has stated, “The non-utilitarian use of material is important. Utility means limitation in the forms produced. Expedient industrial production systems produce simple geometries – a world of boring and repetitive forms. Sculpture is the opposite of that.” (Kellaway, 2017) This work epitomises his statement. This is a work of pure sculpture. Cragg takes the human head, a fairly standardised form, and through techniques of overlapping, twisting, stretching, and pulling, he transforms it into a biomorphic, surrealist, sculptural column. This transformation is so complete that the bronze metal appears to be in a state of constant movement and fluidity; a totally new form is created.

Tony Cragg b. 1949, United Kingdom/Germany

Gate, 2017 bronze 1200 x 1150 x 950mm signature inscribed near base

Tony Cragg was born in Liverpool in 1949 and has lived in Wuppertal since 1977. He began his studies at the Gloucestershire College of Art and Design, then attended the painting class at the Wimbledon School of Art, before changing to the Royal College of Art in London in 1973. Since the 1980s his work has been represented at many important international exhibitions, including documenta 7 and documenta 8 in Kassel (1982 and 1987), the São Paulo Biennial (1983) and the Venice Biennale (1993 and 1997). In 1988 he was awarded the Turner Prize, and in 1992 he was made a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. From 1979 he taught at the Düsseldorf Academy of Art, where he became professor in 1988, and in 2001 he was appointed Professor of Sculpture at the Berlin Academy of Arts. Since 1994 he has been a member of the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and since 2002 a member of the Academy of Arts, Berlin; that same year he was elevated to the status of Commander of the British Empire (CBE). In 2007, Tony Cragg received what is arguably the most prestigious art prize in the world, the Praemium Imperiale. Gow Langsford Gallery has represented Tony Cragg in New Zealand and Australia since 2007. -GL

Provenance

Collection of the artist

References Kellaway, K., 2017, ‘Interview: Tony Cragg’, The Guardian, 5 March 2017. Accessed: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/mar/05/ tony-cragg-sculpture-interview-rare-category-objects

German artist Katharina Grosse is one of the most dynamic and exciting artists of her generation. Her immersive techniques and unbridled application of colour interact with the two-dimensional and three-dimensional plains. She utilises a multitude of mediums—paper, canvas, aluminium, and fabric—with large scale installations in public spaces, galleries, and institutions, where she brings in her signature spray gun to envelop exterior and interior spaces in swathes of colour. Recently announced as an artist in the Gagosian stable, she is widely acknowledged as one of today’s most successful contemporary female artists. Grosse continually questions the notion of painting itself and explores ways in which it can be interacted with beyond the confines of a simple wall. Whilst large scale installations are the hallmark of her practice, Grosse also works on a domestic scale, as with these works on paper from 2002. Grosse has shared her time between Europe and New Zealand since the mid-2000s and this body of work was painted in Auckland. Her mother Barbara Grosse was a well-known print maker, and it is clear to see the influence of this in works of this period. The gestural linework emerged in the mid-to-late-90s and utilises layers of intersecting, sweeping, painted lines. The effect creates an optical illusion on the surface where the lines of varying colours converge on each other. In a recent interview with Studio International, Grosse says “There are certain parameters, which are set before I start working, and the colour palette is one of those. I never mix my colours; mixing is achieved only through layering.” -CT

Katharina Grosse b. 1961, Germany

Untitled, 2002 acrylic on paper 1016 x 660mm / 1220 x 870mm framed Provenance

Private collection, Auckland

10.

Katharina Grosse b. 1961, Germany

Untitled, 2002 acrylic on paper 1016 x 665mm / 1220 x 870mm framed Provenance

Private collection, Auckland

Ralph Hotere was an artist determined that his work should speak for itself. In his lifetime he made little comment on the meaning of his work and was often frustrated when others made assumptions about his work for press releases or publications. As Vincent O’Sullivan noted in his recent biography on the artist, “… what bothered him is that explaining a work so woodenly moved it from the artist’s living conception to the critics confining domain. An image showed what was intended to show, neither more nor less. Start talking about it, and something else is taking place, one medium usurping another.” (O’Sullivan, 2020, p.317) We can be thankful that Hotere’s legacy offers us a lot to look at after six decades of productivity. He is now widely acknowledged as one of the most significant artists of his generation and is particularly celebrated for his dexterity across a variety of media, with a nuanced treatment of materiality. Hotere’s lack of spoken word about his creations is filled up by the evocative and powerful works themselves. It also means that, today, there is room for unfettered interpretation and intuitive viewing of his works—perhaps this is his greatest legacy of all. -IC Reference O'Sullivan, V., 2020. The Dark is Light Enough. New Zealand: Penguin.

11.

Ralph Hotere 1931-2013, Aotearoa New Zealand (Te Aupōuri and Te Rarawa)

Port Chalmers Painting No. 10, 1972 acrylic on canvas 1220 x 1220mm signed, titled and dated verso Provenance

Private collection, Auckland; Paris Family collection, Wellington Exhibited

Ralph Hotere: Ātete, Te Puna o Waiwhetū, Christchurch Art Gallery, 2021; Janne Land Gallery, Wellington, 1982

12.

Black Rainbow, 1988 acrylic, stainless steel & wood 1620 x 1060mm signed, titled and dated

Provenance

Private collection, Auckland Exhibited

Ralph Hotere: Ātete, Te Puna o Waiwhetū, Christchurch Art Gallery, 2021 28

Bernar Venet’s work has always been concerned with mathematics, both practically and philosophically. He uses mathematics to explore indeterminacy, predictability, and the infinite through materiality. Accordingly, mathematical terms and forms feature throughout his oeuvre. There are many drawings and paintings dated around 1976, with titles such as Angles Drawings (graphite on paper), and Two Angles of 90 degrees (acrylic on canvas). It wasn’t until later in 1979 that his Angles sculptures appeared, the earliest of which were made from wood, before Venet began constructing these in his preferred material of steel. In the 80s and 90s Venet began to focus on his Angles, Arcs and Indeterminate Lines series in steel for which he is now globally recognised. In 1986 he created one of his largest Angles works to date; 19.5 degree Angle, was installed on a building in Austin Texas as one of several large painted angle sculptures from this period. 8 Acute Uneven Angles, featured here, dates from 2015. It was around this time that Venet seemed to put aside the Arc works that had dominated his practice for a decade or more and focussed on these free-standing Angle pieces. Just prior to this there had been a number of Angle works that either lent against a wall or were arranged seemingly haphazardly on the floor. These free-standing Angle works are not just powerful, solid, minimalist sculptures but have references as diverse as New York skyscrapers and European futurist art. Having turned eighty years of age in April, Venet is busier than ever. With five exhibitions around the globe this year alone, and numerous large-scale commissions in progress, he also maintains his magnificent sculpture park in the south of France. -GL

13.

Bernar Venet b. 1941, France

8 Acute Uneven Angles, 2015 corten steel 3600 x 1200 x 500mm title inscribed near base Provenance

Collection of the artist

14.

John Pule b. 1962, Niue/Aotearoa New Zealand

Above Ground Underground, 2012 enamels, oil, oil stick, ink, varnish, polyurethane on canvas 2000 x 2000mm signed, titled and dated

Provenance

Exhibited

Collection of the artist

The Blue Plateau of Polynesian Memory, Gow Langsford Gallery, 2012

When the soul has been wounded and the sun is keen to surface in the dark there is one place I go to that place that fills the earth’s land with moisture and water, that changes the coast in a dream, that place the ancients call mother of mothers, the ocean there along the sand soft as illusions, sparkles with stars, the white shells sculptured by mouth of myth and minerals, and touches deep whirls of death while fish fly towards the breaks, and foam collects sadness or if the horizon perpetuates eternity and a wave sample marine change, then I baptise myself, sing to myself, sing to the ocean, and the cold faith dive into time memorial, safe as blood, knotted to the glowing extreme, and ecstasy, in a state of sleep, so nothing solid drifts too far for queries is the soul’s intention when I emerge from myself to learn the language allegorised by twenty - eight years of dreaming, senses take on the appearance of trees to wind up their song among the birds for the leaves sing a tune mislead by ships, or whales mating, moving depth to drift to caves, and watch fossils lost in the legs of gannets feeding their chicks gannets strike a musical chord for traces of religious visions, to cover wounds that go away briefly to pray darkness or grieve, but return like waves to eat at united entities, so I stand in the ocean, recite my whakapapa, first to the north where I tasted timala and dirt to the west, the east and the south I mix my tears with the salt and waves, drink a cup so the veins are fattened with life when life flees from the body we must sing it back rituals and internal prayers for the sun’s acute dedication to the flower petals we become humble and embrace, we lose the knowledge I kneel in the surf and trust the ocean to take me but not take me, to show her wrath by playing, and then seal the light that escapes from the wound that lovers call lips I walk out and the rocks remain quiet as a moon pohutukawa and puriri dance in the noonday sun pukeko chase my shadow into the mountains as the clouds that follow the time of never returning goodbye -John Pule, Ocean Song to Myself, 1990, published in The Shark That Ate The Sun, Penguin Books, 1992

In May 2011 John Pule was one of nine artists chosen to board the HMNZS Otago to travel to an area rarely visited by anyone, let alone contemporary artists. The international PEW foundation, alongside the New Zealand Government, organised this trip to explore the islands and surrounding seas of the Kermadec Island group. This group of artists (nick-named the ‘Sea Riders’) experienced a life changing trip. I recall that when John came back from this trip; he was so animated by what he had seen and the experiences he had had that he simply beat a path to his studio to capture the images from within. To do this John had to find a new visual language. He wanted to capture the fluid nature of the waters, the swaying sea vegetation as seen from snorkelling amongst it and the tropical rain forests of the lands. He chose to start pouring enamel paints directly on to the stretched canvas, letting how the paint ran dictate, to a degree, the composition. This gave the paint surface a tactile sense of movement, showing a fluidness of this ‘wonderland’. Throughout John’s career he has had ‘lightbulb’ moments, when he sees a painting in his head and has to paint it. From his reinterpretation of the traditional Niuean Hiapo at the very beginning of his painting career, he shifted to the red cloud paintings, then to a series which came to him in a dream, and finally to these new poured enamel works; Pule has never been afraid to shift stylistically to capture the image he has in his mind’s eye. There are other series which cross over the boundaries as he works through these transitions, but John is always bold in the way he makes major shifts stylistically. Above Ground Underground is the signifier of this period of Pule’s works. It shows a clear change of direction and challenges the viewer to follow this shift. The poured paint provides a structure for John to add his drawing elements to. The ‘leaves’ drawn in oil stick and ink provide both a detail and a rhythm to the composition. This rhythm is something that occurs in John’s work, painting and poetry. There is a cadence which the eye or the mind enjoys discovering. John was born in Niue, an island which relates to the Kermadec group. He has continued painting with poured enamels, exploring the visual nature of his spiritual home, his connection to the land the sea and his ancestors. Over the last decade of working in this style we have watched his handling of this ‘new’ way of painting develop and change. His 2021 exhibition at Gow Langsford Gallery titled Still Not Close Enough was a masterful display of using the poured enamel medium. -JG

You might be familiar with the term mind over matter. This concept dates back to the days of philosopher Plato. Mind over matter is a dualism favouring the idea over the material. It is a concept that has ruled for most of art history; sculptors remove earthly associations of stone to reveal the form inside, and painters manipulate paint so we are unaware that we are looking at a surface of brushstrokes and pigment, but instead the illusion of a receding window into another world. The idea was to show our mastery over substance. Modernism on the other hand was concerned with the phenomenal experience of the body by making the art rush out towards the viewer. Paintings employed the materiality of paint to convey the emotion of the painter, and sculptures mingled in the viewer’s space without plinths. Modernism conflated the dualism into one, mind and matter. When I look at Judy Millar’s painting practice, I find myself confronted by exactly this–mind and matter–each applied to the surface of the canvas as markedly as the other. Standing in front of her painting I see the residue of her actions. Sometimes calm, sometimes violent, her gestures create worlds and then destroy them right in front of us. Her movements are in a deep partnership with the material, recording emotional states and mood on a surface. Standing in front of this work I become lost in the space she creates, with the gestures swirling around in front of me. I am attracted to the immediateness of the surface, which morph into patterns as deep as the cosmos. In front of me is something absolute, yet universal. Empty and full. I like to think the painting has not stopped moving, as though the residue of Millar’s latent energy is still slowly shifting the paint. This particular work has a gentleness to it. In the background wide strokes glide through the warm glow, while a frenetic network grows towards the surface. There is a knowing logic to the flowing strokes on the canvas. It is as though Millar can paint into the void behind the canvas, and into the air in front of it. I find myself captured by the sense of space and light as I let myself become enveloped by the composition. Perhaps I am drawn to the negative space as much as the positive space in this image. In this time of lockdowns and limited movement, I find myself being able to inhabit the space created in the image—it gives me solace. Her gestural marks remind me of the importance of touch and the movement of bodies, and at the same time, the importance of art in stimulating the eye and the mind, creating an alternative space in which to dwell. -FMJ

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Judy Millar b. 1957, Aotearoa New Zealand

Untitled, 2021 oil and acrylic on canvas 1800 x 1250mm signed and dated verso Provenance

Collection of the artist

Anish Kapoor has a conceptual practice based around intensities and perception. He often uses materials that play with light and perspective manipulating the way we see things. He is also known for his installations of highly reflective sculptures that create a third ambiguous space by distorting the physical space in the room. Kapoor’s practice hinges on the concept of dualities: material/ space, open/closed, perception/imperception, chaos/order, light/dark. For every shiny object he makes, there is an equally dark and intense one. In contrast to his sculptures that reflect light and distort space, he makes works that seem to draw light in and compress it. “The mission of the artist,” says Kapoor, “is to make something that isn’t knowable, that bears long looking, … a deep space full of darkness.” Breathing Blue, is this deep space. It is a clever work that draws you into the surface. Kapoor carefully applies pigment that starts off as individual specks around the edge of the page and gradually intensifies as you reach the centre where the intensity of the blue can be perceived as a hole. It is the artist’s intention to draw you into this ambiguous space, not to trick you, but to allow yourself to be transported into a different way of thinking and perceiving the environment around you. When I see Breathing Blue, I think about the practice of breathing in yoga where you are encouraged to exhale more breath than you inhaled, and become conscious of your breathing, of your body, of your surrounds. Breathing Blue comes from a series of highly pigmented works that appear to consume light, manipulating the viewer into a specific relationship with space and time. Most recently Kapoor has developed his pigmented works to their ultimate conclusion, working with tech company Surrey NanoSystems who have developed the ‘blackest black’ in existence. Made from nanotubes, the material known as ‘Kapoor Black’ traps 99.96% of all light, which is so light-absorbing that viewers can’t tell if they’re looking at a surface or a void. Kapoor is a London based artist and represented Britain at the 1990 Venice Biennale. In 2002 he was the recipient of The Turner Prize. In 2009 Kapoor installed Dismemberment, Site 1 at Gibbs Farm, North Auckland. -FMJ References Roux, C., 2020, ‘5 Major Works from Anish Kapoor’s Groundbreaking Career’, Galerie Magazine, 15 July 2020. Accessed: https://www.galeriemagazine.com/5-major-works-from-anish-kapoor/

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Anish Kapoor b. 1954, India/United Kingdom

Breathing Blue 3, 2017 edition 29 of 39 etching on paper 724 x 960mm / 875 x 1100mm framed signed and numbered verso Provenance

Private collection, Auckland

Saint Veronica, a figure out of Roman Catholic mythology, recurs several times in McCahon’s painting over a period of thirty years. Veronica was a woman of Jerusalem who offered to wipe Jesus’ face with her veil as he carried his cross towards Golgotha and crucifixion, whereupon his image was miraculously imprinted on her ‘handerkerchief ’ (as McCahon calls it). In medieval times this event was incorporated into the Stations of the Cross as the sixth Station (of 14): ‘Veronica wipes the face of Jesus’. The image of Veronica holding the imprinted cloth has been depicted frequently in Christian art, for instance by Hans Memling, Roger van der Weyden, El Greco and Zurbaran. McCahon only once depicted the scene figuratively, in Saint Veronica (1949, Auckland Art Gallery), but her name appears in the title of five later paintings between 1966 and 1979, usually within the context of the Stations of the Cross, a motif which McCahon utilised repeatedly during this period.

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Colin McCahon 1919-1987, Aotearoa New Zealand

A handkerchief for St Veronica, 1973 synthetic polymer paint on unstretched canvas 1775 x 1795mm Signed, titled, dated and inscribed ‘KAIPARA FLAT - LOOKING WEST’ Provenance

Private collection, Auckland; Barry Lett Gallery; Claude Megson Gallery

After this early figurative effort McCahon later alluded to the Stations of the Cross either symbolically through landscape or through the numerals 1-14 which obliquely signify the Stations in McCahon’s work. In A handkerchief for St Veronica the Stations are implied by the title and by the sequence of rectangular boxes which reach from side to side of the large unstretched canvas. A sense of sequential movement is implied as if the boxes, resembling frames on a strip of film, extended both before and after those visible. This reading is supported by the words ON THE WAY written vertically alongside the left hand box. Arguably, each box is a ‘station’, beginning with number three and ending with number six – the blazing white rectangle representing Veronica’s handerkerchief yet to be imprinted with the visage of Jesus. This reading is supported by a number of related works which share similar imagery. Several drawings dated 1973 employ the same device of four rectangular boxes in a strip across the picture plane, sometimes numbered 1 to 4, while the title is given as Work towards the first stations of the cross. In A piece of Muriwai Canvas: I am walking north (dated May 1973), the same four boxes are associated with a walk along Muriwai Beach, where McCahon had a studio. An inscription on A handkerchief for St Veronica reads ‘Kaipara Flat – Looking West’, the reference being to a rural district near Muriwai Beach. The view in the painting is out to the Tasman Sea, the shoreline visible only in the scumbled brown detritus in a strip across the bottom of the painting. Above the band of ‘stations’ a few faint stars pierce the velvety blackness of the moonless night sky. This sublime painting is one of the masterpieces from this phase of McCahon’s career. -Peter Simpson First published in McCahon, Gow Langsford Gallery Art Basel Hong Kong exhibition catalogue, 2018

New Zealand born Frances Hodgkins (1869-1947) was a 20th century artist of significant international repute. As an expatriate to the United Kingdom, she went on to become recognised during her lifetime as one of Britain’s major modernist painters. Throughout her career, Hodgkins had an ongoing love affair with both the countryside and domesticity. A Country Window (c.1929) is an exemplary and delightful interpretation of these two subjects, painted when she lived in a cottage in Haywards Heath in the late 1920s. This period was a significant turning point for Hodgkins’ career as she began to garner public attention and recognition within Britain. She was chosen as a member of the Seven & Five Society, exhibiting alongside British heavyweight avant-garde artists such as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth (Hammond and Kisler, 2019, p.2). Significantly, A Country Window was painted shortly before she signed her first contract with a dealer gallery, St George’s Gallery in Hanover Square, London. Her opening solo exhibition at the gallery was met with great critical acclaim, including a review from The Times calling her ‘one of our most original artists’ (Gooderham & Wolfe).

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The influence of the impressionism art movement is apparent in this work, as the painting expresses Hodgkin’s personal perception of the scene, rather than a precisely realistic depiction. It is a semi-abstract painting, as the artist has imbued her impasto oil paint technique with a playful and lively quality–her brushstrokes dance across the canvas in different directions, clearly visible to the naked eye. This movement breathes life into the stillness of these inanimate objects; a pot quivers, ready to be poured, flowers unfurl their petals, a breeze comes through the window. It also enlivens the painting by evoking a feeling of how it may have felt to be there in person, as Hodgkins has created a comforting and picturesque atmosphere within the work. The paint colours that Hodgkins has used also creates this sense of the peaceful and pleasant countryside, with blue skies, bright fresh flowers, and earthy tones throughout.

John Aldridge Esq, Essex, England, purchased from St George's Gallery, London, England, circa 1930; Purchased by Dunbar Sloane, Wellington, New Zealand at Sotheby's, London, England, auction May 1987, lot no. 166; Brierley Collection, purchased from Dunbar Sloane, Wellington, New Zealand; Stevenson Collection, purchased from Dunbar Sloane, Wellington, New Zealand, 2002

Compositionally this painting is predominantly a still life, however the top third of the canvas features a landscape, with the view out of the window to the countryside beyond. This structure “was innovative in English art at the time” (Hammond & Kisler, 2019, p.119). The window is a motif that has been used throughout art history, often seen as a portal to a different world. We can see the juxtaposition of two worlds within this work. The curated still life of the interior, domesticated scene takes up most of the canvas, yet with a dominant perspective shift slicing through the work we are transported to an entirely new environment of the outdoors. Hodgkins creates a distorted perspective of the foreground and background, with two starkly different depths of field used, rather than the gradual shift of depth that we often see in real life. Thus, the creation of two worlds is apparent within the one painting. Still life subject matter held great importance for Hodgkins throughout her career. Continuing into the 1930s she integrated her own self-portrait still life compositions, and she stayed inspired by the genre into her very last works before her death in the late 1940s. Whilst becoming a notable artist during her lifetime in Britain, she became more recognised and famous in New Zealand after her death. -IC

Frances Hodgkins 1869-1947, Aotearoa New Zealand

A Country Window, c.1929 oil on canvas 610 x 734mm / 935 x 1065mm framed signed Provenance

Exhibited

Ethel Walker, Frances Hodgkins, Gwen John: A Memorial Exhibition, 1952, Tate Gallery, London, UK; Frances Hodgkins, 1869-1947, 1990, Whitford and Hughes, London, UK; Frances Hodgkins: European Journeys, 2019, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Auckland, NZ Text references Hammond, C, & Kisler, M (eds) 2019, Frances Hodgkins: European Journeys, Auckland University Press, Chicago; Gooderham, J., & Wolfe, R., (Alty, G, ed). ‘Biography’, Frances Mary Hodgkins, Accessed: https://www.franceshodgkins.com/biography

“the message of my painting is not aesthetics at all… it’s the straightforward problem of communication” (Rumsby, 1980) Tony Fomison’s Malaria Victim, New Guinea #20 is multi-faceted in its communication; it approaches a troubling and under-represented subject matter with the reverence and respect of a masterpiece. This is powerful communication; art that is affecting. It pushes the viewer to feel different emotions simultaneously – whether sympathy, distress, or awe.

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Tony Fomison 1939-1990, Aotearoa New Zealand

Malaria Victim, New Guinea #20, 1970 oil on canvas 870 x 605mm / 1435 x 1090mm framed signed, titled and dated verso Provenance

Private collection, Auckland; Private collection, Christchurch; Collection of the artist’s Wellington dealer, Elva Bett Exhibited

Tony Fomison, Bett Duncan Studio Gallery, Wellington, 1973; Fomison: A Survey of his Painting and Drawing from 1961 to 1979, Dowse Art Gallery, Lower Hutt, 1979, Cat. No. 7 Text references Horton, M. ‘Something Nasty in the Woodshed’, Canta, no.3, 22 March 1974, pp. 8-12; Rumbsby, M. 1980. ‘Interview with Tony Fomison’. Courtesy of Alexander Turnbull Library, accessed: https://christchurchartgallery.org.nz/ multimedia/audiotour/martin-rumsbyinterviews-tony-fomison

Malaria Victim New Guinea #20 was painted in 1970 during a time of darkness in Fomison’s life, as he struggled with drug addiction in Christchurch after returning from Europe. This difficulty is reflected in his painting from the period, both in subject matter and in form. Fomison focused intently on the outcasts of society, those challenged with their own mental and physical illness. Painting subjects that were ravaged with disease or physical deformity, he directed his attention to those whose lives were inherently imbued with tragedy. In doing so, Fomison’s work not only communicated his own inner turmoil, but highlighted the struggles of wider humanity for his audience. Regarding the paintings from this era, Fomison has stated, “I’m trying to use these forms as metaphors. I’m saying that society makes the inside of people like the outside of someone whose face is covered with hair and boils or whatever.” (Horton, 1974) Malaria Victim examines a woman from Papua New Guinea, plagued by disease and was based on a photograph of the victim found in a magazine or newspaper (along with its sister painting of the same name, held in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa collection). During this period Fomison was often drawn to photographs from contemporary publications, where he found inspiration for his subject matter. Yet it is how Fomison treated his subject matter that is key to his significance as an artist. Malaria Victim is a work that challenges the viewer to withdraw in discomfort, away from the subject matter, and yet also to keep looking in admiration of its artistry. Fomison's paintbrush, working to contour the grotesque bodily form, is remarkably careful with its almost imperceptible brushstrokes. The tonal chiaroscuro palette evokes Renaissance paintings that he would have encountered during his travels in Europe. Chiaroscuro is a technique of starkly contrasting light and dark tones that create tension within a painting. Yet, in Malaria Victim, he brings this stylistic reverence to entirely different subject matter than that typical of the Old Masters. From afar it appears almost black and white, yet there are varying tones being skilfully used to create this dramatic play with light – muddy browns, slate greys, muted creams, and faint yellows. These pared-back colours place more emphasis on the form of the body, in all its drooping, skewed perception. The influence of Fomison’s early training as a sculptor (with his degree from University of Canterbury between 1957-1960), is felt in how he paints the form of the body with a sculptural depth to it; the concave cheekbones and wrinkles are seemingly carved out of the face. The exaggeration of the head in relation to the body emphasises the wasted, malnourished state; the sagging breasts are unable to conceal the bones beneath, as they rest on the protruding belly of malnutrition. The viewer can feel the pain and suffering of the subject through Fomison’s distorted lens, and for a moment we may have a glimpse into understanding her bleak world through his creative hand. Tony Fomison is considered one of New Zealand’s most important painters from the 20th century. He carved out a niche oeuvre within the increasingly competitive New Zealand art scene. His works are highly recognisable, and still vitally influential in how they communicate to a contemporary audience. The emotion of humanity transcends cultures, eras, locations, and so does Fomison’s legacy of singular artistic vision. - IC

Thinker at Rock Cross (1997) is an eloquent example of Barry Flanagan’s work. Infamous for his use of the hare in the latter part of his career, it became a motif through which he challenged conventional notions of heroic sculpture through wit, humour, subject matter, and scale. Flanagan’s concerns were deeply rooted in the theory of Pataphysics, a conceptual principle which prompted the Dadiast and Surrealist movements – a fascination he shared with Picasso. Defined by its creator Alfred Jarry as “the science of imaginary solutions,” its ideology parodied the theory and methods of modern science and is characterised by the illogical and nonsensical. The ethos of this theory is clear in the playfulness of Flanagan’s approach to the bronze hare, allowing the small to become large, the heavy to appear light and the incongruous to become the norm. In these monumental bronzes, anthropomorphic hares engage in a variety of playful and spirited activities; they bound, balance, dance, play music and in this case, contemplate. Sitting larger than life, posed with chin on paw, this work can be read as an irreverent and witty response to Rodin’s The Thinker (1880), an iconic work that has become a universal symbol of philosophical reflection. Thinker on Rock Cross exemplifies Flanagan’s mastery in the subtle art of the contrary. Barry Flanagan (1941–2009) was one of Britain’s pre-eminent sculptors, a member of the Royal Academy of Art and Order of the British Empire. His work is held in numerous major collections including The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco, the Tate Gallery, and Victoria and Albert Museum in London, The Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, and the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nantes, France. -PP

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Barry Flanagan 1941-2009, United Kingdom

Thinker at Rock Cross, 1997 cast 1 from an edition of 8 bronze 1550 x 1400 x 1200mm signature and edition number inscribed on base Provenance

Private collection, Auckland; Waddington Gallery, London Exhibited

Between A Rock and A Hard Place: The Stone in Art, Kenny Schachter Rove, London, 2006; Heavyweights: Sculpture from the UK, Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland, 2007

Barry Flanagan, Heavyweights: Sculpture from the UK, Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland, 2007 Background

Tony Cragg, Form Code, 2006, bronze, 1300 x 1000 x 1000mm 48

“I find that the hare is a rich and expressive form that can carry the conventions of the cartoon and the attributes of the human into the animal world. So I use the hare as a vehicle to entertain. I abstract from the human figure, choosing the hare to behave as a human occasionally.” Enrique Juncosa, Barry Flanagan Sculpture 1965-2005, Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, 2006, p.65

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Allen Maddox 1946-2000, Aotearoa New Zealand

Untitled, c.1978 oil on canvas 900 x 1350mm / 940 x 1395mm framed Provenance

Private collection, Auckland

This Untitled painting by Allen Maddox shows him at his most restrained and formal. The work dates from around 1978 and is similar in structure to a small number of works from this time. Gone are the ‘boxes’ that contain the cross, although they are still implicitly implied, as are the frantic and wild expressionistic gestures that characterise so much of Maddox’s painting. Here we have an almost mathematically formal abstraction that employs a range of beautiful colours from both sides of the spectrum. However, the composition is far from formulaic, as the ‘X’s vary in both size and colour, creating a dance-like pattern across the surface of the canvas. Maddox often painted to music and his musical tastes were extremely eclectic: from Brahms to Jimi Hendrix and everything in between. One must assume this work was painted while listening to something nice and mellow! -GL

For a period in the 1970s, Max Gimblett’s focus was on geometric abstraction. Perhaps surprisingly, he approached this style using tantric meditative techniques, calling on movement, the breath and sounds to assist the Chakra energy system to release energy and open the body. It was a method that would develop and become an essential part of his practice. This earlier group of large paintings was exhibited in his second exhibition at Cunningham Ward Gallery on Prince Street in New York. Gimblett remembers that they were well received. Although there are few paintings from this series, there are many supporting works on paper. These compositions were more restrained than the later “all mind no mind” gestural abstractions for which he is best known. 2020 marked the beginning of a productive period for the artist. In his mid-eighties and amidst the global pandemic, Gimblett and his wife, Barbara, didn’t leave their New York loft for over 14 months. He is still cautious, and they remain close to home. As for many, it has been a time of deep reflection. He feels the pandemic is the singular most significant cultural event since the bombing of Pearl Harbour that happened when he was a seven-year-old. Both events were affecting and cause for great contemplation for the artist. In 1983 Gimblett discovered the shape that would define his career. He recalls that the quatrefoil came to him in a dream and said, “paint me and I’ll heal you.” No one else was working with it and although it is now synonymous with his name, the artist has always worked in parallel with other forms alongside—most frequently large-format squares, rectangles, and tondos. In 2020 we see for the first time the hexafoil and barbed quatrefoil formats; Carnival is one of the first from this series of new shapes. Max Gimblett’s age has not slowed him down. A surge in creativity is evident with an array of new colours, densely worked and layered paintings, and a looseness to the works that befit an artist who is creating with unflagging vigour. -AJ

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Max Gimblett b. 1935, Aotearoa New Zealand/ United States of America

Polarity, 1979 acrylic and gesso on canvas 1780 x 1780mm signed, titled and dated verso Provenance

Private collection, Auckland; Private collection, Stockholm, Sweden

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Max Gimblett b. 1935, Aotearoa New Zealand/ United States of America

Carnival, 2020 acrylic, resin, water-based size and sunbreak leaf on canvas 1016 x 1016 x 60mm Signed, dated and titled verso Provenance

Collection of the artist

Few New Zealand sculptors have worked in bronze with the same vision and energy as Paul Dibble. While consistent with the medium, his subjects are diverse. Since the mid-eighties Dibble has used images of the history of Aotearoa and the Pacific, the human figure, and objects from everyday life to form the subjects of his work and has recreated works in series that he often revisits. The human form is a hallmark subject of his practice and one that he has explored from many perspectives. As the title of this 2003 work suggests, here the artist considers European traditions of the figure, in a local context. Michelangelo is an iconic name of Italian Renaissance art, and his early 16th century sculptures for the Tomb of Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici and Tomb of Giuliano di Lorenzo de’ Medici are highly famed works held in the Medici Chapels, Florence. These sculptures feature figurative allegories of time: from Dawn to Night. Figures are portrayed in a reclining position, but in varying states of awareness; from sleep, to gentle awakening, fully awake, and drifting to sleep again. Carved from marble, these works are densely three-dimensional, with romanticised yet humanistic detailing of muscles and flesh. Inspired by these monuments, Dibble created two figurative sculptures, one of Dawn and one of Dusk. In contrast to the reclining figures of Michelangelo, Dibble’s figures are shown seated upright upon large monolithic cubes as a continuation of his Seated Figure series. This series began in the mid-1990s, and here he continues the series into the new century. These figures sit in a contemplative manner upon their monoliths, observing the passing of time around them. At over two metres, they are certainly monumental beings, and this adds to their calm stoicism. Dibble’s Haeata/Dawn, Porehu/Dusk, After Michelangelo’s Tomb for the Medici shows the figures looking back over their shoulders, with apt use of negative space highlighting the core of the human form, the spine. It appears erect, anchoring them in space. There is minimal definition within these bodies—no details of flesh or bone—which creates a transcendence, as though these are beings from another world and have been transplanted onto the earth. The bronze seems almost fluid, as the outline of the figures appears to be smooth and continuing with no end. This is emphasised by their flattened, semi-relief form of almost two-dimensionality, as there is no excess volume to encroach on this pure outline. An exception to the smooth bronze finish is two carvings on each figure; their names are written using the font from the first Māori bible in te reo on their shoulders, Haeata and Porehu respectively. They also feature subtle and small korus, carved into their buttocks or feet. The koru is a key symbol in traditional Māori art, carving and tattooing. It represents strength, peace, growth, new life, and reinforces the work’s themes of New Zealand identity. Paul Dibble’s work is held in collections around New Zealand and internationally. Notably, he was chosen as the New Zealand artist to create a commission for The New Zealand Hyde Park Corner Memorial in London. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, as well as an Honorary Doctorate from Massey University. Gow Langsford has represented him since 1990. -IC/AJ 56

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Paul Dibble b. 1943, Aotearoa New Zealand

Haeta/Dawn, Porehu/Dusk, After Michelangelo’s Tomb for the Medici, 2002 cast bronze edition 3 of 3 2500 x 1420 x 640mm (Heata/Dawn); 2500 x 1370 x 640mm (Porehu/Dusk) signature inscribed Provenance

Private collection, Waikato; Purchased from Gow Langsford Gallery 2010 Exhibited

Sculpture in the Gardens, Auckland Botanic Gardens, Auckland, 2007; Spring Catalogue, Gow Langsford and John Leech Galleries, Auckland, 2008

A household name in New Zealand, Dick Frizzell is synonymous with pop culture; his familiar ‘Four Square Man’ and infamous ‘Mickey to Tiki’ are instantly recognisable, and have become cultural icons within themselves. Frizzell developed his distinctive style early in his career and he unusually encompasses many genres and painting styles within his practice, whether comic-style illustration, figurative still life, naïve landscapes, or playful adaptions of the New Zealand way of life; he instils fun and bouts of nostalgia, always reminding us not take life too seriously and to revel in the little things. Frizzell’s landscape paintings elucidate his remarkable skill as a painter. They commonly depict the everyday; familiar and comforting scenes that you may encounter on a drive through rural New Zealand. Each landscape tells a story, and Misty Valley, Paparoa is no exception. Celebrated New Zealand poet Sam Hunt is a close friend of Frizzell’s, having collaborated on several projects over the years. A recent trip to Northland to visit him was the catalyst for this painting. Frizzell notes: “A couple of years ago we drove up to North Kaipara to spend time with our old mate, Sam Hunt. The tradition is that we pick up Sam, after a bit of an ‘audience’ we then drive him back to the Thirsty Tui in Paparoa for dinner.

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Dick Frizzell b. 1943, Aotearoa New Zealand

Misty Valley, Paparoa, 2021 oil on linen 1700 x 2700mm signed, titled and dated Provenance

Collection of the artist

Because of the ‘limitations’ of Sam’s guest wing we usually book into the pub for the night as well. This is a highly original experience because no one lives in the pub. No one. So, you’re totally on your own in there and in the morning, you let yourself out, snibbing the door behind you. We’re up there in mid-winter… still dark and we were looking for breakfast. And that's how we found ourselves up and around Paparoa so early in the morning. Early enough to catch that morning mist! ‘Twas one of those magic moments that I drive many miles for, but very seldom that early in the morning!” (email to author, 2021) Without knowing the story of the painting, it is still one that is easy to imagine. Misty Valley, Paparoa invites the viewer into that moment; the vista of the rolling hills covered in mist, the morning light just peeking through the trees and casting long shadows across dewy grass, the fresh chill of the early morning air wisping through the bushes. Frizzell captures these feelings. The large format of Misty Valley, Paparoa encompasses the sublime feeling of the landscape and acts as a window into a specific part of the country, harking back to the traditions of old European landscape paintings from the 18th and 19th century, but with a truly Kiwi approach. -CT

Seeing this painting I can’t help but think of long, hot Taranaki summers with tractors milling about near pebbly riverbanks and the sound of crickets and skylarks hanging in the air. I imagine melting back into the long grass at the edge of the paddock, becoming submerged and sheltered within it, staring up into the sky. I like how clouds are omnipresent. How they are universal but mostly invisible from our lack of noticing them. Smither, on the other hand, seems to be tuned into the small and interesting things of daily life. He is the master of depicting the beauty of the ordinary that surrounds us. I think of Smither’s practice as snapshots of his life that are both personal and universal. Smither attended Elam School of Fine Arts at The University of Auckland in 1959-1960, at a period where the New Zealand art scene was searching for a local vernacular language. Artists from this period searched the landscape for the raw and animistic qualities contained within, rather than how it appeared to the eye. However, Smither seems to have sidestepped much of this New Zealand angst by finding his own comfortable position, preferring to work in a neorealism style with a touch of the surreal. Curator Gill Docking notes that early on Smither took inspiration from how Pierre Bonnard glorified small intimate moments of domestic life and how the naïve realist paintings of Stanley Spencer further influenced Smither’s domestic vision. In Angel With A Dark Heart (1989) Smither takes something of unknowable scale, and has neatly popped it into a frame. You can feel the cloud submit to his paintbrush as it tries to stretch wide across the surface of the painting. At once the cloud is contained, yet still has the perspective and stretch of an expansive entity in the sky. Smither has perfectly captured the menacing nature of a brooding cloud disrupting the bliss of a clear day, yet the deep ultramarine blue sky sings with hope. -FMJ

26.

Michael Smither b. 1939, Aotearoa New Zealand

Angel with a dark heart, 1989 oil on board 925 x 740mm / 1145 x 960mm framed Signed, titled and dated Provenance

Private collection, Auckland; Private collection, Wellington; Purchased from John Leech Gallery

About Gow Langsford Gallery

Gow Langsford is a commercial art gallery committed to fostering and promoting the best contemporary art from New Zealand and abroad. We represent a number of established and emerging artists, as well as offering key works from the secondary market. History The Gallery opened in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland in 1987 as a joint venture between John Gow and Gary Langsford. Now in its fourth decade the Gallery has a long history of ambitious exhibitions and has established itself as a market leader in both the primary and secondary markets. Together Gow and Langsford pioneered the changing landscape of the New Zealand art scene and, while primarily focussed on Australasian work, the pair has enthusiastically sought to introduce local audiences to international art. Gow Langsford first exhibited at international art fairs in the 1990s and notwithstanding the pandemic, art fairs remain an important aspect of its exhibition schedule. From the outset, the Gallery has shown large-scale sculpture which has become an increasingly significant part of its program. Having worked at the Gallery since 2003, in 2020 Anna Jackson joined with Gow and Langsford becoming the third director. Jackson brings her own perspective and energy to the partnership. Judy Millar, Michael Hight and Dick Frizzell are some of the original artists that joined Gow Langsford Gallery in 1987. Karl Maughan, Max Gimblett, Paul Dibble and John Pule also joined in the first six years; and all are still represented. Alongside established artists the Gallery also continues to find and foster new talent. Through encouraging a greater understanding of each artist’s practice, Gow Langsford has produced many publications and monographs on gallery artists and continues to do so today.

About People

John Gow - Director john@gowlangsfordgallery.co.nz

John Gow

Gary Langsford

With extensive experience advising private collectors and acting as a consultant to corporate collections, museums and public institutions, John Gow is an expert in New Zealand art. Along with Gary Langsford, John is a founding director of Gow Langsford Gallery and was director of John Leech Gallery. Now with over thirty years in the industry, John has specialist expertise in historical New Zealand art and indigenous artefacts and a personal interest in collecting 19th and early 20thcentury photography, contemporary New Zealand paintings and sculpture, and post-contact Maori objects.

Gary Langsford - Director gary@gowlangsfordgallery.co.nz

Anna Jackson

Priya Patel

Shona Irwin

Gary Langsford is a founding director of Gow Langsford Gallery and is also co-owner of design55, a design store specialising in limited edition furniture and objects. Gary has a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Sculpture) and Art History from Elam School of Fine Arts, and has worked as a specialist in contemporary New Zealand art for over three decades. Increasingly focussed on the global art market he travels frequently to art fairs and auctions abroad, particularly in Europe and America. He has specialist knowledge in 20th Century Applied Arts and has a significant personal collection of art, objet d’art and furniture that reflects this expertise.

Hannah Valentine

Anna Jackson - Director anna@gowlangsfordgallery.co.nz

Cassandra Thompson

Finn McCahon-Jones

Working closely with Gary and John, Anna manages the exhibition programme, staff, client services and Art Fairs. She oversees publications and online communications, and works alongside the artists in delivering exhibitions and events. Anna has a Master of Arts Management (2010) and a Bachelor of Visual Arts from Auckland University of Technology (2002). She joined as Director in 2020. Shona Irwin - Group Accountant shona@gowlangsfordgallery.co.nz Shona joined Gow Langsford Gallery in 2009 as Accountant. She is a member of the NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Gabriella Stead

Imogen Cahill

Priya Patel - International Operations Manager priya@gowlangsfordgallery.co.nz As our International Operations Manager, Priya manages the logistics for the Gallery’s global affairs, including participation in Art Fairs as

well as managing domestic freight and gallery databases. She also works alongside the Directors to deliver client services. Priya has a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Arts (Hons), Elam School of Fine Arts (2011). Hannah Valentine - Head of Design/Senior Advisor hannah@gowlangsfordgallery.co.nz Hannah joined Gow Langsford in 2011. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from Elam School of Fine Arts (2017) and a conjoint Bachelor of Fine Arts and Arts (Hons), from the University of Auckland (2011). She works closely with the Directors preparing exhibitions and publications, and in client services and is the Gallery’s in-house designer. Cassandra Thompson - Front of House/Digital Content Manager cass@gowlangsfordgallery.co.nz Cass assists with the general running of the gallery in the Front of House position and also manages the gallery’s social media, website and e-commerce platform. Cass holds a Bachelor of Architectural Studies majoring in Interior Architecture (2011) and a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Art History and Theory, and Classics (2015). Finn McCahon-Jones - Gallery Logistics (Part Time, Wednesday and Thursdays) info@gowlangfordgallery.co.nz Finn assists with gallery logistics and art freight. He recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (hons) in Art History from Auckland University; Finn has a Bachelor of Visual Arts from the Auckland University of Technology (2003); and over 15 years’ experience working in the museum and gallery sector. Gabriella Stead - Editor/Registrar gabriella@gowlangsfordgallery.co.nz As Gow Langsford’s in house Editor, Gabriella manages gallery writing, supporting the delivery of our PR and publications, while also writing artist and exhibition essays. Gabriella looks after the day to day running of the gallery, and works closely with the directors to deliver client services. Gabriella holds a BA HONS in Art History (2016). Imogen Cahill - Front of House Imogen@gowlangsfordgallery.co.nz Imogen works front of house, both aiding in the daily running of the gallery and assisting in the writing and editing of artist and exhibition texts. She also works with the Directors to provide client services. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from The University of Auckland (2014) and recently graduated from University of the Arts London with a Master of Arts in cultural studies (2020).

Credits

First published in December 2021 by Gow Langsford Gallery to coincide with the exhibition Annual Catalogue 2022 ISBN: 978-1-99-115780-5 Text contributions key AJ - Anna Jackson CT - Cass Thompson FMJ - Finn McCahon Jones GL - Gary Langsford GS - Gabriella Stead IC - Imogen Cahill JG - John Gow PP - Priya Patel Copyright © all authors and artists, 2021 All rights reserved Design by Hannah Valentine for Gow Langsford Gallery Printed by Blue Star, Auckland

Cover

Jacqueline Fahey The car as the erotic machine in the domain, or sacred and profane love (detail), 1981-82 oil and glitter on canvas 1700 x 1700mm Right

Gow Langsford Gallery Booth A7, Auckland Art Fair 2021 Installation view Photography by Tobias Kraus

Gow Langsford Gallery T: +64 9 303 4290 info@gowlangsfordgallery.co.nz www.gowlangsfordgallery.com Cnr. Kitchener and Wellesley Streets Auckland 1010, New Zealand