New Zealand Painters
Don Binney
New Zealand artist Don Binney is famous for his series of paintings and drawings of birds and landscape. Stylised, graphic paintings, Don Binney seamlessly integrates the bird with the landscape, carefully echoing shapes and balancing forms.
New Zealand artist Don Binney is famous for his series of paintings and drawings of birds and landscape. Stylised, graphic paintings, Don Binney seamlessly integrates the bird with the landscape, carefully echoing shapes and balancing forms.
Fatu Feu'u
Born 1964, Poutasi Western Samoa
"To me, art is not just about painting or sculpting. Art is part of everything we do, wheter it's building a house or the way we talk to our family or friends.Something we do with respect" ( Feu'u cited Pearson)
Key Features
Use of Grid - often uses the grid to organise a range of imagrey. The grid connects to the idea of traditional tapa design layout and helps organise images to help tell a story.
Symbols and Motifs- Makes use of significant imagry from tatu, tapa and lapita pottery in a contemporary way
Painting Technique - Uses a direct, expressive brush stroke. Sometimes draws line work onto the surface with oil stick.
Linear Aspects - Line work is used to describe some features and objects. This stands out because it contrasts with the tonally different space behind it.
"To me, art is not just about painting or sculpting. Art is part of everything we do, wheter it's building a house or the way we talk to our family or friends.Something we do with respect" ( Feu'u cited Pearson)
Key Features
Use of Grid - often uses the grid to organise a range of imagrey. The grid connects to the idea of traditional tapa design layout and helps organise images to help tell a story.
Symbols and Motifs- Makes use of significant imagry from tatu, tapa and lapita pottery in a contemporary way
Painting Technique - Uses a direct, expressive brush stroke. Sometimes draws line work onto the surface with oil stick.
Linear Aspects - Line work is used to describe some features and objects. This stands out because it contrasts with the tonally different space behind it.
Jeffery Harris
New Zealand artist Jeffrey Harris explores human relationships and conflicting emotions within his artwork. He often depicts the fragility of families and the complex interactions between members. He creates compositions that are often fragmented with large blocks of colour and jagged lines.
New Zealand artist Jeffrey Harris explores human relationships and conflicting emotions within his artwork. He often depicts the fragility of families and the complex interactions between members. He creates compositions that are often fragmented with large blocks of colour and jagged lines.
John Pule
Born Niue 1962. Came to New Zealand 1964
" When you look down on the tapa, the patterns look like a plan of a village, or a plan of tracks going down to the ocean. i have also seen photos of old Niuean tapa, decorated with big circles, and painted in these circles were twigs, branches and leaves (Pule cited Mallon and Pereira 1997)
Key Features
Flat picture plane- Elements are arranged on the surface of the composition with little attempt to creat an illusion of receding space
Narrative - Images of symbol, structures and stories are interwoven in his work to tell a story.
Grid- Parts of the composition are ften arranged by using a grid to seperate ideas or create a focal point, or as a raming device
Symbols - He uses symbols from his Niuean heritage aong with those invented by himself
Monochromatic -Black or earth coloured pigments are used to contrast with a white background in many of the work. they are imilar to the colours used in tapa.
" When you look down on the tapa, the patterns look like a plan of a village, or a plan of tracks going down to the ocean. i have also seen photos of old Niuean tapa, decorated with big circles, and painted in these circles were twigs, branches and leaves (Pule cited Mallon and Pereira 1997)
Key Features
Flat picture plane- Elements are arranged on the surface of the composition with little attempt to creat an illusion of receding space
Narrative - Images of symbol, structures and stories are interwoven in his work to tell a story.
Grid- Parts of the composition are ften arranged by using a grid to seperate ideas or create a focal point, or as a raming device
Symbols - He uses symbols from his Niuean heritage aong with those invented by himself
Monochromatic -Black or earth coloured pigments are used to contrast with a white background in many of the work. they are imilar to the colours used in tapa.
Nicky Foreman
Born 1970, Wiatara, Taranaki
" I like to take ordinary objects and turn them on their head, to place them out of context so people examine them more closely and relate to them in a different way" (Foreman Cited in Whitespace catalogue, 2004)
Key Features
Grid Format- Using horizontal and vertical black lines to divide the pictures into sections. Lines can be thick or thin, or images can be butted up next to each other. creates a sense of order where very different images can be placed together without confusion.
Local imagry- Subjects taken from a country highway theme (including road signs and markers) these place the painting within a specific location
Naturalism- Realistic drawing and painting. objects are accurately drawn and attention givento specific colour and texture.
Juxtaposition- Placing unusual objects next to each other to create a surprise. This forces the viewr to think about what they mea.
" I like to take ordinary objects and turn them on their head, to place them out of context so people examine them more closely and relate to them in a different way" (Foreman Cited in Whitespace catalogue, 2004)
Key Features
Grid Format- Using horizontal and vertical black lines to divide the pictures into sections. Lines can be thick or thin, or images can be butted up next to each other. creates a sense of order where very different images can be placed together without confusion.
Local imagry- Subjects taken from a country highway theme (including road signs and markers) these place the painting within a specific location
Naturalism- Realistic drawing and painting. objects are accurately drawn and attention givento specific colour and texture.
Juxtaposition- Placing unusual objects next to each other to create a surprise. This forces the viewr to think about what they mea.
Nigel Brown
Born 1949, invercargill
" I want a human face to my art. Art can be a product of a person in the deeper sense. my concern is with the dilemma of modern existence... the ongoing frailty of humanity's material moral and spiritual" (brown cited O'Brien, 1991)
Key Features
Framing-Uses a bold framing device in some work which fouses the viewers attention on the imagry contained within it
Symbols - Elements such as the black Ponga, the singleted man and the black dog are examples of objects that are often repeated by the artist, in various works, as symbols for the story he is telling.
Text- When text i used it complements the subject matter in the compositio. This adds further mening to the artwork
Narrative -Each composition is arranged to tell a story or desribe an idea. The narrative is sometimes realted to mans interaction with the land.
Born 1949, invercargill
" I want a human face to my art. Art can be a product of a person in the deeper sense. my concern is with the dilemma of modern existence... the ongoing frailty of humanity's material moral and spiritual" (brown cited O'Brien, 1991)
Key Features
Framing-Uses a bold framing device in some work which fouses the viewers attention on the imagry contained within it
Symbols - Elements such as the black Ponga, the singleted man and the black dog are examples of objects that are often repeated by the artist, in various works, as symbols for the story he is telling.
Text- When text i used it complements the subject matter in the compositio. This adds further mening to the artwork
Narrative -Each composition is arranged to tell a story or desribe an idea. The narrative is sometimes realted to mans interaction with the land.
Rosalie Gascoigne
Born 1917, lived in Australia since 1943, died 1999
" Beware of the nice things that you find that say nothing; theyare like new wo from a hardware shop. i look for things that have been somewhere, done something". ( Gascoigne cited in savage and O'Brien, 2004)
Key Features
Monochrome- Only one colour has been used. This unifies the picture by creating a single overall image out of lots of different parts
Found objects- Road signs, packing boxes, and other graphic materials have been used to create the picture. these have been weathered by use and signify their use and the history of the location they me from.
Fragmentation- Road signs cuinto small pieces so they cannot be read but become an abstract pattern. irony created b taking something designed to communicate and making it unintelligible. akes us re-look at the objects for their own unique beauty.
Grid Structure- Original material cut into squares and rectangle and then reconstructed. contrast between weathered graphics and precise cuts.
Scale- Some works are very large. symbolise the huge open space of Australia
Symbolism- Useful bits ad pieces of contemporary culture that have been discarded. Reassembled but removed from their original context = fragmented society
Dichotomy ( contradiction)- Tatted old junk from rubbish tip turned into fine art for the gallery. Questions what we value and why we value it.
" Beware of the nice things that you find that say nothing; theyare like new wo from a hardware shop. i look for things that have been somewhere, done something". ( Gascoigne cited in savage and O'Brien, 2004)
Key Features
Monochrome- Only one colour has been used. This unifies the picture by creating a single overall image out of lots of different parts
Found objects- Road signs, packing boxes, and other graphic materials have been used to create the picture. these have been weathered by use and signify their use and the history of the location they me from.
Fragmentation- Road signs cuinto small pieces so they cannot be read but become an abstract pattern. irony created b taking something designed to communicate and making it unintelligible. akes us re-look at the objects for their own unique beauty.
Grid Structure- Original material cut into squares and rectangle and then reconstructed. contrast between weathered graphics and precise cuts.
Scale- Some works are very large. symbolise the huge open space of Australia
Symbolism- Useful bits ad pieces of contemporary culture that have been discarded. Reassembled but removed from their original context = fragmented society
Dichotomy ( contradiction)- Tatted old junk from rubbish tip turned into fine art for the gallery. Questions what we value and why we value it.
Sandy Adsett
Born 1939, Ngati Kahungunu
"As i see other art perspectives from dominant cultures forcing their presence, questioning our beliefs and placing their values on our art, i tend to strengthen my resolve to continue to explore contemporary directions in my work from a conceptual basis that is totally Maori" (Adsett cited in Southeran and Saine, 1988)
Key Features
Bi-Cultural- European painting technique to depict Maori concepts using Kowhaiwhai patterns and stylised interpretations of natural forms.
Colour- A full ange of bright colours painted against a dark surrounding frame to make them more intense. innovative departure from traditional Maori black, red and white.
Narrative- Imges often based on a traditional myth. Abstract designs and stylised objects relate to specfic parts of the story.
Flat Colour- Smooth paint applied with little evidence of brushstrocks. similar to Kowhaiwhai style but also to modern international colour field painters like Frank Stella.
Shane Cotton
Born 1964, Nga Puhi, Ngati Rangi, Ngati Hine
"My work is very much related to a personal journey of awareness....The only way to move forward is to come to terms with what has happened in the past-revisiting can bring clarity to our existance in the present (cotton cited O'brien, 1996)
Key Features
European and Maori- Uses European painterly techniques to explore Maori imagery and ideas
Grid composition- Contains and organises a wide range of different imagry. Symbolises the museum cataloguing approach to cultural artefacts and helps to organise a painting made up of lots of different types of objects.
Text elements- Refers to specific places and ideas and used as visual images in themselves. Symbolises differences between Pakeha and Maori outlook. (Pakeha uses wirting to record history while Maori uses oral or spoken language)
Symbolic objects - Each object represents meaning for artist and the chanes in scale and placement affect these meanings. selects objects that symbolise European colonisation and Maori tradition.
"My work is very much related to a personal journey of awareness....The only way to move forward is to come to terms with what has happened in the past-revisiting can bring clarity to our existance in the present (cotton cited O'brien, 1996)
Key Features
European and Maori- Uses European painterly techniques to explore Maori imagery and ideas
Grid composition- Contains and organises a wide range of different imagry. Symbolises the museum cataloguing approach to cultural artefacts and helps to organise a painting made up of lots of different types of objects.
Text elements- Refers to specific places and ideas and used as visual images in themselves. Symbolises differences between Pakeha and Maori outlook. (Pakeha uses wirting to record history while Maori uses oral or spoken language)
Symbolic objects - Each object represents meaning for artist and the chanes in scale and placement affect these meanings. selects objects that symbolise European colonisation and Maori tradition.