Art seen

"Light in the Shadows", A.H. O'Keeffe (Dunedin Public Art Gallery)
Alfred Henry O'Keeffe was a prominent Dunedin artist who established his reputation in the 1880s and 1890s. Although O'Keeffe's name is associated with this time, this exhibition aims to focus on his later work from the 1920s and 1930s, a time when he made many of his finest paintings.

An eye-catching aspect of O'Keeffe's work is the visible application of paint with broad painterly brushstrokes, capturing a sense of movement and texture. Varying effects of light and dark are also a hallmark.

The exhibition encompasses all aspects of O'Keeffe's broad subject matter - genre scenes, portraiture, landscape and still life. The works are subtle and limited in their palette and the style is typical of the trend in Europe at the time - an impressionistic painterly style is combined with those drawn from old masters. The Drift of Many Winters 1914 is a massively powerful portrait of old age. The old man's demeanour suggests a state of reflection or sense of loss, reminiscent of the work of Rembrandt and also of the portrait Old Jack 1893 by Petrus van der Velden, the Dutch artist living and painting in Christchurch at the time.

The flower studies were an important part of O'Keeffe's output. Flowers are displayed in simple vases and are concerned more with aesthetic effect than with botanical accuracy.

Some evoke the passing of time, with fallen petals suggesting the brevity of human life such as In a Dark Setting 1930.

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"When I'm Sixty-four", Ewan McDougall (Gallery De Novo)
Ewan McDougall celebrates not only being 64 years old, but the fact it is his 64th solo show in New Zealand. The Dunedin neo-expressionist is displaying a range of work that varies in size from an enormous vibrant triptych, The Last Flying Man II to a small head-and-shoulders self-portrait, A Bit Dark on It.

McDougall's work is refreshing, happy and filled with personal references - a mixture that is both intriguing and powerful. The events of the artist's past bubble up on to the canvas but fun, frivolity and chaos are also forces behind the themes of the work.

Strong gestural handling and vivid colour are features of McDougall's work. The thickly-painted canvases are built up in layers to create texture-enhancing three-dimensionality to these images. Depicting scenes of outrageous grinning stick-figures, grotesque animals and hybrid creatures, the works are seemingly naive in nature but in reality are slyly sophisticated, reflecting McDougall's imagination, wry wit and spontaneity.

As a form of autobiography, many of the works feature the artist himself as the antihero at the centre of whatever adventure the painting depicts. The busy figures, many of which face the viewer, are crowned by spiky hairstyles and wave their arms in the air as if they have no cares - a possible reflection of the artist's creative energy and wish to celebrate life rather than a morbid kind of self-analysis.

The exhibition ends tomorrow.

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"Home is Exotic", by Daniel Mills (Gallery De Novo)
Also showing at Gallery De Novo is Daniel Mills' work. Like McDougall, Mills also leans towards a bright palette and expressive brushstrokes, but that is perhaps where the similarities end. Mills, an artist living in the north after years painting overseas, has produced work that could be described as "Abstract Surrealism". The South Pacific themes are inspired by the Northland area and are fused with impressions and memories of the Czech Republic.

These large works are beautifully rendered and are distinctive and individual, drawing upon a wide range of sources, influences and styles. The objects in the images appear to float rather than be grounded, such as seen in Milk on Eggs in which all manner of unlikely objects and creatures appear to float in a chaotic jumble.

The image of the pheasant features often and is a particular fascination for the artist. Meat Was Game is a good example. Done in an appealing palette of blended greens, reds and browns, the long drips of red paint could indicate the outcome of fighting cocks.

Mills is also responsible for the Hoyts Lane Mural currently being painted. The theme for this piece begins with "the fabric of society" - both literally and metaphorically. Modern Dunedin tartan, rich Chinese fabrics, traditional Lebanese embroidery and woven flax will entwine to represent an integrating local culture. The use of symbols and portraits of local people will further enhance the blending of these cultures.

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- Julie Jopp