Art Seen: February 16

In this week's Art Seen, James Dignan looks at exhibitions from Nigel Wilson, Rob Piggott, and the Community Gallery.

Doubtful Sound, by Nigel Wilson
Doubtful Sound, by Nigel Wilson
‘‘Recent Landscapes from Central Otago’’, Nigel Wilson (Moray Gallery)

In the artist's statement for his current exhibition at the Moray Gallery, Nigel Wilson refers to colour as being the language of painting. He also talks of painting without constraint, using colour as the building tool with which to create form.

In this context, Wilson's exhibition of landscapes of the South succeeds well. His paintings flow with strong gestural strokes, and the colours effectively bring to life impressions of the land. Rough moulded hills reflect in a sheen from the waters of the Dunstan Gorge, bold blue and gold diagonals mark the harsh country of the Mackenzie Basin, and defiant blurs of red suggest rather than depict fields of sorrel near Alexandra. Skies and the distant backdrop of hills are implied in broad yet deft strokes, creating a feeling of the haze of distance dissolving the land behind a vibrant, moving foreground.

Perhaps the strongest images in the exhibition are the two which venture furthest from depictions of high country gorges and basins. In one of these, a liquid scene in shades of deep green and grey brings great depth and emotional pull to an image of Doubtful Sound. In the other, a seemingly gestural series of short crimson and amber strokes resolves effectively into an autumnal avenue of trees.

 

Peace Light X, by Robert Piggott
Peace Light X, by Robert Piggott
‘‘Heart of Light’’, Robert Piggott (Robert Piggott Gallery)

Rob Piggott's latest exhibition of his attractive abstracts shows more focus than many of his previous displays. This is not to disparage his earlier images, but rather to suggest that there is a coherent focus in this latest group of works which indicates that they are a clear series sharing a common theme.

The theme in this instance is a spiritual force - a study of creation and spiritual power. Call it God, if you wish, but if so it is a pantheistic deity rather than one tied to a monotheistic faith. It is perhaps best described as an emanation of spirit and light. In each work, we see a central block of pure white surrounded by a rayed pattern of harsh black printed lines, the areas between which are washed with a spectrum of hand-applied colour. Beyond the ends of these colours, we return again to white.

Through the contrast with the black, the central block of light becomes a bright focus, seemingly far brighter then either the colours or the negative space at the edge of the images. The white is split into component colours, but fleetingly, before returning to the white, in the same way as our fleeting lives are simply temporary displays of the glory of spiritual nature.

Aoraki, by Julia McNaughton
Aoraki, by Julia McNaughton
‘‘Art in February’’ (Community Gallery)

The Community Gallery is currently showing art by almost 20 artists, ranging from landscapes and portraits to abstract works, and encompassing numerous media. Although there is some range in the standard of the work, much of it is of a high quality, and there is a considerable amount to commend in the display.

Among the more impressive pieces on show are some monochromatic paintings by Naomi Wadsworth, notably one of three travellers walking down a road.

Much is left to the imagination in this work, in its religious motifs and accent colours. Julia McNaughton's work is also a highlight, especially a pair of mountain landscapes, of Aoraki and Aspiring, done in markedly different styles: the first realistic, the second in a more adventurous style combining elements of Art Deco and Cubism. The contrast between the two works is both startling and effective.

Jill Holland's work covers several distinct styles, with a fine pastel portrait being a notable piece. Heather Dunckley's fine woodcuts of St Clair and the ocean beyond are also standouts. Rennell Chivers' architectural studies are also impressive, as are a joyful street busking scene by Morag Wheeler and Irina Schreiber's Russian icon-inspired religious portraits.

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