Art seen: Gold miners and Arrowtown history

Alpine Gold Miner, by Ben Ho
Alpine Gold Miner, by Ben Ho
Judy in Disguise (with Beret and Bugatti), by Gary Waldrom
Judy in Disguise (with Beret and Bugatti), by Gary Waldrom
Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth c. 1671, by Henri Gascard
Louise de Keroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth c. 1671, by Henri Gascard

Julie Jopp takes a look at the latest exhibitions from around Otago.

"28th Locations Realty Autumn Festival of Art Exhibition", (Lakes District Museum, Arrowtown)

The township of Arrowtown is always a rich source of inspiration for the Autumn Festival of Art Exhibition with the deciduous trees planted in the area by the gold-miners of the 1860s providing a rich picture of autumn tones at this time of the year.

The artwork displayed consists of more than 170 pieces, ranging from painting and mixed media to photography, ceramics, textiles and jewellery.

Of particular note is Ben Ho's beautifully painted oil Alpine Gold Miner in which two contemplative Chinese miners work on the bank of a mountain stream, the specks of gold in their pan reflecting the gold of the autumn leaves in the background.

Other work that reflects the Chinese in the area is Jenny Mehrtens' thought-provoking work, Poll Tax.

Guest artist David John is exhibiting six pieces of work.

Painting in the style of contemporary realism, his figures, landscape and still life capture light and mood, allowing the subject matter to take the viewer's eye.

Landscape dominates the exhibition and is made up of a variety of compositions, styles and medium placed randomly on the wall.

Lyndon Coppin's large mosaic Macetown took my eye, as did the brilliant clear colours of Bob Main's photograph Dansey's Pass Hills.

Other work of interest is Andi Regan's Melting Pot, in which cable ties are used as the medium to build a large shapely pot ranging in colour from red through to gold. The medium is not only unusual but also intriguing.


"Dangerous Curves", Gary Waldrom (Milford Galleries Dunedin)

Gary Waldrom's art is unique and visually fascinating.

His latest exhibition of nine paintings once again depicts an alternate world to our own - close to real life but out of kilter.

His work explores the themes of isolation, dream, relationship and a fantasy land of mischievous tricksters - tricky because they do not let us know who or what they are or from where they come.

The figures - some laughing, others smirking or leering - assume an air that they know something that we don't as they look boldly out of the painting, something particularly evident in Jester's Birthday.

Some obscure the view of the background, which provides the feeling of open space, a background that contrasts dramatically with the strong colour and detail of the foreground, enhancing the feeling of isolation in each of the settings.

It would seem that a small vaudevillian travelling show has come to Hawkes Bay and forgotten to leave - the backgrounds are like those of a Hollywood set and the "actors" look slightly sinister with their oversized faces.

Bizarre elements such as bare breasts, an eye patch and a conductor's cap add to the oddness of the situation.

The film-like carnival atmosphere is further enhanced by the distinct 1930s styling and distorted early Technicolor palette.

The open theme of Waldrom's work allows the viewer to actively engage in a masquerade of personalities and events in progress, in a world that is strangely familiar yet rather surreal.


"Angels and Aristocrats" (Dunedin Public Art Gallery)

Dunedin is the first venue to host this major New Zealand touring exhibition, which has taken years to complete.

It occupies most of the ground-floor galleries and is showing some of the finest examples of European art held in New Zealand, including works by Breughel the Younger, Fuseli, Hobbema, Turner, Machiavelli, Reynolds, Gainsborough and many more.

These treasures have been gathered together for the first time, all coming from New Zealand's premier art collections held by New Zealand's public art galleries and collected since the 19th century.

The curator, Mary Kisler, has titled the exhibition "Angels and Aristocrats" as she considers they serve as a set of "bookends" - the works being taken from a span of four main chapters.

They include religious works that show their function as symbols of faith and reflections of earlier societies, and landscapes that range from depictions of an idealised classical view to the Romantic and Sublime.

The third section covers a range of themes drawn together by a common thread and, finally, there is portraiture, a particular strength of this exhibition.

While these collections were being built, tastes changed over time.

Yet, when combined, the collections provide a rich overview of European art history and the social contexts in which the works were created.

The exhibition is accompanied by the book Angels and Aristocrats, by Mary Kisler.

 

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