"All at Sea", Neil Frazer
(Milford Galleries, Queenstown)
Opening on Saturday at Queenstown’s Milford Galleries, Neil Frazer’s new show "All at Sea" is a celebration of the spectacular force and beauty of the coastline, intertwined with a very human search for connection and solace from nature. Frazer has always excelled in capturing the dynamism and rhythms of the natural world, his thick, impasto brushstrokes giving texture and depth to the landforms, then swirling with the push and pull of the tide. The eye follows the movements of the brush, and the whole scene takes on a sense of liveliness and energy.
The works in this collection share a similar colour palette—but throughout, there are subtle alterations in tone, saturation, and shadow that can make a dramatic difference to the overall atmosphere of the image. Frazer frequently uses archways of eroded rock as a visual frame; in works like Perfect Day and Waving Cloud, we look through the curving, encompassing rock to the scene beyond, as if we’re moving through a portal or passageway.
The large-scale Nexus is the only work with no land in sight. Here, the viewer is cast adrift amidst the surging, choppy sea, surrounded by cold, deep tones, drawing you in and under. When the horizon is a seemingly endless stretch of water, and waves surge and rise in a chaotic clash of motion, there’s no steady, grounding point on which the eye can focus, and the resulting sensation is unsettling and highly effective.
(Gallery Thirty Three, Wānaka)
At Wānaka’s Gallery Thirty Three, "Awaken" brings together the respective new collections of Sean Beldon, Belinda Griffiths, and Kiya Nancarrow.
Beldon’s show "Soon, All Will Be Quiet" is a study in oils of a South Island winter, with stylised lines and simplified forms, a colour palette that speaks in hushed tones, and a brilliant, judicious use of texture. The works move through different times of the day and night, from the starkness of sun-touched snow to the deep shadows of the mountain peaks as midnight approaches. Somehow, the night scenes feel even more peaceful and safe; the snow gleams, the air feels silvery and quiet, and as our eye glides across the canvas, you can almost hear the whisper of the water.
In "First Light", Griffiths extends the delicate, ephemeral magic of daybreak, those few seconds when golden light first slips through the trees, in a still quiet world. Her work weaves a reminder to really look at our surroundings, notice tiny details, see the beauty that’s waiting. Stylistically, Griffith’s imagery is powerful and quite haunting; her figures feel timeless and the emotions they evoke are universal.
Meanwhile, Nancarrow continues to push boundaries—and the laws of gravity—with what’s possible when working with clay. Her twisting, curling sculptures seem to be perpetually in motion, a visual representation of infinite energy and connection—and truly beautiful artistry.
Collectively, "Awaken" is a stunning exhibition, zeroing in on life’s fleeting, essential moments of complete clarity and hope.
(Artē Collective Gallery, Luggate)
In a welcome addition to the Central Otago art scene, the Artē Collective gallery in Luggate unites the talents of six artists, working seamlessly in a variety of media from paintings to ceramics to jewellery.
Combining multiple media, Briar Hardy-Hesson appears to have raided the lair of a mermaid with her popular Underwater Ring Objects, presenting the jewellery on the clay forms of mysterious sea creatures, in a delightful mingling of function, artistry, and whimsy. Lizzie Carruthers and Sue Rutherford add to the sense of liveliness and personality in the gallery space, with Carruthers’s iconic animal portraits watching visitors with great skepticism, and Rutherford’s ceramic Hares staring loftily out the window. Andi Regan’s dyed nylon birds take flight across the walls, as she continues to create artistic magic with her vibrant sculptures, using man-made materials to depict natural wonders.
Sophie Melville’s abstracted landscapes are emotive and dreamlike; the deep jewel tones of her rolling hills and winding rivers contrast against the soft peaches and browns of watercolour skies, and her skilful use of negative space intensifies the effects of light and shadow. Jenny Chisholm’s landscapes also offer moments of stillness and silence in a chaotic world. The gold-tinged clouds of Linger allow the sunlight to spill on to the empty plains below, setting the scene gently aglow. Her small work on paper, Southern Secret, is vaguely reminiscent of a museum piece or a sepia photograph—gentle, romantic, and somehow timeless.
