“Homeland”, an exhibition of work by Trevor Moffitt, arguably New Zealand’s most notable narrative painter, has opened at the Eastern Southland Gallery.

Moffitt was born in Gore in 1936 and raised in Waikaia, before studying at Technical College in Invercargill and the University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts, graduating with honours in painting in 1959.

Moffitt’s characteristic style emerged early, and as his chosen career as a secondary school art teacher developed during the early 1960s so did his prodigious output as a painter.

His earliest images explore the rugged landforms of Southland but from 1962 figures began to appear in his landscapes. That year Moffitt began the “Gold Miner” series based on childhood memories of Waikaia, but his subsequent appointment as head of art at Timaru Girls High School coincided with a new preference for “outsiders” and local heroes.

Having admired Sydney Nolan’s Ned Kelly paintings, Moffitt utilised his time in Timaru to explore the exploits of a local “anti-hero”, accused sheep stealer James Mackenzie. This series continued until 1966.

Over the next 40 years Moffitt would go on to produce some nationally significant bodies of work, immediately recognisable expressionist paintings that reveal the lives and stories of ordinary working New Zealanders.

Often confrontational in their honesty, Moffitt’s works were always admired by his peers (including former tutor Bill Sutton), but have only recently received more substantial national attention.

In 1997, and in failing health, Trevor Moffitt began his final series, “Hokonui Moonshine”. Giving credence to the old adage that “you can take the boy out of Southland but you can’t take Southland out of the boy”, this final body of work explores one of his home province’s most colourful illicit industries and was an opportunity for the painter to re-visit some childhood memories.

Moffitt continued to work on this theme until his death in 2006.

Throughout his painting career Moffitt exhibited extensively and his works were ultimately acquired by many public collections including Auckland Art Gallery, Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand, Christchurch Art Gallery, Hocken Library and Dunedin Public Art Gallery.

He is represented in many major private collections, both in New Zealand and overseas.

In July 2015 the Eastern Southland Gallery was the fortunate recipient of an extensive collection of Moffitt’s paintings, built up over a number of years by Enyth Good of Auckland.

These donated works, augmented by the gallery’s own holdings, provide a valuable overview of this remarkable artist’s career. This exhibition showcases a selection of that work focussing on the South.

Homeland runs until September 6. Entry is free. — Allied Media