Great South Professional Artists Group, or Something More Sexy!

I'm baaack! I've just returned from a fantastic voyage to the USA and Canada, where I had the great privilege of exploring The Chicago Art Institute, the 2nd largest collection of art in the USA. We had an interesting tour around the Great Lakes investigating the movement of ships through the Great Lakes locks and shipping systems.

And, now I'm full steam ahead into two projects near and dear to my heart. I'm in studio finishing "Ephemeral Perception" my solo exhibition in 2010 at ArtSouth in Gore. The other is an initiative I've begun with other professional artists in the Great South of New Zealand which aims to raise the profile of our professional artists and the awareness of contemporary arts practices here. I've named us Great South Professional Artists Group (GSPAG, until someone comes up with something sexier). You are invited to read the Southland Times Article published Friday 6th November about our efforts in this initiative by clicking here.

I'm looking to recruit from that group some artists that will help me post reviews of shows in the Great South either on this blog or one to be created. So, stay tuned for greater developments.

Kia Ora!

With Honour

Surely, Jim Geddes was speaking in a bit of enthusiastic hyperbole when he proclaimed in the local newspaper that Edward Bullmore was perhaps one of New Zealand's most important artists and an overlooked one at that. Impossible! How is it that most Southlanders and even those in the arts community are perhaps at best vaguely aware of this tremendously talented native son of whom great accolades world wide were and still are proclaimed?

Hailed as the star of the 1965 Second Commonwealth Biennale of Abstract Art, Bullmore had work hanging along side Dali and other luminaries in the Surrealist movement in London. Filmmaker, Stanley Kubrick so admired his work that it featured in "A Clockwork Orange". Yet, in spite of such accolades and success, Bullmore longed to come home to a New Zealand that was not ready for his surrealism. It's not difficult to fathom the disappointment he must have felt when his first exhibition at the Barry Lett Galleries was panned by the New Zealand Herald art critic. It would have been particularly perplexing after having won acclaim outside the borders of his homeland. Bullmore then sank into relative obscurity while teaching in Rotorua. He died at the relatively young age of 45 from Paget's Disease.

In A Surrealist Oddyssey, the exhibition at the Eastern Southland Museum in Gore, I am struck immediately by the tension present in his earlier works. In The Temple Rebuilt, for example, the assumed serenity of a New Zealand style church is stretched with ethereal finger like tree branches straining into the sky and down towards the church yard. Three works that use his wife, Jackie, as model are likewise stunning, but unsettling. In one, her nudity is almost in your face as she demurely stares into a fantastical surrealist world created by Bullmore. The other works in that room proclaim a tension of which Bullmore was masterful, including works that illustrated his growing angst about the threat of nuclear holocaust and about death itself.

The tension of the earlier works continue with the visionary brilliance of his latter body of works in the next gallery. Here, as part of the Hikurangi and series, we witnessed shaped paintings from canvas expertly stretched over unusual found items including chair frames; others display stuffed, ripped, and stitched canvas; and ultimately bold, yet delicate works in the Astroform and Icon series emerge, some of them out of a then fairly new medium of fibre glass. We witness work resembling jewels, and gladly view a more light-hearted side of Bullmore in sculpture crafted out of cross-sectioned arms and legs of chairs and bits of taut painted canvas.

I vow to return to Gore to revisit Bullmore's exhibition. The second visit is worthwhile, almost incumbent. This time I treat myself to the Bullmore TVNZ documentary available for viewing in the first gallery. I am immediately struck by the great pride displayed by Jackie Bullmore and their adult children over his artistic brilliance,. I also sense the sadness over his descent into obscurity upon return to New Zealand. A prophet not honoured in his own country?

So what is my response? I want to learn more about Bullmore. I've purchased the book Edward Bullmore: A Surrealist Oddyssey by Penelope Jackson which accompanies the national tour. A worthy read. I also want to deeply consider how his work may now influence my own creative philosophy in my own arts practice. How can I likewise cultivate clarity in my own artistic vision. I also hope that, somehow, his story will compel me to stop to mindfully consider other artists' labours. I want to be careful to not dismiss other's works manifesting a direction or vision that may not be comfortable for me. Is that what happened to Bullmore? I wish to avoid having an impenetrable attachment to artistic safety in my works and in other's as well. Edward Bullmore, a remarkable son, indeed. I think I'll go back and see Edward again. He's worth it.

Getting to Know

I'm off to Christchurch for about two weeks tomorrow to help with Escalade, a fundraising and awareness exhibition by Artists Against Slavery to help fight the tragedy of modern day slavery. Please read more about this extremely worthy cause by following the link to Beverly Claridge, Fine Artist.

I wanted to use this post to not only thank those that follow this blog, but to reassure you that I have not abandoned ship!! I've simply been in the studio painting like a mad woman in order to get several paintings completed, not only for the 2010 Ephemeral Perception solo exhibition at ArtSouth in Gore, but also to participate in some national and international contests as well. As much as I love looking at and reviewing other's exhibitions, my calling is to create art.

And I've been networking as well. I've been talking to and meeting with lots of different Southland and artists throughout New Zealand. All this networking has helped me realise that I love meeting and getting to know other artists. That is why I've decided that this blog will take a slightly different direction.

Rather than do a simple review of exhibitions in Southland and the Great South, I've decided that I'd much rather interview and post the result of those interview on this blog. This change will take place sometime in August and because of my heavy painting schedule my goal is to post twice a month. So stay tuned. I'm really looking forward to meeting Great South visual artists. If you know one I should be getting to know, please contact me.

Blessings.

Water and Light

A day at the beach never looked as intriguing as it does at Ocean View: Water and Light, an exhibition at the City Gallery on 8 Don Street, through to 27 May.

Kees Taal's intricate and colourful metal ocean creatures in Deep Sea Fish amaze as you enter the show. Taal is slated to have his own solo exhibition at City Gallery later on in the year. Stay tuned for that. Nearby are the expertly crafted watercolours of award winning Maurice Middleditch of Central Otago.

Anne Grindell's soft, swirling, precise, graphic and beautiful acrylics are very calming and meditative especially in contrast to Cantabrian Ed Labadie's splendid and vibrant Regatta, an oil set amidst his beautiful watercolours. Labadie has a sold out June workshop in conjunction with the Southland Art Society. Tony Allain, a Channell Islander now living in Nelson, also offers an explosion of sumptuous light and colour, merely suggesting his subjects with pastels in Setting Out Creation, Regatta, and Flights of Fancy.

The meticulous watercolours of Marilyn Palmer-Story displays expert contrast particularly in Evening Stroll. Quiet. Beautiful. Around the corner is John Wishart's strong, bold, and stony Otago Peninsula. Continuing in this traditional style of work are Oreti Beach by Cromwell's Patrick G. Hall's , Brian Millard's dynamic Curio Bay, and Pat Murdoch's atmospheric On Holiday. Dawn Berry shows her love of Riverton in her acrylic Taramea to Rakiura and Moira Short presents her watercolours, Long Beach and The Wave, Catlins.

The back gallery with it's fluorescent lighting always presents a challenge for paintings (An intermix of warm and cold fluorescent could help overcome this problem). However Susie Ruddenklau of Wanaka surpasses this challenge with her Curio Bay, Catlins I, and Curio Bay, Catlins II. It's good to see her dynamic landscapes...a departure from her popular "Doris" series. Simon Decker's Fish n Chip Island grows on me, after initially considering it dark and brooding. I then realise it is a commentary on Cook's arrival to Aotearoa, resembling a series of film stills. I think I fancy this one, actually.

Followers of this blog already are aware how much I like the works of Danny Owen. His four works in this display are even better than his brooding piece over on show at The Bank Gallery. Danny continues to go from strength to strength with his art and I enjoy discovering the less angst-ridden side of Deow. These pieces are lush and gorgeous.

I am glad to revisit Maree Beker's Fortrose Macrocarpas, a dynamic depiction of the effects of our Sou'weters on flora. Nearby are the ever popular landscapes of Karen Pringle alongside two lively works by Janet deWagt whose studio is in Central Otago. I especially enjoy Captain Pugwash, an exotic stonefire clay work by Jude Winchester, and it's always good seeing works carved of stone by Stuart King.

City Gallery Manager Gabrielle Thomas states this show was created as platform on which to attract national artists to show in Southland along side southern artists. The resulting show is stunningly beautiful.

The Southland May Arts Festival line up of visual arts is splendid. Be sure to visit Rural Relics by Roddy McMillan over at Southland Museum and Art Gallery on until 7 June, and People, Places & Things by John Husband and Paul Lindsey till the 31^st May over at Anderson Park. Also, there is Melvin Day's Stabat Mater and White Silence: Grahame Sydney in Antarctica. However these exhibitions go on until 2 August over at Eastern Southland Gallery in Gore. I've been in studio painting madly for various contests and causes, so I may not get to all of these worthy exhibitions this month, but it is very important to support our visual artists. I urge you to encourage your local artist. Visit an exhibition and buy a painting!!!

Top Photo: Anne Grindell works on display

Middle Photo: A selection of works in Ocean View: Water and Light

Bottom Photo: City Gallery Manager Gabrielle Thomas next to Pat Murdoch's On Holiday

Southern Urbane

Southern Selection, a collection of artworks by artists living in, from, or who have an association with Southland, is an elegant , urbane show on now at The Bank Art Gallery. Curator Gwen Chaloner created the exhibition in conjunction with Venture Southland as part of the Southland May Arts Festival.

Belle Lumen a sumptuous oil by Gregori Chiaroni, next to Hilary Manson's Dress Rehearsal command attention upon entry into the upstairs gallery. Nearby is Contemplation #3 by Lisa Grace, one of her cheeky, self-assured mixed media works. Mags Meechang's Southern Season is a lush, bold interpretation of the Southland clime, while Danny Owen, aka Deow, contributes with his brooding piece, Through the rain she turns her back to better days.

Margaret Fairhall's Fantails beautifully demonstrates the energy and flittering of birds using her signature impasto technique. I always enjoy seeing Maree Beker's paintings. She is not afraid to try new approaches to creating, as is evidenced in her Southern Whitebaiters, where she has taken a subject that can be hackneyed and has given it a fresh, vibrant face. It is good to see Russell Everett presenting charcoal on paper in Evening Shadows, Patterson Inlet, lending to a sense of mystery. Robert Smith exhibits his mastery of metalworking in the multiple colours and shapes coerced from copper and stainless steel in Gore.

In the kiosk hangs WF Moore's Papatowai Beach Catlins, a masterful oil in the traditional school, alongside S is for Southland by Brydie Baxter, brilliantly maintaining the sense of vastness and awe in the view from the top of Bluff Hill. Also, there is Gwen Chaloner's Vintage Machinery, a friendly monoprint done in a challenging and interesting manner. Bridget Sangster's A handle and 2 tongs, showcases everyday, often ignored implements in a quiet, lovingly crafted ink on paper.

The "McGilvray Sisters", two popular Southland artists have, a whimsical Goldminers Breakfast, by Nicola McGilvray and the humourous Little Fish, an oil by Angela Railton. Christine O'Connor's use of texture, colour, and figurative drawing lends well to the title in Pensive, while Rebecca Whyte has on view her trio, Three Ladies, a sassy acrylic set. I am pleased, as well, to have my mixed media Dim Reflection included in this show. There are even more works for you to discover on your own.

While there is a variety of work on display to please different tastes, the entire collection fits together well and has a sophisticated flow. Southern Selection is on display every weekday till 5 till 29 May at The Bank Art Gallery in Invercargill.

Top Photo: Gwen Chaloner with Vintage Machinery
Bottom Photo: Beverly Claridge with "Dim Reflection"

Conceal Reveal (Squared)

The only regret I have about Conceal Reveal, an exhibition by sisters Mags Meechang and Angela Meecham, is my delay in experiencing this riot of colour and texture on now through the weekend at Southland Museum and Art Gallery in Invercargill.

Relaxing on the cushioned seating in the middle of The Community Gallery, I allow my brain to soak up the deliciousness of Meechang's and Meecham's works. Wow, where do I start.

Angela Meecham considers her works almost geological, with layers built up and concealed over time, waiting to be revealed. She loves texture, lots of crunchy, bubbly, stringy, gorgeous texture. I mostly associate such surfaces with darker brooding works or earth-toned paintings. Meecham, however, loves colour. Her combination of rich 3-D surfaces and colour is stunning ---a word overused, but so applicable here. It is nearly impossible to choose my favourite of her 15 piece display.

I'm especially attracted to her Transition series, which is reminiscent of strata of earth and rock seen roadside when a hillside has been dug into for a highway. Meecham incorporates beautiful, vibrant colour yet retains an earthiness to her compositions. Transition Red really suits me, only because red is my favourite colour. However, Transition Blue and Transition Gold are equally mysterious and elegant.

As a figurative artist, I'm also enchanted by Angela's sets of three series, especially Threads, Attire, Turnout. Great imagination, skill and forethought are evident in the use of sparkling fibre to "draw" exquisite profiles of women presumably arranging their hair, clothing and makeup.

The colours in Mags Meechangs offerings are in your face...but in a most wonderful way!!

The thick layers and dribble of paint in Generations Investigated-Facts Revealed is reminiscent of Pollock, while the explorative nature of Synthesis and Fragmentation, one of Meechangs more subdued works, is equally rewarding.

Few Have The Complete Freedom To Choose and It's In There Somewhere, bright and bold works with thick acrylic, corrugations, and fabric are compelling viewing. They may be my favourites, but then I also admire her "Generations" and "Synthesis" pieces as well.

Canvas mounted dyed silks Boys Day Out and Girls Night Out accentuate Mags many artistic abilities, and are examples of a great sense of humour found in several works.

I've said enough and don't want to delay getting this posted. I strongly urge you!!! Please make the time to see Conceal Reveal before it's closing on Sunday 29 March. But stay tuned. This upcoming week I'm privileged to have Mags and Angela visit my studio. I hope to post more about these talented sisters soon.

On Faith and Of Men

Entering City Gallery on Don Street to see Glory, Visions of Faith, I look forward to viewing works by Gabrielle Thomas and Michelle Dawson. To my surprise, I am treated to a considerable collection from artists of faith with varied approaches to and interpretation of the exhibition scripture, Psalm 34:3 "Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together."

Proudly, as if a standard-bearer for the exposition, stands Stuart King's steel crucifix sculpture Stauros in the middle of Gallery I.

Clearly, Michelle Dawson enjoys experimenting with diverse surfaces and varied approaches in her medley of textured contemporary acrylics. The grittiness of Torn, with rust, blacks, and blues on a rough concrete-like support is beautifully formed.

The Way, an acrylic on paper effectively demonstrates Shannon Thomson's graphic abilities, including stencil-like effects in this chic composition. Thomson seems to be equally adept with her camera and has several photographic offerings on view.

Nearby are the carefully textured, meticulously crafted Winds of Change, an acrylic by Anne Grindell. Her precise yet gentle style is evident in her lovely acrylic on paper landscapes as well.

Steeped in Samoan-Pacifica influenced culture, Lyle Penisula presents his energetic vision of the invisible spirit world in The Unseen Realm. The viewer witnesses the earthly battle between heavenly angels and hellish demons in this bold painting of reds, black, white and tan. The work is real treat to behold.

Surrounding this drama on one side is Cross, an adventuresome canvas by Ian Wright, who has taken to painting only a few years ago, and on the other, Gina Van Wichen's Emerging Night. This abstract is fascinating because of the use of pure, saturated colours, with a sense of mystery masterfully maintained. Van Wichen, a tutor at Southern Institute of Technology, and a well-respected juror to Southland art contests, is my favourite discovery of this exhibition. IAM, a small, but potent acrylic on canvas, Jesus Iconography, a gouache in the Eastern orthodox tradition, and The Last Supper, a pastel on paper, also confirms Van Wichen's many abilities. I truly hope to see her exhibit her talent more often.

City Gallery Manager Gabrielle Thomas showcases her faith and ability in Doors of the Heart, This is Jesus, a figurative work, and Freedom, which is an imposing diptyche of stylised wings on panels of dark turning into light.

Caren Ward rewards the observer with her straightforward, beautifully subtle works, Hope, Trust, and Prodigal. Brydie Baxter's mixed media Joy and acrylic Precious to God are also displayed; as are Chris Love Thomson's distinctive acrylic, For God So Loved the World, and Barb Ellison's, What's on Your Heart, Lord.

I like the display of Youth and Student Art. Dominque Maheno's red-toned paper mache, declares his faith in Believe. Brent Jamieson proclaims the enormity of divine power in Uncontainable, a mixed media 3-d on canvas. The Tapanui Youth Group collaborates in their colourful and vibrant acrylics My God is So Big and Eternal. Jane Stuart's I Am along with Lindsey Wilding's confident, bold screenprint, Life round out the youthful contributions.

Standing at the youth display area, I spy the Blokes Art exhibition in Gallery 2. Oh, boy. I can't wait!!

Gender-specific, Blokes Art, is chocked full of works by incredibly talented Southland men.

I'm first drawn to John Cutt's pastel, Light as a Feather. Subtly hued, the feather seems almost real, touchable. Providing refreshing emerald contrast is Tony Green's Summers Eve, Thompson Bush, a deftly composed acrylic. It offers areas of precision, but is not overworked. It's good to see Tony's graphite on paper, Old Puerua Church. Russel Everett's neighbouring charcoal sketches are a welcome change of pace, especially his Study of Liquid.

Dave Dustin, justifiably proud of his stunning prints, offers the visitor a chance to handle and study a print plate for his etching Glenorchy Wharf. Cabbage Tree, a lino print, features vibrant blue lines representing Southland wind blowing the fronds Impressive mastery of several media is shown in Wakatipu Skies, created using water colour, etching print and lino print. Stream, a woodblock print, won the 2008 Most Interesting Use of a Medium at Southland Art Society's Provincial Pride in 2008.

Stuart King, who also contributes to the show in Gallery I, has three stone carvings in the men's exhibition. I love the spare, blockish shapes carved out of the green coloured stone in Turtle Released, and Two Modes. My favourite of his would have to be Wisdom Tree. It is roughly pyramidal with interesting manipulation of wood and Oamaru stone.

Central Southland College Student Allan Mollison shows off his remarkable creative aptitude including his amazingly mature oils of Robyn Broughton and Sir Edmund Hillary. And I'm especially impressed with his graphite on paper, Memories-after CF Goldie. The literature on Mollison suggests he paints his images from photographs. I look forward to seeing his live model works in the future. The only way for this talent is up!

The softer application style of Brian Rumage works really well in Cavalcade Rider. Close by are Colin Gray's acrylic landscapes. My pick is McKinnon Pass on Milford Track. Around the corner is Gordon Duston's grand watercolour Finding the Outlet, Lake Ruatapu, Westland.

I really like Rob Smith's metal craft and sculpture works of copper, stainless steel, iron, and stone. His unique presentation of a well known landmark in Mitre Peak is beautiful with varying treatments of copper.

Coming back to Southland after tertiary studies, Daniel Monteath's regard for rococo styled art is expertly realised in his acrylics Woman Study #14, and Woman Study #16. And then there is Ray Kennedy's, colourful and lively acrylics. I like the gentleness of Granddaughter at Colac Bay.

When you come to City Gallery to see these shows, be sure to allow considerable time for browsing. With all the wonderful variety of artists and works, it would be a real shame to rush. But you'd better not wait!! Both exhibitions end April 1. No fooling. Sorry. Couldn't resist.

Reflections on Chiaroni

It's unmistakeable. Gregori Chiaroni is very proud of his Italian-New Zealand heritage. Clearly proclaimed on his website, "Gregori Chiaroni " is Greg Mc Donald's trademarked Italian moniker, using his mother's family name.

About the change, Chiaroni remarks, "The trademark was about making sure the name was carried on as there aren't that many of us in New Zealand. Also, it was a way of acknowledging my mother's side. I have carried the McDonald name all my life because society says that is what you do. I ask why? All of us come from two people so why not acknowledge both your mother and your father."

In an already crowded art world, the distinct name helps set him apart from other artists. Challenged initially by others about the swap, Chiaroni insisted on keeping the name. No one could give a good reason not to. He discovered when he looked for "Greg McDonald" on searched engines, it was really common . The switch helps in marketing his work. There is only one Gregori Chiaroni.

"In the end everybody saw what I was doing was a good thing. Of course they used to joke around and give me a bit of a hard time...but now they think its choice," reflects Gregori.

His great-grandfather, Mansueto Chiaroni, was proprietor of an art and framing business in Invercargill established soon after coming to New Zealand in the 1890's. It was located above the present Wensleys bike shop, and his great uncle, likewise, set up an art gallery in Dunedin. With an uncle Peter and a cousin Luca interested in art during Gregori's youth, perhaps it was a natural for him to pursue a BFA from Otago Polytechnic.

Born in the "Southern-most city in the world", this Invercargill-born artist is equally proud of his Southern roots. Chiaroni says, "I loved growing up in Southland. My school life was amazingly good and I made the best friends. I love Southland and I am extremely proud of where I come from. The people there are the best you will meet anywhere.

"I was blessed to have met my mentor and great friend there when I was a young man. His name is Johnny Penisula. He is the kindest, most humble man I know. I look up to him and I am heavily influenced by his work. Although I express that influence on my work in my way. He understands my work, he knows not to ask the usual silly questions, like who is that or do you know that person. Instead he just looks and finds his own meaning. I will be forever grateful for the knowledge he has bestowed on me, and I will always cherish our friendship. Over the years we have become very close.

When asked which other artists he admires, he responds, all the New Zealand artists that are making a good comfortable living as an artist, that are living the dream.

Chiaroni envisages joining their ranks soon. He continues, "At the moment I am not making a living from my work. This is the ultimate goal for me...I am on the right track I think, but at the moment its hard to concentrate full time on my work because I am teaching in Singapore. I have been mostly concentrating on completing commission work I have picked up over here from expats. I live here with my partner, Tahlee Henry.

"We would like to travel from here also...we will return to NZ one day and eventually we would love to set up in Rarotonga. I'd like to complete a masters in fine arts when we return to NZ. Other goals I have are to own a restaurant gallery, buy a house, get married and have lots of children!

"I have been offered a show with the Agora Gallery in New York City. I haven't committed to a date because I just can't say when Ill have enough work completed." He adds that he looks to confirm a date with them soon. "All I can say right now is watch this space."

When asked about a possible spiritual aspect to his work, because of the sensitively rendered image of Christ on his website, Gregori acknowledges, "My work is spiritual. I am a spiritual person. I'm not convinced in any one religion. I'm a free thinker and I respect everyone's right to believe in what ever they want. I believe in people and being a good person no matter what your religion or race."

Reflections is the latest Chiaroni exhibition on now until 27 March at The Bank Gallery. Many works are of Maori or Pacific people and deal with racial themes, for example, the blond haired brown eyed and brown haired blue eyed duo in the fun and funky Sweet Mix Kids. Others are interpretations of environmental and global challenges. All but one of his paintings on offer are bigger than life and demand attention.

The one smaller exception is my favourite, Wahine Rangatahi. I like the striking contrast of shadows on the mahogany coloured face against a background reminiscent of oceanic blues. The only thing that deterred from the brilliance, unfortunately, is the florescent lighting illuminating it and thereby muting the colours a bit.

Multi-Culture Aotearoa is a bit of an enigma in that the two canvases of this diptych are rendered in two distinct styles. The yellow hued scripted background is a unifying element in both pieces. Is the decidedly different approach to the figures in the separate panels deliberate? The Pacific/Maori man with blue eyes is brooding, very stylistic with drips and treated with looser applications of media. I love the vibrancy and implied texture of this figure. The lovely, sunny-faced woman on the other panel is more in keeping with the smoothly brushed surfaces of Chiaroni's other deftly painted figures. Is this a portend of the painter's future artistic direction? Please, go have a look and tell me what you think of this striking diptych.

"This piece is a visual image of the fastest growing population of people in Aotearoa today. Pakeha, Maori, Asian and Pacific Island sweet mix kids. The population of Aotearoa aged between 1 and 30 and of mixed ethnicity is the highest it has ever been since the migration of Europeans, Pacific Islanders and Asian peoples to Aotearoa began. Embrace it, enjoy it, live it", enthuses Gregori.

What thoughts come to you as you as you view of the works on display at the upstairs venue on Bank Corner in Invercargill. Other pieces in the show include 50/50, Surround Them With Knowledge, Youth Culture, Within Whose Hands Does Our Future Trust? I'd love to know which one is your favourite. You are welcome to post your thoughts here in the "comments" below.

Reflections, an imposing, well-considered exhibition showcasing the promising talent of Southland-bred Gregori Chiaroni, ends 27 March.

The Bank Art Gallery . 21 The Crescent Invercargill . Phone 03 218 6634

Open Weekdays 10 to 5

The Balance of Deow

When I first see A Balance of Options, an exhibition by Deow, aka Danny Owen, in Riverton last month, I am sure this must certainly be work by the same artist that had a show in SIT Arcade in Invercargill a few years back. The urban, edgy graffiti influence is still apparent, but now the works are sophisticated, a bit more tamed. I am really pleased to see the progress.

A whole slew of events prevent me from writing a review before the exhibition ends, the main thing...misplacing my notes from the first visit! I still can't locate them after extensive searching. Such is life. I arrange an interview this week with Deow in his office/studio/classroom over at the YMCA Education on Levin Street in Invercargill, with the idea that I'll incorporate a review and and learn more about this fascinating Southern artist.

The first thing that strikes me about Deow is his exuberance, the forthrightness, and the steady, earnest gaze of his eyes. And that strong, right-up-and-out-there handshake. Walking into his class, I see there is no doubt that this is where creativity rules. Graffiti on walls and boards and canvas are everywhere. It's a riot of lines, shapes, writing and colour.

He is eager to discuss his passions, which are many, yet interrelated.

I ask Deow about his art. And, to please explain an intriguing Artist Statement which includes, "the heady anarchic days of youth are now tempered by the years: the outpourings mellowed by the experience and joy of life. Expression has taken on a new life, legitimacy and a new currency of meaning". How has all this happened?

Deow recalls a childhood where he is creatively competitive with his cousins, scribbling comics, cartoons, which leads to a flair for graffiti. The tagging begins in 1999 in Anaheim, California, when he shifts there to be with his father. Then it's back to New Zealand. He is an overstayer. It's time to come home. To his roots.

About four years ago, he begins sketching in notebooks. At least 100 A4's are "chockered full of ideas". Soon, he becomes aware of "legitimate" art in galleries and exhibitions. And when he assesses the prices, he says to himself, "I can do this!"

Thus is birthed the idea for his first show Art to Facts in the SIT Arcade Gallery. "I made some good money!" And now, the current one is deemed a success, with 70 percent of the paintings on display sold. He likes it that he now makes a living out of something that was once considered rebellious.

Right after the first exhibition, Deow starts working as a tutor at the Y teaching numeracy and literacy skills. And he teaches his unique style of creating to "kids lacking direction". He is passionate about his work with the youth...talks about their problems and possible solutions and the whys of tagging. There are three basic reasons for tagging, Deow tells me: pure joy of vandalism, territoriality, and rebellious expression, which is really a masked cry for help.

He is now also older, wiser...gone are the days of anarchy and raw rebellion and hate for the world. He has buried a few friends and has personally come face to face with death, even on Southland's mean streets. "I appreciate life a lot more". He is man who seems at peace with himself. "I'm a man of creativity instead of destruction". He likes the slower Southland lifestyle, considering himself more a man of nature. On a "quest for self-sufficiency", Deow now likes to grow his own organic vegetables.

We now discuss his art. So, who are your influences? Your mentors?

He admires Salvadore Dali, Caravaggio, and DAIM, a German graffiti artist. His mentor, Wayne Patterson, inspires him to study the masters, the classics. I think this must account in part for the new sophistication in his newest works. And his dad, who is a graphic designer, also encourages him.

Your paintings portray a variety of styles that I'd like you to talk on. I ask him to tell me if he disagrees with my classifications. He does not.

First, your "Diffident" works-- Industrial Revolution, accompanied by a poem, "Many years Ago", features Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. And then there's Deow-struction, also with poetry, seems to exam the roll of oil in the Middle East conflict.

Says Deow, "Industrial Revolution is inspired by a song Many Years Ago by Immortal Technique, a Peruvian rapper that I admire, and who speaks out against American imperialism. No offense intended."

I ask Deow why I should be offended?

"I don't like Americans."

Really? Why's that.

"Well, I don't like that the US government has so much influence in the world."

I'm not offended. A democracy allows for a difference of opinion, and the opportunity to express that difference.

Deow tells me he has studied books written about Castro and Guevara. That is why he admires them.

I query if he is aware that both men are responsible for the deaths of lots of people as well. Some innocent.

Yes, perhaps, but Deow admires their passion for change.

Tell me about Deow-struction, which I consider to be graphic and poignant.

Deow says it highlights the destruction caused by American's greed for oil.

I concede to myself that, indeed, America does take her share of oil and then some. Perhaps another emblem instead of Shell Oil is a better choice for this gritty, well painted work (I really like it), because Royal Dutch Shell, well...is basically Dutch. I don't mention this to him, wanting to keep the interview friendly. Deow is still smiling. So earnest. So open. So passionate about life. I hope he hangs onto that.

Next, I ask Deow about the "Humourous" pieces, the first entitled The Tagger and the Watcher featuring Buckwheat and Alfalfa from the vintage American comedy series Our Gang.

"This one", explains Deow, "has definite racial undercurrents". He continues that the black guy is doing the dirty deed of tagging. The white guy, is supposed to be the lookout, and not doing a very good job...has that "deer in the headlight" look of getting caught, and lets his black friend down.

Another work of the humour genre Jump the Dripping Blood Pools has a Smurf in the midst of vibrant splashes and sprays of red paint.

"The title is a spontaneous name suggested by one of the ladies at the Riverton Art Centre while we are setting up the exhibition," says Deow, " and is a salute to childhood."

Please talk about the "Disturbing" works, such as Kids with Guns, done in airbrushed ink and is framed and behind glass. I like Deow's inked series. This one is soft, yet portrays a chilling scenario of a child pointing a gun at the viewer.

Deows responds, "I've got friends that are really against guns and I've got friends who are hunters. I only take my camera when I go hunting with them.

"This piece is in response to one of my friends who is gun crazy. He's teaching his kids to love guns by giving them toy guns. He's even given one of his young kids a slug gun, which could kill a small animal."

RG's Ink, an urban, edgy ink airbrush of two presumed gangsters is likewise disturbing. Disturbing. Challenging. Excellent composition.

"This was just a couple of my good friends. The tattoos are actually carbon black taken from car exhaust and rubbed on their bodies. We were just taking the piss out of gangsters one lazy Sunday".

I was so surprised to find "Movie Star Portraits" of Audrey Hepburn, Frank Sinatra, and Miles Davis, simply entitled with numbers, I tell him. These airbrushed inks are so beautiful and rich. They almost seem to be out of place with the rest of the exhibition. But, I like them. A hint of another direction for Deow to explore.

Deow says that these are actually works from a current project using airbrush venturi. Right now he's working on a piece featuring "Gollum" from "Lord of the Rings". His success with this new medium has encouraged him to do more portraits.

And, lastly, the " Beautiful Ones". Beautiful in the sense that they are relaxing or just plain fun. Tell me about South Sea Left Hand Goodness, and the companion work Milos-Once in a Blue Moon. Both are lush. Beautiful. Could hang easily in a gallery or look stunning in the typical modern lounge. Not a bit of graffiti angst here.

"Milos died last month", states Deow. "He had a diabetic seizure and died on the waves. The poem hanging under the painting is a eulogy I was unable to read at his funeral. " "Left hand goodness" is apparently a term for surf waves seen everyday on the South Coast. A "once-in-a-blue-moon" wave is a perfectly beautiful wave that breaks on Milo's point, which used to be called Nick's point on around the foreshore from Colac Bay.

Deow talks a little about his other passion...surfing. To get to the Milos point, you have to do a lot of walking, a few kilometres along the shoreline. You can't drive to it; there are no public access roads. But he deems it worth the effort, and speaks of beautiful waves, spumes, and the great time he has surfing.

I'm surprised by Indefinite Graffs, a water colour on a gallery wrap canvas that doesn't really look like a watercolour painting. It is an explosion of colour. Quite beautiful. Almost evokes a sense of something floral.

This one was an experiment and "a way to keep my word" to a shop keeper that sells him supplies. I have to say I do not quite understand Deow's explanation of this, but I really like the result.

I smile when I ask Deow about Buzzy Buzzy Bee Pollen Sue Me. It is simply a really happy piece of a Kiwi favourite. Gaye Larson, an assistant over at Riverton Arts Centre, says it is a really popular piece.

This piece explores Kiwiana and "is a nod to current copyright issues in New Zealand", says Deow. And one "buzzy" means "trippy". He says this piece is daring someone to sue him over copyright infringement issues.

I ask the artist to tell me about DAPS, a diptych of blues, grass, waves, leaves, Koru and other Maori motifs.

The patterns in this piece symbolises the Maori sentiment, "I would rather die like the hammerhead shark than the octopus". In this collaboration, Phicks does the side representing earth and fire, whilst Deow paints the water and wind side.

I then get Deow to tell about collaborations with Phicks.

Deow explains that during his first exhibition, Phicks wrote a guestbook note that was truly inspiring and so they now work together on commissions and murals, including this piece.

Where to from here, Deow?

His next project is a film documentary on South Coast surfing. He's taking the proceeds from this latest exhibition and buying an underwater camera. He hopes to have the filmwork viewed in Invercargill's movie theatre on completion of this project at the end of this year. And, he's welcome back next year to the Riverton Arts Centre.

Deow, aka Danny Owen. I like him. Certainly he and I agree to disagree on some things. That's good. Mostly, though, I really like his art. It is gritty, edgy, urban, beautiful, funny, and sad...an amazing array of emotions evoked by this young Southland artist finding his creative voice. Watch out world!! Here comes Deow!!!

Into the Thick of Things

I'm back in the thick of things and happily so. If you want to know the where's and why's of my absence from the blogging scene, please visit my post on my personal art blog http://beverlyclaridge.blogspot.com. However, even though I was otherwise detained, the art world churns on. And thankfully so.

"Technical glitches" prevented me from posting information on the edgy and urban, Deow exhibition entitled A Balance of Options over at the Riverton Art Centre, which closed 28 Feb. However, I look forward to an interview with Deow aka Danny Owen next week to find out more about his intriguing works. Review of his show and interview observations coming soon!

Three other exhibitions starting this week in Invercargill are worth a look. I'll be visiting Glory-Visions of Faith by Gabrielle Thomas and Michelle Dawson, as well as Blokes Art over at City Gallery this upcoming week. A review will be posted regarding these two shows before they close.

Today, I visited Reflections, an exhibition by Gregori Chiaroni over at The Bank Art Gallery. I get to have a question and answer with the artist, hopefully this weekend, and so will soon post that along with a review on his current exhibition.

Don't forget the exhibitions over at Southland Museum and Art Gallery all destined for future commentary on this blog.

In the Community Gallery until 29 March 09 is Conceal Reveal by mixed media artist sisters Mags Meechang and Angela Meecham . Next, starting 3 April, is painter Gaye McElroy, followed 8 May with Rural Relics by wood and bronze sculptor, Roddy McMillan.

In Gallery 2 is Imagining Papua New Guinea, featuring prints from a traveling exhibition from the National Gallery of Australia till 19th April 2009.

Chris Adams's exhibition The Sub Antarctic of New Zealand, and other Mezzotints starts 13 March.

I understand that sometime in the upcoming month or so out at Anderson Park Art Gallery, John Husband and Paul Lindsey are presenting a tentatively entitled exhibition Two Blokes Paint the South Again. Stay tuned for developments there. This is definitely something to look forward to.

So, we have plenteous art here available for all Southerners to view this coming week and beyond!

I'm thinking about changing the title of this blog just a wee bit to An American in Paradise: Observation and Information on Great South Visual Arts. This idea was suggested to me by my friend Robin McNeill as being more positive and magnificent sounding than Deep South. Perhaps it's a worthy suggestion. What do you think? I'd love to know.

Guilt By Association!!! Come on, New Zealand...we're better than this!!!!

I'm not really a political animal, although I try to keep tabs on governance here and back in the USA. Today, I learned about Section 92 or the Copyright Amendment Act, about to be set as law in Aotearoa...and it send chills up my spine.

Please join me in the blackout protest of the Section 92 of the Copyright Amendment Act, dubbed "Guilt by Accusation" bill which goes into law at the end of February. Read all about it on http://www.creativefreedom.org.nz/

This law will affect everybody in NZ, including you!! If you are accused, not convicted, of downloading anything copyrighted, you face having the ISP forced to cut your internet connection. I support copyright protection, but this threatens personal freedoms. Draconian punitive actions are taken without being proven guilty by a jury of your peers. Scary stuff. It becomes law late this month. Please join the blackout protest by blacking out your photo on your social networks to signify the dark age New Zealand internet users enter if this law passes. Kiwis only please sign the on-line petition at the Creative Freedom link above..

Southern Charm

With the wonderful afternoon surprise of family visiting, a trip to Anderson Park Art Gallery is the perfect choice for this week's review. Loved ones can entertain the children on the perfectly groomed playground set amidst roses, lavenders and 25 hectares of bush. I happily venture into the treasury of art within the elegant Georgian style mansion that once served as home for the family of Robert Anderson, businessman and philanthropist of Invercargill's earlier years.

I must confess, I have a certain fondness for Anderson Park Art Gallery, mostly due to the positive manner in which they hosted my 2006 exhibition, Noble People, Treasured Land, a solo show they asked me to do to celebrate the Southland Sesquicentennial. John Husband and Helen Nicols, both extremely knowledgeable on New Zealand art, go to great lengths to insure a visit to the gallery is enjoyable and special.

Inside, I immediately notice relief from the heat and brightness of the clear Southland afternoon with the cool smoothness of the black and white checkerboard marble running the length of the hall to the ornate case clock. An oil portrait by Rita Angus, as well as some paintings and sketches by John Husband and others, hang in the splendid corridor, all gently illuminated from the light reflected through the windows on the shaded side of the building.

A climb up the majestic carved stairs hints at the grandeur of the place. I look up to the stairwell ceiling, elegantly aglow with filtered light, to admire Flight of the Harrier Hawk, an aluminium sculpture of birds by Mervyn R. Saison, commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the opening of the Gallery a few years back.

On the upper storey landing, I head straight to the southwest bedroom gallery, replete with en suite hidden as a writing desk, a futuristic amenity in the 1920's when the home was built. This room houses the works of several contemporary Southland and New Zealand artists. Of course, it's difficult to not to see the imposing self-portrait by John Badcock, whose touring exhibition Passing People a few years back included an extended stop at the dignified surrounds of the Anderson home. I also spy a quirky watercolour Bluff Festival by perennial favourite Georgina Henderson.

What catches my fancy this day is Sounds of Silence by Alvin Pankhurst. This meticulously detailed and hauntingly beautiful still life of a Victorian sitting room features a violin perched on an ornate fireplace mantle behind a table with an amazing lace cloth. On the table stands the remnants of a broken pitcher housing a dried up rose hip stem, stuffed full of string that trails all over, leading the eye to points of interest throughout the work. A crystal cake dish with desiccated orange slices, and glass vase filled with water and a dead flower add to the intrigue. While enjoying my reverie inspired by Pankhurst's offering, my son-in-law, Isaac, walks in emitting a barely audible gasp. He's enchanted with the piece as well.

Come, come, he says! I'm charmed by Isaac's enthusiasm so I hurry over to the upstairs grand hall to admire the two meter squared Night Walk in the Ureweras by John Drawbridge. Triumphantly mounted in between two other Drawbridge prints, this oil on rough canvas work is a compelling abstract in deep blues, silver and earth tones.

Maree Helston, the very cheerful and knowledgeable gallery assistant for the day, points out the Geoff Dixon Takehe Flatworld. What a colour explosion. I fix my gaze. Ah, there it is. The surprise. I won't ruin it for you. Dixon is playful in this piece. You really must see it. Isaac and I walk around the room enjoying Ralph Hotere's Window in Spain, Colin McCahon's Koro III, a work sans painted scripture, and an interesting Doris Lusk, Detained. This loosely but confidently rendered watercolour features three persons separated by bars devoid of paint, presumably accounting for the title. There's also the colourful Farmyard With Rooster and Chooks by beloved Francis Hodgkins, and a Paul Dibble black bronze sculpture, Soft Geometric Series 2, Number 20. My companion nods his approval.

In the northwest room, John Husband's, Gala Street Elegance, and a long time favourite, The Rabbitor, by Colin Wheeler are featured. Back in the upstairs corridor, on the way to the east room, I spy Dark Hoverer by Don Binney and Headland by William Sutton .

The east bedroom displays selections by Mark Olsen, including the arrestingly eerie and precise, Silvester Siblings, as well as paintings by Dick Frizzell and Annie Baird.

By this time, my daughter and granddaughter are seeking refuge from the sunlight and heat and have made their way up the stairs. It's time to go. Oh wait...just let me go see... downstairs in the Grand Hall. I always take time to see him when I visit Anderson, or any museum for that matter. This one is tiny, about 6 x 6 inches and needs a light to really see it. I walk over to Charles Frederick Goldie's Te Rerehau Kahotea. I don't understand the controversy about Goldie. I think his Maori paintings are magnificent.

I regrettably forgo a stop in the complimentary tea and coffee room. Glancing briefly into southwest room, which I think served as a reception area for the Andersons, I notice paintings by Peter Beadle, Graham Braddock, John Crump. Sorry, gentlemen, hopefully I can stay longer next time.

Back outside, we walk to the playground so my granddaughter can have one trip down the slide. Isaac, standing next to me, offers, "I'm surprised how much I enjoyed myself in the gallery this afternoon. It is really amazing, and I'll have to come out here again". Yes!!!! That's what I like to hear!

Anderson Park Art Gallery
McIvor Road
Invercargill

Phone: (03) 215 7432
10:30 to 5:00 daily, except Christmas and Good Friday
Email: andersonparkgallery@xtra.co.nz

Photos:
Top: Anderson Park from front garden
Next: Grand Ball Room, Invercargill Symphonia playing at opening for Noble People, Treasured Land in 2006

The Game Takes Time

In order to absorb my own unique perception of an art exhibition, I usually like to walk straight past the information posted at the front of the line up and begin viewing works somewhere in the middle. Then I like go back to the artist statement to discover if my observations are anywhere near what the artist intended. What fun!

I walk confidently into Fair Game, created by 2008 William Hodges Fellows, Don Hunter and Ana Terry, on now in Gallery 4 at Southland Museum and Art Gallery. Peering into the even-more-dimly-lit-than-usual gallery, I spy engraved carpet squares in checkerboard patterns on the floor, silhouettes of plywood covered with carpet and metal, shotgun-shaped handled duck toys, and that magnificent chandelier! Whoa! I march back to the start to retrieve the handsomely designed brochure for the exhibition.

According to the publication, the duo's intent is to investigate the Southland traditions of fishing and duck shooting, proclaiming, "Duck shooting and whitebait harvesting are fiercely territorial and even tribal activities". They explore the relationship between the wetland environment and that of the hunter and fisher. Written by Otago Polytechnic School of Art lecturer, Ali Bramwell , the statement gently relays the artists' Southland-honouring perception of the land itself, as well as the respect they have for the folks who enjoy duck hunting and whitebait gathering in the deep south. Explanation is offered for all the stations contained within the display. Hunter and Terry work voices no judgment on these activities; they simply present their interpretations of the life and activities enjoyed by the participants.

It's quite difficult to select a favourite in this exhibition. All nine stations fit together, almost symbiotically, to give a complete presentation. I love the sparkling chandelier....every visitor heads straight for it, resplendent with its spotlighted whitebait-shaped acrylic-crystal lobes hooked onto the frame. What takes a bit of time, mainly to allow my eyes to adjust to the darkness, is to truly observe the silhouettes of marsh grass, the windblown "Orepuki haircut" tree and the pointing dog amongst all the carpet squares, some of them embedded with shot gun shells. The shadowplay of the shapes against the squares of burned-in design is amazing. The Head Shot and Butt Shot display, looking like wall trophies with the appropriate end of the duck as mount, is wonderfully tongue-in-cheek, using spent cartridges as plaques of honour on one and shot riddled holes in the other. If I must select a preferred station, it may be Last Flight, a trio of ducks in zinc plate on plywood. I truly appreciate this piece only after I turn around from enjoying the audio visual presentation of Sweet Spot. I notice the trio magically glowing a beautiful blue from the light bouncing from the projection. Sweet.

Fair Game presents Southland in a noble, yet challenging manner. It is respectful of the explored activities, yet tries to have fun. Most visitors I observe make a bee-line to the chandelier, give an exclamation of approval, look around briefly, and then leave. What a shame. As an artist who is the first to admit I struggle with conceptual art, I urge those coming to the exhibition, to relax and invest the time necessary to truly appreciate the presentation and discover the playfulness Hunter and Terry portray. The "Fair Game" write up is well worth a read. Southland Museum, always outstanding in their set up, would do well to provide nearby seating in a better lit area to facilitate this. The one in the nearby Maori artifacts display is in a dark area. Viewing enjoyment is enhanced by reading the beautifully created pamphlet. Thank you Don Hunter and Ana Terry. Enjoy your time in Vanuatu. Exhibition runs till 8 March 2009.

Be sure to check out the Liz Bristow "Moments in Time" Exhibition around the corner from this display in the Community Gallery.

Bristow "endeavours to capture those intimate and telling moments in which emotions and actions reveal our personalities". In the display of 15 dynamic and splashy, mostly figurative, charcoal and acrylics, some in impasto, indeed, with paint squeezed straight from the tube are presented. I like best an abstract entitled, A Dark Night.

Looking around at the riot of colour about the gallery, I can't help thinking---Liz is simply having too much fun!!! Come see her celebration in this lively show, which ends 22 February.

Southland Museum and Art Gallery, Gala Street, Invercargill. Hours: 8:30 to 5 Daily. Phone: 219-9069

Stake Your Colours to the Mast!

In a PC world, where folks are often reluctant to state what they really believe, it is refreshing to encounter the "stake your colours to the mast" boldness of the Brydie Baxter exhibition, This is What I Know, at The Bank Art Gallery, on the roundabout at Dee and Tay in Invercargill. Baxter's exhibition unabashedly, unashamedly showcases her Christian faith. Even her artist statement proclaims the exhibition as her "way of sharing the gospel message, as I know it...take it or leave it. This is what I know. ...As you journey through the works displayed, my hope is that God will speak to you and encourage you...and that you will be challenged..."

With 37 works in an amazing array of styles, materials, and techniques, this is an ambitious first exhibition for Brydie, which took two years to complete. There are figurative offerings such as I am Free and To Dance, as well as more abstract ones, such as the tender hearted Grace. I find Reality at Twenty Two an intriguing collage of cardboard and other applied materials with hand painted inscriptions created to explore her response to challenges to her faith and beliefs as a younger woman. Other pieces are crafted from found items, such as a copper tray and even a clock, both with significant words and images carefully brushed on by the artist. My favourite is Alpha and Omega and Everything in Between a colourful acrylic on canvas tryptiche. The Beatitudes, a close second, and fashioned out of pieces of well worn denim jeans mostly likely worn to paint a house, presents the famous words of Jesus from the gospel of Luke in the Message, a popular Bible paraphrase publication. All of Baxter's works have words. Words in the artwork, and words on the title labels explain the artist's journey of faith taken with each creation.

Asking Brydie which one of her works she wants to be photographed with, she walks straight to I am the Way, explaining this is the keystone piece giving rise to the idea for the exhibition. Brydie Baxter is an artist who has taken her faith, done a lot of soul searching, as well as a lot of hard work, and presents her colourful variety of art with a clear cut message she is keen to share.

Phone The Bank Art Gallery, phone 3-218-6634 for hours and dates of this exhibition.