NOTE: I plan to publish only once a week, however, The Bank Art Gallery Christmas Exhibition ends next week and I want to encourage you to go see it. All future posts, with permission of the artists involved, shall contain photos. Thanks for visiting my blog!
I learned of
The Bank Art Gallery Christmas Exhibition via an NZ Live link on
Metservice, proclaiming it "a fabulously fun exhibition with a vibrant mix of artworks by
Maree Beker,Lois McMillan,
Kate Morrison,and North Island Artist
Lianne Adams,from Taihape."
The artworks are fun and enjoyable. However, the images shown on
NZ Live page were neither very lively nor much fun. Perhaps the chosen pieces do not translate well into jpegs or onto a web page. I've had that problem when posting my own images online. Nonetheless, I'm glad NZ Live offers a website to promote art exhibitions, and I'm even happier I made the effort to see the exhibition.
Kate Morrison's collection of mostly pen and wash framed pieces are fresh and friendly.
Hydrangeas, a vibrant, colourful collage is encountered on the stairwell up to the upper gallery. Having worked in media that is presented behind glass, I only wish another placement would have been selected for this and another of Morrison's pieces. Somehow, it was difficult to properly view the two pieces because of the reflections, and stepping back to lessen them seemed unwise due to the stairs. At the top of the stairs,
Hatch, Match, or Dispatch rewards with a sense of humour. This pen and wash composition shows a stylised, poignant, and fun vision about the "circle of life"(birth, marriage, and death) ceremonies taking place at three churches. It was my favourite of all the Morrison pieces. It is easy to see why her work has won a People's Choice award in the past, as shown in this piece and in
Family Group I and II.
Giant Russian, a larger piece of pen and wash, offers sunflowers with butterflies and a grasshopper dancing amongst the grass on a sunny day, with fluffy clouds and a vivid blue sky as backdrop.
A tutor at
Southland Education,according to their website, Kate graduated from Victoria University with a degree in English Literature and Religious studies. She began creating art when she moved to Invercargill in 1994. Her love of family life is exemplified in her art.
I find Lois McMillan's mostly large works quite challenging. Admittedly, I struggle with full appreciation of abstract art.
Migration, an acrylic painting of an estimated 1500 x 450 mm dimensions, shows six birds rendered with spare, but energetic brushstrokes on canvas. One bird's wings are spread, apparently ready for take off in a different direction than the others. Only two are looking towards each other, although even one of the pair is looking slightly skyward. I can only wonder about the meaning. Perhaps it is symbolic of the mobility of our modern society. Maybe it indicates the disconnectedness often experienced in a more transitory culture. In the companion piece,
Migrant, about 600 x 450mm, one bird is looking toward a blue textured area that appears to me to be ghostlike. I had difficulty viewing this image as the lighting for this piece and four others on the temporary walls were turned off. I did appreciate the crunchy texture of this second piece.
Origins of Dust, I, estimated 1200 x 600 mm, and well lit, shows human groups, with facial features sparingly lined in. Other groups are hinted at with well placed scribbles on a textured ochre and perhaps burnt sienna surface. It was my favourite of all of Ms. McMillan's, evoking many questions.
Origins of Dust, II, estimated 900 x 900 mm, containing two people, suggested rather than specifically shown, is similarly textured in subtle tones of tan and ochre. Again, lighting would have helped.
Uncle James, a smaller textured canvas of dark colours of a taciturn man, compels me to ask what the story is behind this painting.
Some Things Will Never Be the Same is an exceedingly challenging, intensely textured piece with greyish blues, blacks and greys, with gouges made in the support revealing bits of orange and yellow, topped off by considered placement of impasto white. The meaning remains hidden, perhaps a statement of personal journey for the artist, on display, but not for sale. My search for more information about Lois McMillan on the Internet has not been fruitful. I'll have to do more homework for future reviews.
The works of Taihape artist, Lianne Adams, showcases her love of the land in which she lives.
The Crater Lake Ruapehu, framed, estimated 1200 x 900mm acrylic on canvas, presents a dynamic yet monolithic foreground in vibrant earthtones, boldly and confidently applied. Surrounded by the mountain, sky, and cloud is the beautiful limpid blue Crater Lake. This is a strong, bold painting, showing lots of movement (of a land that has potential for lots of movement, geologically speaking). I like the strong stylisation. The humble cabbage tree gets Ms. Adam's apt treatment in
Mountain Cabbage Tree. My favourite Lianne Adams piece in this collection is the three dimensional, mixed media offering,
Going, Going, Gone. The piece displays the many and varied facets of Ms. Adam's talents. Containing images of bush, birds, music, graph paper in a collage effect, this piece gives cause to ponder the messages the artist is conveying. I'd guess it would be about 1200 x 450 mm, although the interesting New Zealand native bird-shaped cut-outs made it difficult for me to assess.
Ngaruahoe and the Tama Cakes, on an estimated 1200 x 900 mm canvas, is a rhythmic, earthy, yet lively acrylic of Mt. Taranaki.
Cirrus Dance for the Kaikawakas, estimated 1200 x 900 mm size acrylic, displays a nymph-like cloud formations dancing amongst stylised New Zealand native trees. According to
Lianne Adams' page on Artfind, the artist is influenced by the dominant mountains, rivers and hills of the area she lives in. Very active in the local and national arts, Lianne has been invited to exhibit at the Florence Bienalle in Italy in December 2009.
Maree Beker's exhibition indicates an artist who knows what she's doing, but loves to take a chance. Her confidence shines through in
Girl with Flower, an estimated 600 x 900 mm acrylic on canvas. Children as artwork subject can be quite saccharine if not handled expertly. Bold, deliberate strokes in a monochromatic composition of browns and ochre is painted well and with conviction. It is my favourite of Beker's offerings. The cabbage tree is presented by Ms. Beker from a refreshing point of view. Fronds are blowing in the breeze at sunset, inferred only by the orange on the leaves, and the title,
TeTouka at Sunset. I love the dynamic windswept macrocarpa hedges of coastal Deep South. and
Fortrose Macrocarpa, about 1200 x 900 mm canvas, displays this beauty in a loose and flowing manner. Warm oranges, yellows, contrast against a vivid blue sky.
Te Kauka, approximately 600 x 900mm, is a more traditional treatment of the cabbage tree, with a textured violet background. Linear elements add interest to this piece. Maree took a different direction in her mixed media triptych entitled
Fortrose Sand Dunes, a heavily textured and stylised presentation of her homeland. One title word each is painted wispily in the sky of each panel. A circular configuration of shells, most likely paua, visually connects the middle and right panel, completing this adventurous departure from what appears to be Beker's normal style.
Maree Beker, from my internet searches, namely Finda.co.nz , is one busy lady. She and her husband, Steve, own Pukeko Alley, an Art, Craft and Gifts Gallery and a Mini Golf Course, located in Fortrose. She teaches classes and accepts commissions in addition to raising a family.
Call The Bank Art Gallery, phone 3-218-6634 to confirm the end date of this vibrant and varied exhibition. It well worth the effort.
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