Outside Window
2004
This work was created for a friend at art school. Inspired by several artworks with a muted tone that I had been seeing in different places.
This work was created for a friend at art school. Inspired by several artworks with a muted tone that I had been seeing in different places.
Luke 19:40 – “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
“Oh, the sound of the rocks: cry out”
“Over the sea. Twist and Turn. Nothing but the blood”
Many hours were spent on the buses driving through this popular Wellington suburb to and from art school in Island Bay. This particular scene is actually done from memory, as best I could create it. I love the view that is mostly held in the puddle on the road rather than the actual painting. Including this angle intrigues me.
Building on the dark, nightscape with metalic paints and textures to create this brooding work. There is a contrast between paints, with matte and gloss enamel also being used to create the shapes and structures in the work. Continuing to develop some of my stencil work was also a focus at the time.
Mai Beach is a fictional place. This is a comment on the ownership of the beaches, and some beach accesses in New Zealand being changed, with the foreshore and out 20 metres into the ocean now being owned by local iwi around the country. There was concern around what public beach access would be, and who actually “owns” this land. The phonic similarity of “mai” and “my” is intended.
This work is a comment on Don Brash’s ‘Orewa speach’ where he stated several ideals that would see New Zealand move on from two cultures and move towards one country, one people. It caused a lot of controversy, and although it had many good points, they all seemed to me to be quite idealistic in nature.
This was created as part of a block course at Art School where we had to limit ourselves in some way. For this, I decided that I would create the artwork purely by using finger painting. Finger painting is usually an art and craft activity limited to the early childhood years and the juxtaposition was to see if a full work of art could be created.
Following on from my finger painted and stencilled “Idealistic” painting that was a comment on Don Brash’s ‘Orewa’ speech from the time he was leading the National Party. This triptych utilises the copper paint that features in previous work. The sculpture that was installed on the Petone foreshore around this time also provided inspiration.
The iced over lake stretches out as you look out from the verandah. This eery, mysterious glow creeps across the ice cold landscape.
One of my first silhouette paintings using a vibrant sunset through a raw sienna tone, this one was inspired by my formative years tramping and camping around the country.