....with a paint brush in his hand is not a good arrangement. This was me yesterday helping to set up an exhibition which will be showing Colin McCahon, Ralph Hotere, Philip Clairmont and other leading New Zealand works of art. I suppose at least with any of these three, spilling paint on the artworks would have probably gone unnoticed (except by the artist and two of them are dead). I was preparing and painting display walls for the exhibition that starts next week and in between times helping to unpack and hang the pieces (having washed the paint off my hands first). The trouble is that I am naturally clumsy and if there is something valuable to break or spill stuff on - I'm your man. I got through OK though although when I was holding up the $1 million plus McCahon I wondered what would happen if I dropped it.
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| Colin McCahon 'Venus and re-entry: the Bleeding Heart of Jesus is seen above Ahipara' (1970-71), Te Manawa Museums Trust. |
The highlight for me though is the Philip Clairmont "Christ Crucified" that has never been shown before. It is in the private collection of an American to whom Clairmont gifted it. This is a large painting on board with predominantly blue colours. It is not as controversial as some of Clairmont's other Jesus paintings (Jesus as a woman, a hermaphrodite, with an erection etc.).
I stumbled upon this 'booklet' while searching for something else: https://wellington.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/4131#idx7278 ...
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7 comments:
" when I was holding up the $1 million plus McCahon I wondered what would happen if I dropped it"
For a start I would give you a round of applause.
I like art, but not that crap.
This is purely a personal opinion of course, but I've got a picture hanging on my wall made by my son when he was in Kindie (age 3). I'd fight to the death to keep it, but them I'm biased.
It's still better than most of the "avant garde" junk that appears in Wellington City Gallery.
I think the test of an artist is can he/she draw or paint an ordinary picture. If so his/her abstractions will have nerit too.
Wikipaedea shows what looks like a self portrait of McCahen which is very good.
If God had meant man to paint pictures, he'd have put small bristles on the end of his cock.
Akish (TP)
excellent comment Akish(TP), right to the point.
McCahon was actually a very good artist. His early stuff proves that he could do the conventional stuff really well.
I remember seeing the McCahon at the national part headquarters at Lake Waikaremoana as a girl (in the days before it was stolen) and being absolutely blown away by it, I really love it.
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