Next in our series of overlooked Wellington public art is this beauty here to the right.
If you’ve not seen it before I’d be extremely surprised, because it’s plonked pretty much squarely opposite the Lido, somewhere seeming to always be awash with punters tipping the usual variety of liquids and solids into themselves.
As you can see, it’s a great piece, bronze, and textured in a marvelously subtle way. The slightly abstract lines just make it all the more curious to look at, and the complete absence of nose-hair suggests the model was extremely well-kempt.
So… what is it?
One of the things about living in a great city like Wellington is that there are a hell of a lot of things to take for granted.
I mention this because while listening to Don McGlashan in Civic Square the other day he mentioned that Auckland doesn’t really have any civic art. I’m not sure that’s entirely true… But, in the spirit of parochial one-upmanship I thought I’d bring you some of Wellington’s oft-overlooked art and sculpture.
Why oft-overlooked? Well, we have the Wellington Sculpture Trust and its glamourpuss art all over the blimmin place, but there’s also a lot of smaller, less noticed stuff that we here at the Wellingtonista want to celebrate.
So with no further ado, here is a sculpture. And ain’t it a little cutie?
The real question is of course whether you recognise it. And you probably don’t. This of course being the problem with a place like Wellington, sometimes there’s so much bloody public art you can’t walk three feet without tripping over the latest “abstract something”…
But I digress. So what is it?! More after the jump!
Assuming you haven’t swanned off to sun yourself in the miserable bloody New Zealand Christmas weather, dashing in and out of the rainstorms and/or hail with your bottle of BananaBoat, toweling hat, and lawnchair, then you’re probably still around Wellington.
Assuming you’ve made the right decision (and are having your hols in February), then we here at the Wellingtonista advise you to get yourself along to the City Gallery for the FREE Bill Hammond exhibition, Jingle Jangle Morning.
And why? Because even when it’s crappy out, Bill’s painting is there for you.
The above piece of artwork is part of a series entitled Eye Candy and was skilfully hand painted by resident Wellington artist, Brad Williams aka Slope, and until sometime during the 31st of October, was on display at (best late nite venue nominee) Sandwiches.
On which date it was nicked – during daylight hours – and both the Sandwiches lads and Slope are understandably upset.
So, if you happen to catch sight of this piece of work (approximately 2m x 0.7m, so shouldn’t be too hard to see if is in the vicinity) hanging in a flat, for sale on trademe, or under the arm of some shifty-looking charcter on the street, give the cops a call. Cheers.
Wellington: A City for Sculpture
edited by Jenny Harper and Aaron Lister, photography by Bruce Connew
Published by VUP in association with the Wellington Sculpture Trust.
(RRP $50.00, Vic Books price $45.00)
Don’t have time to visit, engage and ponder the merits of the sculptures YOU can vote for in the Second Annual Wellingtonista Awards? Buy this book, sit down in front of the computer and peruse to your heart’s content.
This is much more than a book of pretty pictures of sculptures in Wellington. Whilst some of Bruce Connew’s photographs capture the featured works in brilliant sunshine, others are shown against grey or misty skies – an accurate reflection of Wellington’s changeable weather.
Genevieve Packer, probably known best for her Hutt Valley and State House tee-shirts, has taken over Old Victoria Arcade for her Master of Design exhibition.
The show is open 12 noon until 6 pm on Thursday – Sunday, from the 18th of October to the 4th of November. Gen’s site is here.
Deborah Barton is a Wellington-based print maker. She has done a number of exhibitions, and is about to open at the Solander Gallery in Lyall Bay this Saturday, 13 October.
Deborah’s prints are dark and intriguing, with overtones of childhood mysteries.
And now for the good news. As a young artist Deborah’s work is surprisingly reasonably priced…
Need I say more.
Hinterland II
Sandra Schmidt
Michael Hirschfeld Gallery
(at City Gallery)
10 October — 18 November 2007
The crystalline shapes and icy-coloured forms of Sandra Schmidt’s Hinterland II make up the sequel exhibition to her 2006 hot-hued Hinterland which appeared at Mary Newton Gallery, Wellington. The earlier spiky-shaped works in Hinterland expressed ideas of fire, heat, pressure and friction. In Hinterland II the focus is on cool colours and references to ice and water. Both extremes of temperature represent inhospitable areas, the back country or underdeveloped place, either metaphorical or real.
(more after the jump)
Come see the new mag for the first time and enjoy a night of off-beat entertainment.
(details after the jump)
Jason Kahn is a sound and visual artist based in Zürich whose work includes drawing, sound installation, performance and composition. He was born in New York, grew up in Los Angeles and relocated to Europe in 1990. Kahn has been exhibiting his sound and visual works since the late 1990s, and has had solo and group exhibitions in museums, galleries and arts spaces pretty much everywhere in the damn world.
And he’s playing in Wellington on Sunday night.