By Richard Lewer
Monash University Museum of Art | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

A FEW YEARS AGO, 2004 to be precise, Richard Lewer had a show at Enjoy Public Art Gallery in Wellington. In Between consisted of a DVD of Lewer’s drawings used to animate interviews conducted by then Enjoy curator Charlotte Huddleston. It was a ghost story, and a great work; subtle, engrossing, smart, and humorous, and unlike a lot of video work really held my attention.

Christchurch City Gallery; Canterbury University Press
NZ$80; $60 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

I CAN’T remember exactly when I became aware of Séraphine Pick’s work, but it was probably around the turn of the new century. What I do remember is that, while I appreciated them as beautifully executed paintings, they didn’t particularly interest me as images – fantastical, surrealist images, which I’ve never been much into as a genre in any medium.

By Gavin Hurley
Self-published, NZ$30 | Reviewed by Hanna Scott

WITH AN embossed cover, uncoated paper stocks, and an immediate sense of the three dimensional nature of paper collage, A to Z is both a delightfully tactile and visual experience. Proof, if any were needed that the book is very much alive, and not in any danger of dying an electronic death.

“Understand nothing about this ‘town’, where everything is traveling except the pigeons.”—Marcel Duchamp, postcard to Jacques Doucet, Venice, May 23, 1926.*

THOMASIN SLEIGH: Even though it is ambitious in its aspirations, grandiose in its size, and touted as the most important event on the contemporary art calendar, the Venice Biennale is shabby. It runs for five months. Venice is crumbly, and it crumbles over everything. Art works break. Venue attendants don’t know what they are talking about. No one knows what a ‘Collateral Event’ is. All the maps for the Biennale are inexplicably different and impossible to decipher. Visitors get lost and are only found months later, walking in circles in Campo Santo Stefano.

By Haruhiko Sameshima
Rim Books, NZ$60 | Reviewed by Hanna Scott

LIKE AN Oscar-winning speech the first thing that hit me when I opened the pages of this almost-square format book is the list of acknowledgements on page eight. A whole page of them, stacked into categories. The most heart warming, and also the longest, is the list of “photographers that I have never met but whose work had a direct influence on me when making photographs for this book,” as if Sameshima were making a disclaimer against an accusation of inappropriate appropriation.

By Alison Annals, Abby Cunnane, Sam Cunnane;
University of Canterbury, Dept of Art History and Theory
pearsoned.co.nz; canterbury.ac.nz | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

I WAS intrigued by the title, Saying What You See: How to talk and write about art, hoping I would find some hints and shortcuts to help me say what I see. What I discovered though was that how I have been doing it all these years is also the way students are also taught to do it: read stuff, make notes, view shows, make notes, talk to people, make notes. So no quick cheats then.

Courtenay Place Light boxes; The Film Archive
June 19-Dec 19; July 19-Aug 1 | Reviewed by Thomasin Sleigh

IT IS HARD not to be attracted to Marie Shannon’s photographs currently installed in the light boxes on Courtenay Place, Wellington. A collection of affectionate notes left by Shannon, her partner and their son to each other, these messages have a touching intimacy incongruous with their large, public presentation.

By Darren Glass
Self-published, NZ$40 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

EXPECTATIONS. Often they can be the undoing of you; they can throw you completely.

I picked up A Field Guide to Camera Species and the first thought I had was that it was smaller than I expected. It’s not often art books come as a 100 page, A5. Flicking through, I realise that there aren’t the photos I had expected. Then it hits me. The book that I’m holding and confounding my expectations is actually a field guide. In the truest sense.

Edited by William McAloon
Te Papa Press, NZ$130 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

OVER the last few years a number of New Zealand museums and art galleries have released books detailing their collections. In Art at Te Papa, we have a mighty tome showing off the art collection of our national museum.

Like the recently reviewed Seen This Century this is essentially a list book, albeit on a larger scale. And as with any list book readers will probably disagree with those included and those excluded. Not being one with a great knowledge of the Te Papa art collection, a quick flick through suggests that this is a pretty comprehensive survey.

Enjoy Public Gallery
April 23-May 16 | Reviewed by Thomasin Sleigh

I WAS A bit late for John Ward Knox’s artist’s talk which was programmed promptly for 5:15 to 6:00pm, followed by the opening celebrations proper. It turned out that this was okay, because Knox didn’t speak linearly about the work in the show but tangentially and openly about thoughts and experiences which had occurred to him over the days leading up to the exhibition. The space of the artist’s talk was democratic, in the sense that it was opened up intellectually to chance encounters, private musings and loosely connected happenings. These thoughts could be tied tentatively to the actual physical work of Knox’s exhibition, or they could be left shifting between the physical and the philosophical – not quite catching fully on either.

Issue 10
NZ$10 | Reviewed by Thomasin Sleigh

THE RECENT White Fungus is a big box of words. Good words. All arranged well and clearly and in tidy lines for ease of reading. It is great to see this publication reach issue number ten given the difficulties involved in sustaining niche publications in New Zealand. Part of its charm I guess is that White Fungus isn’t that ‘niche’ and actually caters to many tastes – Issue 10 includes poetry, prose, political critique, page works, historical snippets, art criticism and a tasty little run down on the 300BC cynic Diogenes to finish. Like a Greek after dinner mint.

Essay by Dr. Ann McEwan;
Photography by Anne Challinor
Ramp Press/Wintec, NZ$48 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

ONE NICE THING about photography books is that, often, there is little text. This leaves the photos – generally the reason the book exists – to be read without too much interference. A good introduction will give us a context in which to read the work in the book, and hint at what the photographer was trying to achieve. The photos can then, hopefully, be enjoyed/devoured/whatever with little distraction.

By Warwick Brown
RH/Godwit, $55 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

ACCORDING to the media release for this book, “In... Seen This Century – out just ahead of May’s Auckland Art Fair – Warwick Brown has come up with an up-to-the-minute list of the 100 “ones to watch” to have merged in our contemporary art scene throughout the country since the turn of this century.”

Artspace
Jan 31-Feb 28 | Reviewed by Thomasin Sleigh

AUCKLAND was a smoggy, humid, soup when I was up there in early February. To get some respite from the heat I scuttled in to the Giovanni Intra exhibition at Artspace. It was a slick show. No dusty, cluttered vitrines for this contemporary art space. Jauntily angled glass topped tables presented the ephemera from Intra’s life and work; sketch books, doodles on serviettes, exhibition invites, photographic contact sheets and working notes. Around the corner, slides projectors flicked through images of Intra’s work and a table displayed books and catalogues collected by Intra and relating to practice.

Photography by Grahame Sydney
Penguin, NZ$115 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

WHEN I recently reviewed Roger Donaldson’s book, All Dogs Shot, I commented that some photography books seem to get published because of the person and not the work. White Silence falls into that camp and while Donaldson’s photographs definitely have merit I’m not so certain about this book. I’m not really sure of its purpose beyond an expensive souvenir of Grahame Sydney’s time in Antarctica.

By Roger Donaldson and Hamish Keith
Random House, $49.95 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

IN HIS foreword Hamish Keith says: “We live in a cloud of pragmatic photographic images. The practical uses of the medium tend to limit our view of its possibilities – if our experience of painting was mediated by signwriting, we might see it as predominantly only for the making of visual messages. Clear way the noisy swarm of our daily encounters with photographs and photography becomes art again.”

By Iain Sharp
AUP, $64.99 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

MAJOR Charles Heaphy: artist, explorer, propagandist, cabbage grower, surveyor, soldier, Member of Parliament, Commissioner of Native Reserves, Victoria Cross. Like many early settlers Heaphy seemed to throw himself into various roles. It is his art for which he is most remembered, although this wasn’t always the case. As he drew for much of his life, this biography principally focuses on his art while discussing the various other roles he played. It’s a great read, written in an easy style, with bits of light-hearted humour and tongue-in-cheek modern reappraisal.

Issue 1, Spring 2008
VizulEyz Collective, NZ$9 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

VizulEyz is a new publication by a group of photographers who met at the Rangiora Photographic Society and who have a strong interest in classic documentary photography – decisive moment, black and white.

One Day Sculpture
October 9 | Reviewed by Thomasin Sleigh

OCTOBER 7 – 13 was Disaster Awareness Week. It was all go in Wellington, with cars and helicopters flying over the city emitting piercing sirens followed by the words “This is a test – the next time you hear this siren it could be a real emergency or disaster. Get ready to get through – your local council can help.” Very exciting, but a little bewildering if you didn’t know what was going on.

Peter Peryer photographs;
Essays by Peter Simpson and Peter Peryer
AUP, $59.95 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

PETER PERYER himself introduces us to his book – and to himself. In ‘First Light’, a brief autobiographical essay, he gives us some insight into the man and the artist, and where they came from. It largely comprises of seemingly random thoughts/vignettes about his childhood – such as “In 1953 we were given little British flags on sticks and made to line up along a footpath and wave at Queen Elizabeth as she was driven past. What beautiful skin, I remember thinking” – before slipping into more of a direct narrative as he gets older. While it ends shortly after he first picked up a camera, throughout Peryer hints at the foundations of his photographic interests without spelling it out.

Edited by V. Sherson, D. Cook, A. Wilkinson
Ramp Press/Wintec, NZ$48 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

Baches of Raglan is the type of book I am surprised more educational institutions don’t attempt. Published by Ramp Press, Wintec’s in-house publishing label, the book is a collaboration between photography, journalism, and design students and tutors at the Waikato Institute of Technology.

By John Reynolds
Godwit, NZ$69.95 | Reviewed by L M Wallace

MAN IN A HAT, planter of plants, word-fanatic, cloud-enthusiast, and the list goes on. John Reynolds has eluded definition in the New Zealand art world for almost thirty years. He appears to dance around lines of categorisation and expectation, and the book Certain Words Drawn is loud applause for this talent.

Summer 08/09
July 18 | Reviewed by Thomasin Sleigh

Lela Jacobs unveiled her new collection of clothes on a wintery night in Wellington. It was dark and cold, and it felt like it had been raining for about three years. Mary Newton Gallery, where the launch was held, was packed with black-clad fashionistas eager to see the Jacobs’ new range and grab a glass of wine.

City Gallery Wellington
July 12-October 19 | Reviewed by Thomasin Sleigh

THE Fiona Hall show is cohesive. Cette exposition est cohérent. I went to the show with my friend for our French conversation class. Now botanical imagery, colonial ambition, and struggling to find the right French verb are inextricably bound together in my mind. Perhaps this isn’t such an irrelevant collection of ideas for a Fiona Hall exhibition. Force Field deals with the transference of information between the cultures, and as an English-born Zimbabwean living in New Zealand learning to speak French I am often amused by the complexities of my situation. C’est drôle, n’est pas?

RENEE LIANG devours the live flesh at the 2008 New Zealand Body Art Awards.

“I DON’T know why we paint on bodies,” Australian body artist Lynne Jamieson told the crowd. “Why would we choose to paint on a canvas that breathes, asks too many questions and can’t be put away in a cupboard when inspiration fails?”

I can think of plenty of reasons. For a start, those canvases can move, dance, strut or crawl – along a giant catwalk, to a rousing sound and light show. Second – and let’s not forget the titillation factor here – those canvases are fascinating in themselves, being people’s (nearly) naked bodies.

ANDY PALMER previews McNamara Gallery’s latest photography exhibition, currently in Auckland.

OVER THE LAST few years, the McNamara Gallery in Wanganui and its owner Paul McNamara have been doing a fantastic job of promoting New Zealand photography nationally and internationally. Being based in Wanganui has meant some logistical issues have had to be worked through in order to promote both the gallery and its artists to a wider audience. To get over this relative isolation, McNamara has curated and toured a number of group shows. Close Up, currently on at Gus Fisher Gallery in Auckland, is the latest of these and coincides with the Auckland Festival of Photography.

THOMASIN SLEIGH returns from a busy couple of weeks at Melbourne’s Next Wave Festival.

NEXT WAVE 2008, Melbourne’s emerging artists/ performers/writers festival, was an elaborate affair. I only just managed to get my plane back to New Zealand after the last ‘Nightclub Project’ the night before, one of the events where performers and artists intervened in dubious nightclub environments. I ran into the airport and was suddenly struck by the thought I might have forgotten to put on my pants. Thankfully, this was not the case. Needless to say, it was a good night.

By Liz Maw
lizmaw.com, NZ$64.95 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

THE ARTIST’s book has been the staple of many artists for many years, most notably Nobuyoshi Araki and Ed Ruscha. Recent advances in publishing technology have allowed more artists to self-publish their own work. The time from designing to printing can be quicker than traditional publishing methods. Last year, for example, Matt Couper published a bound catalogue of his Sarjeant Gallery show, available at the opening, which included photos of the works as installed in the gallery. Recently Auckland painter Liz Maw self-published My Beloved Hackneyed, an exquisite book with 32 pages of poetry and 82 pages of her mythical paintings.

By Jill Trevelyan
Te Papa Press, NZ$69.95 | Reviewed by Jodi Ruth Keet

WHILST this book is a posthumous biography of an artist’s life, its 349 pages delve into much more than just an artist’s work and her story. An Artist’s Life depicts Angus and her work during a time in New Zealand when women were expected to be wives and mothers, divorce was socially unacceptable, a world war was raging, a young country was trying to find its roots independent from Britain, art was expected to be just a hobby, and a New Zealand art world was trying to emerge. Angus rebelled against this stereotype, not only by being an artist, but by being a childless single woman, divorcee, pacifist, and proud New Zealander. An Artist’s Life with its well researched background and quoted letters from Angus to her contemporaries (Colin McCahon, Toss Wollaston and Douglas Lilburn being a few) asks questions about our culture that we are only beginning to be able to answer today, thus making this biography, perhaps, perfectly timed.

Issues 1-4, NZ$19.95 each
thenationalgrid.co.nz | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

The National Grid first appeared in March 2006, and is now up to issue four. The publication declares itself to be either “a peripheral publication for graphic design”, “a provincial publication for graphic design”, “a paranoid publication for graphic design”, or “a frail barricade for graphic design” – depending on which issue you have.

Harvey Benge photographs;
Introduction by Gerry Badger
Godwit/RH, NZ$44.95 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

THE IDEA is an interesting one. Unfortunately the result is less so. A Short History Of Photography aims to be a... short history of photography – specifically a short history of contemporary art photography from the 1960s on. Looking at the names on the cover, it’s a reasonable list of the more influential photographers of the last few decades (plus a couple of names I didn’t know). Where this book falls down is in the application of the its conceit.

Michael Hirschfeld Gallery
May 2-June 8 | Reviewed by Thomasin Sleigh

Etiquette for the Homesick is a great name for an exhibition. The show combines the work of Massey graduates Caroline McQuarrie and Genevieve Packer under the curatorial premise of the ‘darker face’ of the decorative arts. It has a great catalogue essay by Abby Cunnane and the work in the show is strong.

The New Dowse
April 12-August 17 | Reviewed by L M Wallace

“Visiting Antarctica was one of the most significant and important experiences of my life.”
—Chris Cree Brown

POWERFUL work from thirteen leading New Zealand artists and writers collides in Sinfonia Antarctica, an exhibition at The New Dowse, celebrating art inspired by experience; a result of the Artists to Antarctica programme.

Enjoy Public Gallery
April 3-19 | Reviewed by Thomasin Sleigh

I WENT to Mitre Ten Mega on Easter Sunday. It was a big mistake; the places are absolutely terrifying. All I had to buy were some picture hooks, but it was like finding a needle in a haystack. They sell everything there. I experienced my usual sense of mega-chain-store-panic when confronted by so many products, so many people and so much space.

Gavin Hipkins Photographs
Rim Books, NZ$20 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

OKAY, so some days I’m a little slow. Recently Gavin Hipkins had an opening at Lopdell House in Auckland and used that occasion to launch a book. The show was called Second Empire, the book Empire. I knew little about the work except that the new show was a development of an earlier series. Naturally (I believe) I assumed the book was of the exhibition. Being in Wellington I haven’t yet seen the show, and it was only some days later, while re-reading Empire that it occurred to me that the work in this book was that of the earlier series. The different titles should have been a giveaway but... some days I’m a bit slow.

Andrew Ross Photographs
VUP, NZ$55 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

REVIEWING this book puts me in a bit of a bind. I’ve known Andrew Ross (the artist and his art) for years, we exhibit at the same gallery (which is also co-publisher of this book), and I’ve followed the progress of this book for as long as there’s been progress. Consequently I may be a tad biased in my views. Fortunately this is a first-rate publication, and one that should introduce Ross’s work to a much deserved wider audience.

Issue One: The Garden Party
NZ$5.95 | Reviewed by Amy Brown

Hue & Cry is a very attractive addition to New Zealand’s journal scene. Alongside the likes of Sport, Landfall, Bravado, Takahe, White Fungus and Glottis, it doesn’t appear a bit redundant, its focus being more on aesthetics generally, particularly relating to the visual arts, than simply literature. From its offset printing and burst bound spine, to a well chosen photography inset and carefully designed layout (each contributor’s pages have a specific design to suit the form or content of their work) it is obvious that an equal number of artists as writers have been involved in this project. The fact that it is on sale at more galleries than bookshops (in Wellington it’s available at Enjoy, on Cuba Street, and in Auckland at Gambia Castle, on Ponsonby Road) reinforces this point.

By Bob Harvey
Exisle, AU$55 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

ACCORDING to the press release which accompanied my copy of Wild Beast, Dean Buchanan is “one of New Zealand’s best-known artists”. Prior to a recent Nightline article, his was not a name I was familiar with. I could suggest somewhat tongue-in-cheek that they meant ‘one of Auckland’s best-known artists’. More likely though it’s because, as a quick flick through the book reveals, Buchanan’s painting holds no real interest for me personally.

Media Release/Advertisement
Our friends at irreverent Wellington-based arts and culture magazine White Fungus recently launched their eighth issue. The mag, which also recently celebrated its third birthday, has grown from a free photocopied handout to a print publication distributed around the world, but editor Ron Hanson says its roots remain firmly in Wellington. “We’re interested into tapping into stuff that’s going on all over the place, but we’ve actually managed to connect to other cultures through the magazine without actually having to physically leave Wellington.”

How do you get into Te Papa’s national art collection, asks MARK AMERY, of Toi Te Papa’s ‘Recent Acquisitions’.