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Featured Artists
Charles BLOMFIELD 1848 - 1926
Charles Blomfield arrived in New Zealand with his family in 1863. Four years later they moved to Thames for the gold rush, and this is where Charles made his first attempt at painting in oil.
He exhibited his work frequently in Auckland, and travelled throughout the country. His most popular images were the many paintings of the Pink and White Terraces.
In later life, Blomfield became disillusioned by the increasing popularity of impressionism, saying, "I paint nature as I see it. Surely there is some merit in that?"
Gottfried LINDAUER 1839 - 1926
Lindauer came to New Zealand from Bohemia in 1873 with the main purpose of painting portaits of Maori. The two portraits in this exhibition are typical of his highly detailed and naturalistic approach.
These two portraits originally hung in the meeting house
at Parawera Marae. However, they became separated and it was only after an extensive search that they were reunited. Today, the works are on long-term loan to Te Awamutu Museum and are part of a private collection.
Alfred SHARPE 1836 - 1908
Sharpe attended art school and then trained as an architect in his native Britain before immigrating to New Zealand in 1859.
Michael SHEPHERD b. 1950
Michael Shepherd
was born in Ngaruawahia and studied at Auckland University's Elam School of Fine Arts.
Since the 1970's, his work has continually explored what he calls "the language of memory". Names and places associated with the New Zealand Wars feature strongly. The work that is featured in this exhibition deals with the story of Mercer, known as Mangatawhiri
until it was renamed to commemorate the death of an obscure artillery captain.
Shepherd uses a painstaking technique, and his images are often painted to look like pages out of photograph albums.
Frank WRIGHT 1860 - 1923
Frank Wright arrived in New Zealand with his brother Walter in 1877. Both brothers had trained as artists, but didn't work as professional artists until the 1880's, when they both started exhibiting regularly in Auckland.
Although Walter eventually became the better known and commercially successful of the two, Frank's work was widely praised, and in 1890 he was described as having created "the finest piece of watercolour in the colonies".
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Te Awamutu Museum's new exhibition "Art in Trust" opened tonight. The exhibition, which runs until February, features a selection of traditional and contemporary works pertinent to the Waikato. Highlight of the opening was an address by one of the artists, Michael Shepherd (pictured right).