E-North Exhibition: Tears for Tane’s Children

Ian Hamlin. Survivor’s II , 2007, Oil on canvas, Courtesy International Art centre.

e-north

Media Release
Notice of Exhibition
KAURI FESTIVAL
Opposite New Whangarei Library
Rust Ave., Whangarei
c/- Whangarei Art Museum
Website: www.whagareiartmuseum.co.nz

TEARS FOR TANE’S CHILDREN

3rd– 28th September 2007

E-North’s Kauri Festival exhibition “Tears for Tane’s Children” features artworks that record the demise of the New Zealand indigenous forest through the depiction of the New Zealand landscape and the advancement of the civilised world or protest at this continuing destruction. Interestingly the earlier works show lush untouched native bush but by the end of the 19th century the artworks often created in celebration of the advancement of civilisation also show the encroaching pastoralism of the landscape and the shattered native bush left in its wake. By the 1930’s New Zealand artist’s such as Eric Lee-Johnson were making work in protest of this destruction but this theme was seen as limited by the art critics and historians with New Zealand art historian Micheal Dunn commenting in 1945 that” soon the dead tree was synonymous with a dead end in New Zealand art” [Micheal Dunn, “ Frozen Flames and Slain Tree- The Dead Tree Theme in New Zealand art of the thirties and forties” Article - Art New Zealand Issue #13. Pg40 – 45. ] , and the “Dead Tree School “ of artist’s work degenerated to ” pleasant but less important statements” [Ibid Pg.45 ]. New Zealand contemporary artists though have continued to produce artworks that lament and protest this deforestation and the growing spread of exotic forests over our land.

List of artists:
Liam Barr, Helen Berronsall, Nigel Brown, Andrew Drummond, T. L. Drummond, Joanna Fieldes, Herb Foley, Ian Hamlin, Anahera Kingi, Eric Lee-Johnson, Carol Prentice, Jenny Rendall,, Nelson Thompson, Greer Twiss, W. Reed, Warren Viscoe,

Works courtesy of: Whangarei Art Museum Collection, Viscoe Collection, Thompson Collection, George Street Gallery, Warwick Henderson Gallery; Oedipus R ex Gallery, Vavasour Godkin Gallery, International Art Centre, The Fletcher Trust Collection and individual artists.

This exhibition will be available on-line to view on the Whangarei Art Museum website: (www.whangareiartmuseum.co.nz)

ENDS

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