Rare And Unusual Work Of Art Offered To The Public For The First Time

A rare and unusual art creation by one of the country’s leading modern artists is being offered for sale to the public for the first time since it was created 45 years ago.

Timaru-born and Dunedin-educated Colin McCahon is considered to be one of the top modern artists in New Zealand art history and is said to be one of several artists whose work was credited with bringing modernism to the New Zealand art world.

His work mostly included landscape, configuration, abstract art and often also included painted text.

However, he also created 12 stained glass windows under commission for private buyers for display in churches, houses, apartments and schools, and until now none has been offered for sale to the public.

Later this month (subs: July 30) one of his stained glass windows will be offered at an auction of Important and Rare Art at the International Art Centre in Parnell, Auckland.

Art centre director Richard Thomson, who will conduct the auction, said the quality of the McCahon glass window in the sale clearly showed McCahon’s talent as a modern artist and an artistic creator.

“It’s beautiful. It was thought to have been destroyed when the house it was created for was demolished.

“It’s extremely rare and possibly unprecedented for a McCahon glass art work to come up for auction.”

The work, known as Colin McCahon – Gillman House , was the last art work completed by McCahon before he died in 1987 at the relatively young age of 67. Mr Thomson said much interest had already been shown in the work and an initial offer had already been received. It was predicted to sell for up to $120,000.

He said it was part of a ‘very exciting’ sale which also included four works by revered New Zealand artists, Charles Frederick Goldie who is considered the leading painter of Maori elders, and Don Binney, an ardent environmentalist, known mainly for his paintings of birds.

Binney’s 1983 signed and dated acrylic painting, Swoop of the Kotare, has been predicted to sell for up to $1.2 million. A Kotare, also known as a sacred kingfisher, is shown by Binney in full flight over Lake Wainamu, in the Waitakere Ranges west of Auckland. Swoop of the Kotare also has a pre-auction offer.

The Goldie works include two which follow Goldie’s traditional Maori elder themes, and two with religious themes. One of the paintings with a religious theme is a 1897 oil on canvas called The Blind Model and is expected to sell for up to $250,000. The other is a painting of Christ being crucified and is expected to sell for up to $75,000.

The two Goldie works with traditional Maori subjects are Sophia, a painting of Guide Sophia Hinerangi, the principal tourist guide of the Pink and White Terraces at Lake Rotomahana before they were destroyed by the Tarawera eruption in 1886. It was predicted to sell for up to $650,000.

The other is of Te Kamaka, a Ngati Manipoto tribal chief. It has been predicted to sell for up to $1 million.

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