Norm and Noeleen

Bernie Harfleet and Donna Sarten present a charged collection of documentary photographs as part of the Auckland Photography Festival while Christchurch-based sculptor Matt Akehurst reveals the latest editions in his series of biomorphic sculptures at Corban Estate Arts Centre from 1 June – 8 July.

Object 5+ by Matt Akehurst features a selection of white ambiguous forms encased in vitrines and mounted on plinths.  With their small scale and specimen-like presentation, Akehurst’s Objects take on an anthropological quality while simultaneously alluding to the reclining figures of prodigious modernist sculptor Henry Moore in their fluidity.  Akehurst is an active member of Arts Voice; an organization dedicated to serving the Christchurch arts community, and will be presenting a talk about his exhibition as well as the current state of the creative arts in Christchurch. 

Part of the Auckland Festival of Photography 2012, Norm & Noeleen from Bernie Harfleet and Donna Sarten are two personal photographic series follow the demise of the artists’ adopted parents and serve as a reminder to viewers of the disempowerment age can bring.  These poignant photographs are heartening in witnessing the determination of these two individuals to maintain some independence by staying in their own homes; however viewers will be simultaneously affected by this look into the inevitable future of humans – that of increasing health issues and death.

A range of public programmes will accompany these exhibitions. Please see our website for further details: www.ceac.org.nz.

Four Years On is a unique opportunity to view the work of 12 outstanding and innovative artists in one space. Each artist has contributed a work indicative of their practice as opposed to following a selected theme, so this exhibition promises a fascinating cross section of fresh contemporary work. A diverse range of mediums include performance, painting, photography and installation.  Works include a sliced 19^th Century bust, a translation of gender roles and a live dance installation. Opening night is the only live performance so all are encouraged to attend.

Four Years On marks the fourth anniversary of online fine arts magazine Gallery36, a non profit publication dedicated to showcasing the very best of new work by emerging artists. Curated by fine artist Selene Simcox, a recent masters graduate of Arts Management, this promises to be a exhibition not to be missed.

Artists showing are Aaron Wilson, Alissa West, Alex DiMercurio, Amy Melchior, Charles Olsen, Elsa Thorp, Eva Polak, Juanita Jelleyman, Michelle Christoffersen, Shelley Simpson, Sin-Mae Chung and Rachael Garvey.

Four Years On – Gallery36,  Pearce Gallery, 130 St Georges Bay Road, Parnell, Auckland, Opens from 5.30 – 8.30pm Tuesday 3 April and then open daily from Wednesday 4 April – Sunday 8 April 11 – 6.00pm. The gallery will be open on both statutory days.

Sneak Preview:

Elsa Thorp Lichterfelde Süd Station, Berlin, German 2010 Black and White Photograph 535 x 640mm

Shelley Simpson Like, Comment, Share 2012 Ink and resin on board

One of Lake House artists elaborates, “It doesn’t matter if you are a well-established artist or not, you can always learn from your peers, just by observing or taking part in Master classes and workshops, I find them really worthwhile to my own arts practice”.  Carving live in the grounds are veteran electric chainsaw carvers Picton’s Pita-Rua-Lagan and Palmerston North’s Errol Churton. Full day workshops in Oamaru Stone carving and beginner’s wood carving will be taught by sculptor Anna Korver. Denice Symons will be conducting painting and mixed media tutorials from within her Lake House studio over the three days as will other in-house artists.  The weekend will also have a dedicated number of applied artists working in some of the heritage art forms such as felting, spinning and weaving, mosaic methods and Japanese Raku firing and throwing on a potters wheel.  Co-partners who will be involved in delivering arts workshops will be the Studio Printmakers, the Auckland Quilters Guild, Spinners and Weavers and the New Zealand Body Art Trust.

Getting involved in the arts and becoming well versed in the language of the arts is something best nurtured from a young age. Research in this subject substantiates that the younger we introduce the arts to our youth, the stronger their commitment and appreciation of the arts will be. Lake House strongly believes in this philosophy and promotes arts activities from as young a pre-school age and will be providing stimulating arts activities for youth throughout the three-day Arts Festival.

Encourage your friends and family to come and enjoy the beautiful gardens and Historic house, bring a picnic or enjoy the delicious light meals on offer from the Café, this will be a fantastic event not to be missed.

For more information about the Lake House Arts Festival and to view a detailed event programme please contact Event Manager Kim Boyd, email manager@lakehousearts.org.nz  Visit the website: www.lakehousearts.org.nz

To celebrate our fourth birthday, Gallery36 is running a competition for all you emerging artists out there.
We are looking for some seriously HOT new work to show on the cover of our April issue. You will not only be on the April cover, but you will also win an original Andy Tolhurst artwork: Pepper Pot.
So get that awesome work of yours in the studio photographed and send it our way to be in the draw!
To enter: email your profile (300-400 words) about your work – remember, your profile of text is very important as a supportive document for your artwork -  along with five photos of your best work. Include the name of the work, the date it was made, the medium and size.
The deadline is the 1st April. So get your submissions into the editor at editor@gallery36.co.nz.

Andy Tolhurst, 2008, Pepper Pot. 3M High Performance Vinyl on Board, 518mm x 300mm

Andy Tolhurst
BVA Elam 2005
W: www.studiotolhurst.com
“My current body of work involves studying local and international artworks that have been copied or reproduced and are well known. By changing certain elements, typically text, logo or layout I aim to create an original style alluding to something that is familiar, yet differs enough from the original that it can be deemed a clever derivative” Andy Tolhurst.
Tolhurst finds a logic within arranged shape and colour that is worth exploring. As part of a broader questioning of widely accepted ideas, values and knowledge associated with post modernism Tolhurst examines appropriation through geometric abstraction.

Artist Talk:  Saturday 10^th March 2012, 3.30 – 4.30pm

Gallery open:  Monday 12noon – 5.00pm,  Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 5.00pm and Sundays 10am – 4.00pm (4^th, 11^th & 18^th March) – Artists will be making art the gallery space on Sundays

Disconnect/Reconnect/Revisited is a collective exhibition commenting on the social constructs of how identity is viewed and interpreted.

Social construction is dependent on contingent variables of our social selves, which is reinforced through more social constructs. Within the folds of social construction is identity: personal identity, social and cultural identity and identity of place. It is the expression of identity through the eyes of the artist that is experienced in Disconnect/Reconnect/Revisited. Through a process of disengaging with the self, each artist re-examines identity from an altered perspective, challenging the predetermined and contrived social filters that identity is viewed through.

Whether the methods are through painted self portraits in an abstracted view of the self; or the process of character reconstruction and deconstruction of alter-egos through self portrait photography or the method of installation that comments on the feelings of the other, the alien each artist has gone through a method of withdrawal from their own identity and re-examining this identity from an altered perspective, challenging the pr-determined and contrived social filters that identity is viewed through.

Sin-Mae’s body of work looks at the idea of morphing through a process of repetitive self portraits. By repetition and re-examination of the own image, dissecting strokes and colour, the image becomes process driven, unrecognisable and detached from the original form.

Debbie Stenzel’s two video works talks of a time in her life when there is an invisible line between reality and her reality. Disconnected from ‘normal’ society, Stenzel’s work talks how people exist in different states but must continue to function within the normal space of society.

Artist Selene Simcox transfers impressions from surfaces in her environment where the remaining footprint left in paint, explores how identity translates meaning and significance of places and their inhabitants.

Utilising photography, artist Rachael Garvey explores the stereo-typical trappings of gender identity by impersonating numerous imagined and contrived male alter-egos.