Lore & Behold 2014

A5 postcard of Lore & Behold

"They say that ‘the eyes are windows to the soul’ that is certainly true of this new series of oil paintings.- Artis Gallery".

Each of these figurative works draw in the viewer to scratch at the soul beneath. The narratives display a historical element familiar to earlier work (‘Pakeha’ 2011) and spin dark tales of personal turmoil, judgement, revenge, debauchery, stoicism and sorrow. Depictions of notable persons are: Te Kooti in ‘The Upraised Hand’, Maraea Morete (Maria Morris) in ‘Salvation’ and a haunting likeness of Katherine Mansfield in ‘Postscript’. Fauna also play a considerable part in this show with an array of birds, sheep, horses, dogs and eels making appearance as special guests. These companions communicate a level of symbiotic understanding between mankind and animal where each require the other in order to survive, physically for them and spiritually for us.

Katherine Mansfield, tattooing her own chin with typewriter limited edition
Postscript
Painting of Maraea Morete, champion of the early Salvationist movement.
Salvation
Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki (Gisborne, c. 1832-1893) Rongowhakaata iwi.
The Upraised Hand
Painting of woman standing on a floating piano while her house burns
Memento Mori
Painting of woman being tattoed by Huia as the last of their species
Requiem for the feathered
Four related women holding implements of protection as they stand over their domain
Brides of None
Lothario sits at home with his dogs, meat and memories by Liam Barr
Lothario
River Goddess (Wahine Atua) guides the eel to the sea
Spirit me gently to the sea
Painting of a woman smoking a cigarette on a hillside with foot on a sheep gazing into the distance
Contemplace