Page 75 - World of Art magazine (2000)
P. 75
barbara strathdee new zealand
Born Barbara Smythe, Wellington 1941. Lives and works in Gallery Auckland NZ; 1990 33 1/3 Gallery Wellington NZ; 1999 Conversations, work by selected women artists,
Wellington New Zealand. Lazelle Gallery Auckland NZ; 1989 Waikato Museum of Fisher Gallery Auckland NZ; 1995 Galleria L’uovo di Struzzo
edUcation 1982 BA degree Victoria university of Wel- Art and History, Te Whare Taonga O Waikato, Hamilton Turin Italy; Fiera d’Arte Pordenone Italy; La natura delle
lington NZ double major: English literature and Italian; NZ; Galleria Interno Quattro udine Italy; CSA Gallery cose, Villa Brandeis San Giovani al Natisone Italy; Blitzart,
1973 kokoscha Summer School, Salzburg Austria, First Christchurch NZ; 1988 Wellington City Gallery Wellington Fortress of kluse, Bovec Slovenia; Local Colour, City
Prize in painting; 1971 and 1972 urbino Summmer school NZ; 33 1/3 Gallery Wellington NZ; Nadia Bassanese Studio Gallery Wellington NZ; Town & Gown, Collection of Victoria
in lithography urbino Italy; 1967 1971 Private tutor: Prof d’Arte Trieste Italy; 1985 Nadia Bassanese Studio d’Arte university City Gallery Wellington NZ; 1994 Stazioni
Augusto Cernigoi, Trieste, Italy; 1965 Byam Shaw Art School Trieste Italy; Denis Cohn Gallery Auckland NZ; Janne Land Topolo`/Postaja Toplove, Val di Natisone Italy; Portici
London, part-time one term; 1963 Sir John Cass Art School Gallery Wellington NZ; 1980 Galerie Legard Wellington NZ; Inattuali, Sitran d’Alpago, Belluno Italy; Revotella Estate,
London uk part-time painting; 1962 Auckland Art Gallery; 1978 Galleria Spazio Alternativo Rome Italy; Galleria de` Museo Revoltella Trieste Italy; 1993 Pilot Essay, Studio
1954 1957 Wellington Girls College Wellington NZ. Carbonese Bologna Italy; 1976 International Centre for d’Arte Trieste Italy; From Liquid Darkness Artists’ books,
Selected Solo exhibitionS 1999 Tinakori Gallery Theoretical Physics Trieste Italy; 1975 Commonwealth Dunedin Public Art Gallery Dunedin NZ; 1992 Erewhon,
Wellington NZ; Lesley kreisler Gallery New Plymouth NZ; Institute London uk; Galleria Acquario Venice Mestre Mestna galerija Ljubljana Slovenia; Erewhon, Nadia
Portfolio Gallery Auckland NZ; 1998 Warwick Brown Gallery Italy; Galleria Tommaseo Trieste Italy; Galleria Cartesius Bassanese Studio d’Arte and Teatro Miela Trieste Italy;
Auckland NZ; 1995 Nadia Bassanese Studio d’Arte Trieste TriesteItaly; Studio Pozzan Vicenza Italy; 1971 Galleria Perspectives, Te Papa Tongarewa/Museum of New Zealand
Italy; Galleria L’Officina Anagni Italy; 1992 Diecidue Arte Cortevecchia Ferrara Italy; Galleria Piccinnini Bari Italy. Wellington NZ; 1991 Il Sud del Mondo, Galleria Municipale
Milan Italy; 33 1/3 Gallery Wellington NZ; 1991 Lazelle Selected groUp exhibitionS and other venues Marsala Sicily Italy;
artiSt TALk
For ten years I worked on a series, incorporating a decorative use of least one work a year, for many
which I eventually titled ’The gold leaf, and experiments in many years.
Conventional Canvas’. In fact it forms of the visual language. My painting, since I commenced
was about the end of the con- I have done many other things but on the present series with the
ventional canvas. Paint brush- always return to painting. subject matter of ’Historical
marks within the rectangular frame Contemporary experimental Memory’, is very traditional.
explored the beginnings of art music was important to me during Possibly English and United States
language. Next the axis was marked earlier years; now the music, which Pop painting are important influ-
in various ways on the canvas I listen to in the studio, is largely ences.
surface, and finally the canvas itself classical. There are moments where I could
was torn, and stretched in nominal I don’t allow the market to affect have more profitably made another
ways. When I came to the end of my work because I have chosen not choice in my development. But I
that road I published a booklet on to attempt to live by art alone. I have never thought of my art as a
the work and began painting works divide the periods rigorously career above all. Decisions have
that were more about being a social between art making and discussing been made that allowed me time
witness to the times I am living its value out in the art world. and freedom to explore painting
through. I welcome critiques of my work if ideas.
In my case this meant questioning they are serious attempts at Certain people, especially senior
my identity as a European living in understanding and contextualizing artists who have shown com-
New Zealand, where Europeans the work. The worst are reviews, mitment in face of all obstacles,
had occupied the land by conquest which parrot the words of the artist have influenced me.
and legal trickery more often than herself. Also certain of my peers with
not. The narrative in my works has whom I’ve worked alongside, and
This led me in 1985 to search out been described above. The concern above all the belief of one gallery
images not seen before in painting: that I haven’t mentioned so far is an dealer in my work for nearly twenty
wood engravings used to illustrate ongoing exploration of color as the years.
articles in newspapers of the last predominating element of my art Networking seems to be the factor
century about the wars between language. that ensures attention. But painting
Europeans and Maori and about the As part of my work I fragment and requires months hidden away in the
meetings between the two peoples isolate elements in different studio to produce the work. Also
over hunting for gold, overlaid by paintings. the artist’s own concerns don’t
diggers, axes and other tools, gun Deciding when a painting is always coincide with the interests of
barrels, wallpaper, parasols: all the complete is a purely visual process. curators etc. But it is important to
paraphernalia of occupation and Everything in the work must hold be included in commissions and
settlement. together in a precarious balance: major exhibitions. These stimulate
I have worked with aluminums something added would wreck it, as the artist to be ever more complex
and photographs in installations at would something taken away. A and ambitious in the work.
times. color or tone modified, an edge The visual culture presented by the
Often in non-gallery sites. softened or sharpened. mass-media is only that which will
The function of art is different Photographic reproductions of my sell their products: the shocking or
depending on the culture. In New work don’t satisfy me to the degree the easily understood. The inno-
Zealand some art is used to the work itself does - yes, the vative visual culture is for the
reinforce identity in a national sense physicality of the work is hugely audience that wants it. The big
but other streams of art deal with important. biennials prove that there is a huge
contemporary technological living, I have always looked at the work international audience for con-
with a super-refined aesthetic of other artists and have collected at temporary art.
SPECIAL ISSuE 2000 World of art 73