6 March – 9 June 2024
Ground Floor Galleries
William D.Hammond, Head Bone, 1987, Oil stick, ink, acrylic and pencil on paper
Collection of The Arts House Trust
Lovers & Castaways explores the decade in which Aotearoa experienced a shift in its social, political and economic landscape – the 1980s – through artworks drawn from the Arts House Trust Collection.
It was a decade in which artists sought to express what matters to them in greater fluency and confidence, with many of their concerns still resonating in the present day. Questions around nationhood, identity, what we value, and the country’s relationship with the wider world carry a timeless pertinence through artworks that showcase the diversity and depth in how artists sought to explore these concerns.
Presented in association with the Auckland Arts Festival.
Exhibiting Artists
Gretchen Albrecht, Philippa Blair, Nigel Brown, Debra Bustin, Gavin Chilcott, Gordon Crook, Julian Dashper, Moyra Elliot, Charlotte Fisher, Tony Fomison, Dick Frizzell, Joan Grehan, Bill Hammond, Philip Heath, Pat Hanly, Christine Hellyar, Louise Henderson, Ralph Hotere, Alexis Hunter, Michael Illingworth, Megan Jenkinson, Emily Karaka, Richard Killeen, Diana Lee Gobbitt, Ron Left, Allen Maddox, Joanna Margaret Paul, Buck Nin, John Reynolds, Michael Smither, Terry Stringer, Marte Szirmay, Alan Taylor, Kura Te Waru Rewiri, Greer Twiss, Jim Vivieare, Mervyn Williams, Brent Wong and more…
Lovers & Castaways pays homage to the landmark publication Contemporary New Zealand Painters, authored by Jim and Mary Barr and printed in 1980. Considered a little miracle in its own time, it features interviews with 22 contemporary artists alongside Marti Friedlander portraits. We give thanks to the authors and artists and draw inspiration from the iconic ‘80s cover design for curation and collateral design.
