Works of Art, March 2023

Works of Art

Peter Stichbury

Pam Reynolds, NDE/OBE 1991

New showroom now open at 47 Normanby Road – next to Webb’s

SIMON JAMES

Ninow Director of Art charles@webbs.co.nz

We are seeking consignments for our inaugural art auction in Wellington, Twenty. This is a tightly curated live auction that brings together 20 exemplary artworks by 20 artists whose investment level is on the rise. The past two years have seen extraordinary growth in the art market, and a number of artists have seen new success at auction over that time.

Twenty showcases some of the most exciting prospects in the New Zealand art market today. Changes in market sentiment can happen suddenly, then, in hindsight, seem inevitable. A trend that emerged at Webb’s in 2022 was long overdue market recognition of two of New Zealand’s most important modernist painters: Adele Younghusband and A. Lois White. Webb’s completely eclipsed all-time price records for works by these artists, selling Younghusband’s Spring Cleaning and White’s Design for 365% and 158% of the previous records for these artists respectively.

There are countless other examples of high-quality artists whose markets are starting to simmer. Twenty looks to bring full market attention to these artists and shine a spotlight on their potential for growth. Featured artists include Louise Henderson, Robert Ellis, Andrew McLeod, Buck Nin, Gretchen Albrecht, Ian Scott, Fiona Pardington, and others. The works included in Twenty will enjoy a uniquely focused market presentation. If you are considering bringing artwork to auction, Twenty presents an excellent opportunity. Get in touch with our team of specialists for an obligation-free appraisal. We would love to hear from you.

Robert Ellis: Wai Manawa

Webb’s is privileged to present Robert Ellis: Wai Manawa. This exhibition at our Wellington gallery presents never before exhibited works by the late Robert Ellis ONZM. Over the course of seven decades of artistic practice, Ellis produced a phenomenal body of work that is held in the highest esteem by private and institutional collectors alike. He is a central figure in the history of art in Aotearoa, both for his own work and for his influence on the countless artists he taught during his four decades of teaching at Elam School of Fine Arts. This exhibition, sourced from the estate of the artist, features a remarkable suite of works on paper from the late 1960s. Ellis was a master draughtsman, and these exceptional works demonstrate his skill and sophisticated artistic sensibility. Please contact our team of specialists for more information.

opening event

Wed 19 April 6–8pm

viewing dates

Thurs 20 April – Sat 27 May

gallery hours

Mon – Fri 10am – 5pm

Sat – Sun 11am – 3pm

location

Webb's 23 Marion Street

Te Aro 6011

Robert Ellis untitled 1968 acrylic on paper 500 × 700mm

Mark Hutchins-Pond Specialist, Art mark@webbs.co.nz +64 22 095 5610

Karen Rigby Business Manager karen@webbs.co.nz +64 22 344 5610

wellington

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Interior Design & Architecture

The Pencil Case Painters is a curated auction to be held by Webb’s in 2023. It will include work by six highly regarded artists: Shane Cotton, Bill Hammond, Tony de Lautour, Saskia Leek, Séraphine Pick, and Peter Robinson. This group of artists is sometimes referred to as the ‘pencil case painters’, a term that speaks to the doodle-like nature of their work — much like scrawled drawings on an adolescent’s pencil case. Each of these artists has been widely acknowledged for their individual significance to New Zealand art. Yet, their collective importance as a distinctive group to emerge from Canterbury University’s Ilam School of Fine Arts in the 1980s and 1990s is under-acknowledged (Bill Hammond, the most senior of the group, graduated from Ilam much earlier than the others in 1969).

As a curated auction, The Pencil Case Painters will draw attention to the important links between these artists, casting a spotlight on their collective value to art history. It has been our experience at Webb’s that such bespoke auctions attract strong interest from art connoisseurs and collectors. This is in part due to the unique opportunity such an auction creates to tell a specific story about a group of artists’ shared backgrounds. As each of these artists already has a well-established market for their work, this storytelling will serve to amplify their existing appeal.

Webb’s has an unmatched ability to present high-quality artwork to prospective buyers through innovative marketing. Consigning your artwork for The Pencil Case Painters will create an excellent opportunity to achieve the best possible return. Get in touch with our team of specialists for an obligation-free appraisal of your artwork.

Contemporary Figurative

In March and April, Webb’s Wellington gallery will be hosting Contemporary Figurative , an exciting exhibition of new painting. Contemporary Figurative brings together the work of four contemporary artists exploring aspects on the human figure through painting. Figurative painting has been a central part of art for centuries, and it has deep traditions. For all of its rich history, it remains a vital discipline, filled with great possibilities for contemporary painters. This exhibtition showcases the work of artists that continue to find inspiration in the human form.

Contemporary Figurative includes work by Nick Cuthell, Loren Marks, Jennifer Mason, and Garth Steeper. Curator Julian McKinnon states, "Each of these four artists has a unique approach to painting the human figure. With a background in photography, Jennifer Mason has developed an exceptional practice in figurative painting. She has worked with models to create highly refined and tightly composed depictions of reclining figures. They are beautifully painted, with a rich and subtle depth. Nick Cuthell is a highly trained portrait painter. He has used his skill set to create a dazzling and evocative body of work, capturing his subjects in dynamic and engaging poses. Loren Marks had a background in textile design that complements her knowledge of art. Her paintings push representation of the human figure to the point of breakdown, almost reading as abstract or pattern-oriented artworks. Garth Steeper works in a striking chiaroscuro palette, with dramatic contrast between light and dark. In the body of work presented in Contemporary Figurative , Steeper has drawn from renaissance era sources to create highly compelling works of homage. Through the respective practices of these artists, the value of the human form to contemporary painting is highly evident."

Contemporary Figurative will open on Wednesday 22 March, with an evening event from 6–8pm. The exhibition will reamin on view from Thursday 23 March through to Saturday 15 April. The opening night event will include a discussion between the curator and the artists.

Julian McKinnon Manager, Content & Research julian@webbs.co.nz +64 21 113 5001

Mark

preview evening

Wed 22 March 6pm – 8pm

viewing dates

Thurs 23 March – Sat 15 April

gallery hours

Mon — Fri 10am – 5pm

Sat — Sun 11am – 3pm

location

Karen Rigby Business Manager karen@webbs.co.nz +64 22 344 5610

Webb's

23 Marion Street

Te Aro 6011

Nick Cuthell Nifah 2023 oil on panel

Hutchins-Pond Specialist, Art mark@webbs.co.nz +64 4 555 6001

Colophon

Publishing Details

printer Bluestar 61 Constellation Drive Mairangi Bay Auckland

Edition of 6,000 Offset printed, 160 pages 120gsm Laser Uncoated 150gsm Matt Art

Publishing Contacts

head office

Paul Evans Managing Director paul@webbs.co.nz

+64 21 866 000

Christine Kearney General Manager christine@webbs.co.nz

+64 27 929 5604

Freely distributed to subscribers or available at select public art spaces and hospitality venues.

advertising public relations creative direction copywriter

Karen Rigby Business Manager karen@webbs.co.nz +64 22 344 5610

Art Department

auckland

Charles Ninow Director of Art charles@webbs.co.nz

+64 21 053 6504

Charles Tongue Valuations Specialist valuations@webbs.co.nz

+64 22 406 5514

Mark Hutchins-Pond Specialist, Art mark@webbs.co.nz

+64 4 555 6001

Claire Byrom-Jones Senior Marketing & Events Executive claire@webbs.co.nz

+64 22 029 5611

Olivia Woodgate Head of Creative design@webbs.co.nz

+64 9 529 5604

Harry Goldie Design & Marketing Coordinator marketing@webbs.co.nz

+64 9 529 5604

Olivia Taylor Copywriter & Content Coordinator editor@webbs.co.nz

+64 9 529 5604

Adrienne (AD) Schierning Head of Art ad@webbs.co.nz

+64 27 929 5609

Jo Bragg Administrator, Art art@webbs.co.nz

+64 9 529 5609

Tasha Jenkins Manager, Art tasha@webbs.co.nz

+64 22 595 5610

Hannah Crichton Registrar, Art registrar@webbs.co.nz

+64 9 529 5609

Julian McKinnon Manager, Content & Research julian@webbs.co.nz

+64 21 113 5001

Georgina Brett Cataloguer, Art cataloguer@webbs.co.nz

+64 9 529 5609

Jaguar XK140: An Embodiment of 1950s British Spirit

The Jaguar XK140 Roadster is an iconic car that plays a significant role in the history of the automobile industry. First introduced in 1954, the car quickly gained a reputation for its sleek and stylish design, powerful engine, and impressive performance. Today, it is considered one of the most desirable classic cars in the world.

Historically, the Jaguar XK140 Roadster was significant for several reasons. At the time of its introduction, it represented the cutting edge of automotive design and engineering, incorporating a range of innovative features that set it apart from other cars of its era. These included advanced suspension systems, disc brakes, and a powerful six-cylinder engine that could produce up to 210 horsepower.

In addition to its technical innovations, the XK140 Roadster symbolised the post-war boom in consumer culture. Its sleek lines and high-performance engine embodied the spirit of the 1950s, a time when people were eager to embrace new technologies, experiences and leisure.

The XK140 flaunted the features of increased legroom, greater luggage capacity, revolutionary brakes and advanced suspension systems that offered the driver and passenger improved handling and overall ride quality.

It has been popular among celebrities, owned by Steve McQueen, Frank Sinatra, Harrison Ford, and Princess Grace of Monaco, who was often photographed driving her beloved Jaguar around the streets of Monte Carlo.

Perhaps the most adored model of the Jaguar marque, the XK140 was reasonably priced when new. Many have been lost to rust or otherwise wrecked. This rarity lends itself to increased collectors' appeal. It is an enduring symbol of style and sophistication, and we are thrilled to present a 1955 model at our forthcoming Collectors’ Cars, Motorcycles & Automobilia auction this April.

This example was USA new and imported to New Zealand in 2007. Presented with all New Zealand paperwork, a tool kit, and a Jaguar Heritage Certificate, this vehicle has been fitted with a dynamo regulator and trickle-charge connection. This vehicle is highly collectable with a bare metal repaint in British Racing Green and a LHD to RHD conversion for New Zealand roads.

We look forward to sharing more exceptional vehicles throughout the year. For more information about this impressive car or to bring your vehicle to market, please get in touch with our specialist team.

1955 Jaguar XK140 Roadster

Coleraine: Te Mata Estate's Crimson Jewel

Aotearoa produces premium wine that tops the award charts globally. The country’s cool climate and temperate weather conditions are optimal for growing grapes, allowing for the production of distinct flavour profiles and artisanal high quality.

For this reason, many wine enthusiasts will have the first of March pencilled in their calendars, and quite rightly so, as it is the annual release of Te Mata Estate’s flagship Coleraine. This year, the vineyard is releasing its much-anticipated 2021 vintage. In celebration, we delve deeper into why this wine is the perfect addition to your cellar.

The secondary market for high-quality wines has proliferated in the last five years as collectors seek the perfect drop to drink or cellar. Over the last decade, the most sought-after wines have been those from Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne. However, New Zealand has been hot on the headliners' heels, achieving increased global recognition and value.

All Coleraine vintages are seeing huge demand, especially those from the 1980s. Production of these wines is finite, creating a bespoke and rare offering.

Demand for Te Mata is evident as Webb’s has seen price increases first-hand. In Feb 2021, Webb’s sold a single bottle of 1982 Coleraine, the first ever vintage of Te Mata Estates flagship label, for $355. Just one month later, $888 was realised for the same vintage. Later that year, a higher price of $948 was achieved.

Later vintages have also seen incredible value increases, further reiterating the Te Mata Estate Coleraine as a niche investment for your cellar. In January this year, a new record was set for the 1988 vintage, sold at $1,224. While these records stand out dramatically, acquiring Coleraine for your cellar can be obtainable with the average price for a bottle at Webb’s sitting at just over $200. The new release of the 2021 vintage will be presented at Webb’s for $140, setting you up for potential growth in New Zealand flagship wine.

Te Mata Estates' consistency and quality hold them front of mind for any wine lover in New Zealand and, increasingly, abroad. If you want to learn more about Te Mata Estate Coleraine or are thinking of bringing your bottles to market, contact our specialists today for an obligation-free appraisal.

Our team is also available for appraisals in Wellington. This autumn, we are thrilled to present our very first Fine Wines & Whiskies live auction in the capital on 15 March from 6.30pm, with a tasting of Coleraine from 5.30pm.

Marcus Atkinson DipWSET Head of Fine Wines & Whiskies marcus@webbs.co.nz

+64 27 929 5601

Marshell Wan Specialist, Fine Wines & Whiskies marshell@webbs.co.nz

coleraine average hammer per bottle

a r ti fa c t s: f r  m t h e c ll e c ti  n  f j 

n p e rr y

Ben Erren Director of Decorative Arts ben@webbs.co.nz

Kicking off 2023 with a bang, Webb’s achieved a white glove result for Artifacts: From the Collection of John Perry. The auction was an absolute hit. All lots sold, and the sale received the highest viewership for a Webb’s auction to date.

During the auction, many offered items surpassed their high estimates, including a series of paintings by New Zealand artist Dick Lyne. His 1955 work, Mt. Ngauru, which depicts the volcano mid explosion, reached a price realised of $8,750. This far exceeded its pre-auction high estimate of $2,500. Another painting, Newtown by Selwyn Muru, also attracted fierce bidding attention. It reached $11,704 — crushing its high estimate of $4,000.

The sale included folk art and handcrafted pieces also met strong buyer interest. A large model waka by Alex Coates was an excellent example in this category. It sold for $7,315 against a high estimate of $2,000.

John Perry was legendary in the New Zealand art and auction scene. John was wellknown for his encyclopaedic knowledge of New Zealand and international art and his charming personality. He was the curator of the Rotorua City Art Gallery, and later the Director of the

Rotorua Museum over a decade-long period in the 1980s and 1990s.

In the early 2000s, a cinema in Helensville became the home of John’s incredible collection of art and objects. John transformed the front of the cinema into Global Village Antiques, a shop filled with exceptional pieces from Aotearoa and other parts of the world. This cinema-cumstorehouse has a footprint of over 700 square metres – the equivalent of four tennis courts – and is filled floor to ceiling with a boggling array of items.

With the honour of working closely with John's family, we are proud to present more of this magnificent collection at auction through our fortnightly offerings at The Estate Our bi-weekly online auctions have seen unprecedented traction, now amplified by the ongoing sale of collectables sourced by John. We have delighted in the public response to celebrating John's legacy and look forward to presenting many more extraordinary items. Be sure to browse The Estate catalogues to discover more unveiled pieces. Curated displays are available to view upon each catalogue’s release at 31d Normanby Road, Mount Eden, or you can peruse the selection online.

Roger Mortimer: Wairere

Webb’s is delighted to present Roger Mortimer: Wairere . This online auction presents three unique NFTs by distinguished artist Roger Mortimer. Best known for his exquisite paintings, Mortimer is a highly accomplished artist with a singular vision, which he has pursued through many different mediums. He has a sophisticated digital art making process, involving a wide range of digital tools and processes, which he has developed over the course of many years. Wairere is Mortimer’s first foray into the exciting world of NFTs.

The three works included in this online auction are titled Matai , Wairere , and Whatipu VI . Each of the artworks features the distinctive elements that Mortimer is widely known for: precis maps of New Zealand coastal areas, detailed cartographic symbols, and figures inspired by medieval literature. In this instance, the three maps have each been drawn from marine charts of the Marlborough Sounds. The lack of specific detail of the land speaks to the earliest stages of the colonial era of Aotearoa, as European cartographers mapped coastlines, but little else.

While Mortimer’s work contains this nuanced reference to the past, it is also very much forward-looking. His use of a wide range of digital tools brings the work into a cutting-edge contemporary context. NFTs are a natural step for the artist, and it is a privilege for Webb’s to work with him on this project.

Roger Mortimer: Wairere will run online from 21–26 March. The successful bidder for each of the NFTs will also receive a signed and framed physical print of the artwork at the conclusion of the auction.

Julian McKinnon Manager, Content & Research

Roger Mortimer Wairere

2023

Non-fungible token signed, dated 1/1 print sold with NFT est $3,500 – $5,500

Enchanting Treasure: Webb's First Tiara

Tiaras have always been an alluring symbol of status and elegance. They are admired for their aesthetic appeal and as a statement piece or focal point of bridal wear. In recent years, tiaras have become increasingly popular as an investment, many being intricately crafted from the highest quality material and precious gemstones.

Value can be determined by various factors, including the quality of the materials used, the craftsmanship, and the history behind the piece.

Premium tiaras made from materials such as platinum, gold, and diamonds fetch high results at auction and are highly coveted by collectors. The exquisite craftsmanship of a vintage tiara offers a sense of legacy. The intricacy of their unique design cannot be replicated by modern jewellery.

The scarcity of vintage tiaras increases over time, further driving up their value. The extremely limited supply of vintage jewels is due to many being dismantled and their gems refashioned into other settings. This potential increase in value adds to their appeal.

This March, Webb’s had the exciting opportunity of bringing a 20th-century, vintage tiara to market. Handmade in 9ct silver and gold, this piece is darling, adorned by 11.44ct of diamonds. The floral centre of the jewel with open scroll sides converts into a brooch, adding versatility. Radiating at the front are 4 round brilliant cut and old European cut diamonds of estimated 3.68 carats.

The tiara was consigned in its original box, stamped with Frazer & Haws Piccadilly, London, the distinguished British heritage silversmiths. Priding themselves on limited edition original designs and regal clientele, including The King of England, this tiara is granted due status, captivating the secondary market and enthusiasts alike.

Our Fine Jewels, Watches & Luxury Accessories department are currently consigning for our forthcoming live auctions this year and are seeking vintage pieces. If you are considering bringing your rare jewels to market, now is the perfect time to do so. Contact our team of specialists for a complimentary appraisal.

Christine Power

Head of Fine Jewels, Watches & Luxury Accessories AJP (GIA) christinep@webbs.co.nz

+64 27 929 5607

Jess Mackenzie Specialist, Fine Jewels, Watches & Luxury Accessories AJP (GIA) jess@webbs.co.nz

+64 22 096 5610

Our last Works of Art sale, in November 2022, was the most successful auction of its type ever held in New Zealand. The auction realised a sale total of $6.3m. The results included new artist records for Adele Younghusband, Bill Sutton, Jeffrey Harris, Louise Henderson, Milan Mrkusich, Ralph Hotere and Robert Ellis along with excellent prices for works by Bill Hammond and Tony Fomison. Webb’s flagship Works of Art sales lead the market for New Zealand art.

4

1 Adele Younghusband Spring Cleaning est $50,000 – $60,000 price realised $232,600*

2 Tony Fomison What shall we tell them now? est $350,000 – $550,000 price realised $514,200

3 Louise Henderson Birds in Trees est $40,000 – $80,000 price realised $134,700*

4 Jeffery Harris Family Portrait est $65,000 – $90,000 price realised $171,400*

5 Ralph Hotere Baby Iron est $250,000 – $350,000 price realised $342,790*

6 Michael Smither A Hill with Road from Middle-March to Dunedin est $80,000 – $120,000 price realised $97,950

7 Robert Ellis City, Cloud & River est $25,000 – $35,000 price realised $94,900*

8 Bill Sutton Landscape Synthesis est $65,000 – $85,000 price realised $293,820*

9 Milan Mrkusich Emblem 1 (Water Fire) est $120,000 – $180,000 price realised $306,000*

10 Bill Hammond Six Placemakers est $120,000 – $180,000 price realised $391,800

* new artist record

2023 has started with a seismic shift in the art world in the form of unexpected farewells. Sadly, two extraordinary individuals who have contributed vastly to our cultural discourse both passed away within a few days of each other. Ans Westra and Ron Brownson were both legends of New Zealand art, and their loss came as a shock that many are still processing. While it will take time to come to grips with what it means for us to no longer have them with us, their contribution to art in this country has unquestionably been great.

Westra was a remarkable and pioneering photographer. Born in the Netherlands in 1936, she arrived in Aotearoa in 1957 carrying little more than a camera. She took to documenting rural life, frequently hitchhiking around the country to capture scenes of everyday life in the crisp black and white documentary photographs that we now see as part of the very fabric of our history. She has left a legacy that will continue to have cultural and historical significance for decades to come.

Brownson was a tireless champion of New Zealand art. As Senior Curator of New Zealand and Pacific Art at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Ron had worked with almost every major New Zealand artist over the past 45 years, striving to bring out the best in their work. It is hard to imagine a New Zealand art scene without Ron at its centre — he was one of our most distinguished curators, and a cultural icon in his own right. Ron’s incisive curatorial mind and entertaining and insightful commentary on visual art has been a mainstay of cultural life in Aotearoa for nearly as long as any of us here at Webb’s can remember. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of these two important figures at this time.

Nevertheless, as the saying goes, the show must go on. And it is no overstatement to say that this is a remarkable show. It is always a fascinating to see a Works of Art catalogue come together. As our premier art auction, it attracts some of the best artworks ever produced in this country, though the consignment process inevitably brings surprises. This catalogue brings together one of the finest selections of paintings by Tony Fomison ever presented at auction. There are six Fomison works in total, though the star of the show is unquestionably What shall we tell them?. Though it is relatively modest in size, this 1976 jester painting is, simply, a masterpiece. It graced the cover of the 1994 Fomison retrospective publication, and it gave the name to both the exhibition and the book. It is one of the best paintings by one of the best artists this country has ever known.

Works of Art also includes brilliant suites of works by Don Binney, Bill Hammond, Peter Siddell, Geoff Thornley, and Michael Smither. These are exceptional artists and it is fascinating to see strong collections of their work. Other standouts include works by Evelyn Page, Pat Hanly, Buck Nin Fiona Pardington, Peter Stichbury, Robert Ellis, Ralph Hotere and many others. We are sure that these brilliant works are worth your time and attention and we look forward to seeing you on auction day.

Charles Ninow Director of Art charles@webbs.co.nz +64 21 053 6504

Above: Director of Art, Charles Ninow, conducting Webb's record breaking sale of the Bank of New Zealand Art Collection, September 2022.

60 Tony Fomison An Actor's Face 1986 oil on hessian signed Fomison, dated '86 and inscribed An Actor's Face in ink verso

345 × 280mm

Wellington Event: An Evening with Charles Ninow

Webb's Director of Art, Charles Ninow and specialist, Mark Hutchins-Pond will share their personal perspective of the March Works of Art catalogue. Please RSVP to karen@webbs.co.nz.

Tuesday 14 March 6.30pm

Wellington Viewing

Wednesday 15 — Friday 17 March 10am — 5pm

Saturday 18 March 11am — 3pm

Auckland Event: Don Binney: A Life in Art

Join us for an illuminating discussion between gallerist, Barbara Speedy and Charles Ninow about the life and work of Don Binney. Please RSVP to registrar@webbs.co.nz.

Tuesday 21 March 6.30pm

Auckland Viewing

Wednesday 22 — Friday 24 March 10am — 5pm

Saturday 25 — Sunday 26 March 10am — 4pm

Auckland Viewing on Request

Monday 27 March 10am — 5pm

Auckland Auction

Monday 27 March 6.30pm

P lates

ink

580

est $14,000 —

provenance

natural

est $6,500 — $8,500

provenance

Private collection.

1 Ralph Hotere A Hot Drawing for a Tin Roof Painting 1980

and graphite with iron imprint on paper signed Hotere, dated '80 and inscribed Port Chalmers lower left; inscribed A Hot Drawing for a Tin Roof in graphite upper left

× 390mm

$20,000

Private collection, Auckland. Passed by bequest, c2022; Private collection, Tauranga.

2 Robin White with Ruha Fifita Ko e Hala Hangatonu — Detail V 2013

pigments on barkcloth signed Robin White with Ruha Fifita, dated 2013 and inscribed Ko e hala hangatonu — Detail V 3/5 in dye verso 890 × 450mm

est

provenance

Private

est

provenance

Private

3 Judy Millar Untitled 2017 acrylic on paper 295 × 210mm

$3,000 — $6,000

collection, Wellington. Acquired from Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland.

4 Richard Killeen Welcome to the South Seas 1980 oil on paper signed Killeen, dated 1980 and inscribed Welcome to the South Seas in graphite lower edge 420 × 315mm

$6,000 — $9,000

collection, Auckland. Acquired from Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland.

5 Gretchen Albrecht

Colloquy (1) 1993

lithograph on paper, 70/148

signed Albrecht and dated 93 in graphite lower right; inscribed 70/148 in graphite on lower left 185 × 285mm

est $3,000 — $6,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Sue Crockford Gallery, Auckland.

6 Colin McCahon

North Otago Landscape 1968

screenprint on paper 447 × 558mm

est $7,000 — $12,000

provenance

Private collection, Taupo.

note From the Barry Lett Multiples, published in 1968.

7 Douglas MacDiarmid

Mont Ste. Victoire III 2012

acrylic on paper signed MacDiarmid and dated 2012 in brushpoint lower edge 450 × 635mm

est $3,000 — $6,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Jonathan Grant Galleries, Auckland, 2018.

8 Bill Hammond untitled 1981 etching on paper, 10/15 signed W. D. Hammond, dated 1981 and inscribed 10/15 in graphite lower edge 170 × 255mm

est $1,800 — $2,600

provenance

Private collection, Wellington.

9 Bill Hammond Rockaway Beach 1981

etching on paper, 10/15 signed W. D. Hammond, dated 1981 and inscribed 10/15 in graphite lower edge 195 × 275mm

est $1,800 — $2,600

provenance

Private collection, Wellington.

Sun (Sunrise Sunset)

1981

etching on paper, 10/15

signed W. D. Hammond, dated 1981 and inscribed 10/15 in graphite lower edge

175 × 280mm

est $1,800 — $2,600

provenance

Private collection, Wellington.

Previous Life 3 1981

etching on paper, 10/15

signed W. D. Hammond, dated 1981 and inscribed 10/15 in graphite lower edge

200 × 255mm

est $1,800 — $2,600

provenance

Private collection, Wellington.

10 Bill Hammond

11 Bill Hammond

est

provenance

12 John Reynolds Cheap Money #21

2008 oil on canvas 100 × 100mm

est $300 — $600

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

13 John Reynolds Cheap Money #48 2008 oil on canvas 100 × 100mm

$300 — $600

Private collection, Auckland.

14 Julian Dashper Cass 1986

gelatin silver print; pastel on paper, 4/10 405 × 1060mm (overall)

est $4,500 — $7,500

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

exhibitions

From CASS to <del>CASS</del> - Iterations of New Zealand's 'greatest painting', Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, Christchurch, 2012.

collections Another from the edition held in the collection of Christchurch Art Gallery. Te Puna o Waiwhetu, Christchurch.

15 Paul Hartigan Space Junk 1979

watercolour and ink on paper signed Hartigan, dated 1979 in graphite lower right; incribed 'Space Junk' in graphite lower left 310 × 500mm

est $3,000 — $6,000

16 Robert Ellis

City Divided by the River 1964

oil on board signed Ellis in graphite verso 645 × 500mm

est $20,000 — $30,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

An Image Cast by the Sun #17 2019 acrylic and pgiment print on canvas signed André Hemer, dated 2019 and inscribed An Image Cast by the Sun #17 in graphite verso 225 × 160mm

est $2,500 — $4,500

provenance Private collection.

est $7,000 — $12,000

provenance

17 André Hemer

18 Judy Millar untitled acrylic on foam board 110 × 810mm

Private collection, Auckland.

19 Peter Siddell untitled 1998

acrylic on canvas signed Peter Siddell and dated 1998 in brushpoint lower right 460 × 605mm

est $30,000 — $40,000 provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired directly from the artist, Auckland, c1996.

20 Teuane Tibbo untitled 1973

acrylic on canvas

signed Teuane Tibbo and dated 1973 in brushpoint lower right 550 × 750mm

est $10,000 — $15,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired privately, c1985; Private collection, Auckland.

21 Richard Killeen

Repetition Triangle Wasp

2020

UV inkjet print on plywood signed Killeen and dated 2020 in ink verso 550 × 550mm

est $4,500 — $6,500

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

22 Michael Hight

Stocktaking at Te Were Store II

2012 oil on canvas signed Hight dated 2012 and inscribed Stocktaking At Te Were Store II in graphite verso 600 × 600mm

est $7,000 — $12,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland.

23 Kushana Bush

To Catch a Fish

2019 watercolour and gouache on paper 195 × 275mm

est $4,500 — $6,500

provenance

Private collection.

24 Richard Killeen Local Sign 2001

acrylic on powdercoated aluminium signed Killeen, dated 2001 and inscribed Local Sign in ink lower edge 265 × 400mm (widest points)

est $8,500 — $12,500

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Ivan Anthony, Auckland.

25 Richard Killeen Cool McLeavey 2001

acrylic on powdercoated aluminium signed Killeen, dated 2001 and inscribed Cool McLeavey in ink lower left 360 × 230mm (widest points)

est $10,000 — $20,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Peter McLeavey, Wellington.

Richard Killeen first met Peter McLeavey in 1967 at the Auckland home of Colin McCahon. Eight years later, he began exhibiting with the famed art dealer. Even in those early days, McLeavey’s influence on the New Zealand art scene was immense. More often than not, artists that he chose to work with went on to have notable careers and significant national profiles. For all that, McLeavey remained a down-to-earth figure, approachable and generous with his time to young art students and art enthusiasts.

Aluminium cut outs are perhaps the best-known aspect of Killeen’s multi-faceted art practice. The artist first started making these works in the late 1970s, and he has produced numerous iterations of them over the decades since. Cool McLeavey is from 2001. The work is a pared back graphic caricature of McLeavey wearing sunglasses, a suit, and a tie. Killeen’s appreciation of McLeavey, and the artist’s sense of humour, shines through in this work.

est $12,000 — $18,000

provenance

26 Shane Cotton Things Behind the Sun XII 2021

acrylic on canvas

signed S COTTON and dated '21 in brushpoint lower right 255 × 350mm

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Nadene Milne Gallery, Christchurch, 2021.

27

Autumn 1964 oil on paper on board signed Louise Henderson and dated April 1964 in charcoal upper left 420 × 620mm

est $12,000 — $16,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

The Black Standard over Victory Beach 1981 charcoal on paper signed Robin White and dated 1981 in graphite lower left; inscribed The Black Standard over Victory Beach in charcoal lower right 290 × 390mm

est $4,500 — $6,500

provenance Private collection.

coloured pencil and gouache on paper signed Adele Younghusband and dated 1930 in graphite lower left 470 × 345mm

est $25,000 — $35,000

provenance Private collection, Christchurch.

Louise Henderson

28 Robin White

29 Adele Younghusband Iceland Poppies 1930

1977

oil on board

signed Nin and dated '77 in brushpoint lower left 1340 × 1200mm

est $30,000 — $50,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from A2 Art: Day 1, Webb's, Auckland, 23 September 2014, lot 142.

Dr. Buck Nin (Ngāti Rua Kawa, Ngāti Toa), a highly significant artist and educator of the twentieth century, played a pivotal role in Māori cultural rejuvenation during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. He was particularly focussed on the development of Māori art and art education, and his work with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa was instrumental in advancing it towards becoming a national tertiary institution. Nin's educational philosophy prioritised creating a holistic learning environment that placed Māori identity at its core, enabling students to develop skills and confidence to succeed on their own terms. Nin was deeply involved in the early Māori rights movement, specifically the 1975 hikoi led by Dame Whina Cooper and the Bastion Point occupation in 1977-78. His work is entrenched in te ao Māori; it speaks to the enmeshed relationship of whenua and whakapapa through a visual language of recurrent symbolic motifs. Nin’s ardent commitment for representing a Māori world-view can be seen a way that the land is depicted as an equal lifeforce to the people who inhabit it. In his paintings amorphous elements of steam clouds and mist have an ethereal quality, as they rise from the earth towards the sky. Separation (Whale Bay) features some of

Nin’s signature use of colour and composition; the earth, Papatūanuku, is reduced to a dark mottled band, above the earth is a second layer, in which bodies of steam rise towards the top sky band of Ranginui. This, and the title, speak to the separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku by their children. Separation (Whale Bay) is a prime example of Nin’s painting. One could say that it hovers between figuration and abstraction, but such terminologies don’t entirely fit, as it speaks directly to te ao Māori.

Nin aimed to create art that was culturally current. He began curating and showcasing exhibitions of contemporary Māori art as early as the 1960s. Nin sought to support contemporary Māori artists who were actively involved in modernist discourse. In collaboration with other pioneers of modern Māori art such as Paratene Matchitt, Cliff Whiting, Robin Kahukiwa, Ralph Hotere, and Darcy Nicholas, Nin engaged in the cross-fertilisation of traditional forms and modern ways of seeing.

This incredibly important group of artists has not historically received the recognition it has deserved. As art historians, curators, and collectors pay increasing attention to Māori modernism, Nin’s work will continue to find greater audience. He was an exceptional artist who left a powerful legacy in painting.

This is Huia, Rare, Extinct 2021

inkjet print on Hahnemühle paper signed Fiona Pardington in ink verso 1400 × 1100mm

est $40,000 — $60,000

Dr Fiona Pardington (Ngāi Tahu, Kati Mamoe and Ngāti Kahungunu and clan Cameron of Erracht) is one of Aotearoa’s most celebrated photographers, who has solidified an identifiable style of work that is also distinctly connected to the artists’ homeland. Pardington grew up on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast, and knew from a young age that she wanted to be a photographer. Her ambition was solidified through tertiary study in photography at Elam School of Fine Arts, where she graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in 1984, Masters in 2003, and Doctorate in 2013.

Pardington’s photographic practice bridges artistic genres. Though the highly contrived, controlled arrangement of static objects in some compositions is evocative of still life, aligning with the European vanitas tradition, artworks such as This is a Huia, Rare, Extinct also engage with elements of portraiture. Pardington’s connection to her subjects is clear: “I’ve personalised them, made portraits of them,” she explains, “and just treated them like they were individuals.” 1

Thus a huia skull may illustrate the species’ extinction, but it is also intimately presented as a solitary, once living creature.

The huia is an iconic extinct bird whose last confirmed sighting was in 1906, reportedly huia became extinct due to overhunting and deforestation. Hunted for its beauty, the huias’ plumes were used to decorate cloaks and the distinctive beak of the female for ornamental decoration. The Huia is noted as having the most defined sexual dimorphism in bill shape of any bird in the world, the female bird’s beak is an extensive elegant curve (the celebrated silhouette of the huia), while the male beak is short and stout. The example in This is a Huia, Rare, Extinct is from a female bird.

Of course, with a portrait of an extinct species comes a warning for the future. Like many New Zealand artists with a sustained interest in ornithological subjects, Pardington has expressed concern about the future of endemic avian species and native bush. Pardington has outlined her belief “that photography is very much a place of mourning for the things that are valuable in life.”2 Indeed, This is a Huia, Rare, Extinct mourns the loss of the endemic huia species, but it also elicits a greater reverence for the bird. This work places the museum specimen in its rightful place as cultural taonga.

1 Owen Craven, “Profile: Fiona Pardington” in Artist Profile, November 11 2014, 67. 2 Rhana Devenport, “Fiona Pardington: Portraiture, Immanence and Empathy” in Art and Australia 48, no. 3.

32 Ian Scott

Navigation Light 1987

acrylic on canvas

signed Ian Scott, dated '87 and inscribed Navigation Light in ink and graphite verso 920 × 1525mm

est $18,000 — $24,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

33 Robert Ellis

Arepa — Omeka, Rakaumangamanga

1984

oil on canvas

signed Robert Ellis, dated '84 and inscribed Rakamangamanga, 15 Oketopa with incision lower right 1910 × 1675mm

est $20,000 — $30,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

34 Russell Clark Coastal View, Christchurch oil on board

340 × 540mm

est $30,000 — $50,000

provenance

Private collection, Christchurch. Acquired privately from W. T. Macalister, Christchurch, c2015; Collection of Rosalie Archer, Christchurch.

Russell Clark (1905-66) was an accomplished artist who worked during his career across a broad range of media and styles. Because Clark's practice was so diverse, critiques struggled to pinpoint his style. His work spanned from magazine illustration (he was chief illustrator for the New Zealand Listener and the School Journal for many years) to large scale public murals, with many modes and manners of painting in between. Clark was an accomplished illustrator and designed numerous book covers and advertisements throughout his career. Others may have known Clark as a war artist, recording World War II events in the Pacific, yet others as a supportive teacher at the Canterbury College School of Art from 1947, where he had himself studied. As an artist, his style and his subject matter were as diverse as was his career. He created striking images of the New Zealand landscape, portraiture, cubist works and abstracts. Moreover, he was also a fine printmaker and sculptor. Clark’s landscapes are distinctively New Zealand. His paintings of South Island vistas entirely hold their own with those by Bill Sutton, Rita Angus, Colin McCahon, and Toss Woollaston.

Coastal View, Christchurch is a stunning example of Clark’s work. It vividly portrays the coastal setting while engaging in painterly experimentation. Traditionally, landscapists often used roads running into the picture to draw in the viewer’s eye. Here, there is an absence of human habitation. Clark employs a succession of waves rolling on to the shore to achieve a similar effect. The painting has a strong, linear style that appears to reference cubism — this is most notable in the crisscrossing lines of the waves on the shore, and the strangely angular shape of the dunes on the beach. The movement of the water is skilfully suggested, as is the seemingly endless stretch to the horizon of the coastline. It is a striking, confident painting that demonstrates the skill and rigour of the artist.

exhibitions Russell Clark, Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland, 19 August — 12 September 2015.

Girl in a Mirror 2006

oil on canvas signed Frizzell, dated 26/6/2006 and inscribed Girl in a Mirror in brushpoint lower left 1500 × 1800mm

est $45,000 — $65,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired by private commision directly from the artist, 2006.

Dick Frizzell is a unique figure in the New Zealand art scene. He has been a prolific producer of paintings and prints over the past six decades, creating a number of iconic images in the process. Frizzell is notable for the diversity of his output, his engagement with pop culture, and an approach to art as a commercial discipline. This approach informed a career of 15 years working in advertising – an experience that frequently manifests his work directly in the form of commercial symbols and imagery.

Girl in a Mirror is a painting from 2006. Cartoonish in style, it depicts a woman in a super hero-like outfit standing in front of a mirror in a seemingly underground cavern. It references the style and aesthetic of 1950s-70s comic books and animated TV shows. At 1500 × 1800mm, the work is bold in scale, adding to its visual cut-through. Creating strong images that impress themselves on a viewer is one of Frizzell’s hallmark characteristics, and it is fully on display in Girl in a Mirror

Boosted by his media-savvy and larger than life presence, Frizzell is one of the highest profile artists in Aotearoa. His practice is broad and deeply nuanced, covering a wide range of subject matter and styles. He is a prodigious landscape and still life painter, and his playful images of the Four Square man are embedded in the cultural psyche –as is his well-known print Mickey to Tiki Tu Meke . Though his comic book paintings have a language all of their own.

According to well-known cultural critic Hamish Keith, “The comic is an illusion too. Dick’s images present as jokey – in the same way that Tony Fomison’s present as dark and despairing. There is another layer to the paintings of both. In Fomison, beneath the dark, and sometimes scary, surface image there is the beauty and often the optimism of a dream. Within Frizzell it is the revealing moment.” 1 What is it that is revealed in Girl in a Mirror ? The girl in the painting is captured in a self-revealing act, a recently removed mask clutched in her hand. She is gazing at herself in an austere setting. Perhaps this cartoonish painting is revealing a moment of personal reflection and insight, and in the process making a deeper artistic statement than it at first appears.

35 Dick Frizzell

1 Hamish Keith, “The Persistent Painter” in Dick Frizzell: The Painter (Auckland: Godwit/Random House, 2009), 11.

36 Evelyn Page

The Thames from the Terrace, Richmond

1968

oil on canvas

signed E.Page in brushpoint lower left 395 × 490mm

est $35,000 — $65,000

provenance

Private collection, Dunedin. Acquired from Fine Art Auction, Dunbar Sloane, Wellington, May 1992.

In the introduction to the text Evelyn Page: Seven Decades, John Coley, then Director of the Robert McDougall Gallery, wrote, “Evelyn Page's life is one of extraordinary zest and independence of spirit. These qualities have been made visible in the paintings she has created over seventy years vibrant, perceptive, direct expressions of her responses to sights, places and people. Landscapes, portraits and still lifes all reveal her delight in interpreting the visual experience.”

This sense of delight described is palpable in The Thames from the Terrace, Richmond. Page created this work in 1968, a short time after she visited Europe on a QEII Arts Council grant. The work captures the town on the river in the deft, expressive manner that Page was renowned for. She has depicted Richmond on a moody autumn day, rich in the reds and ochres of the season of change. Distant clouds and rainfall on the horizon add to the sense of a bracing autumnal environment.

The Thames from the Terrace, Richmond is a charming work that amply demonstrates Page’s skill as a painter. It captures a time and place in the expressive brushwork that came to define the artist’s oeuvre.

exhibitions Evelyn Page: Retrospective Exhibition, The National Art Gallery and the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington, 1970.

est $25,000 —

provenance

37 Karl Maughan Taumutu 2020 oil on canvas signed KM, dated 2020 and inscribed Taumutu in brushpoint verso 1000 × 1000mm

$35,000

Private collection, Wellington. Acquired from The Central Art Gallery, Christchurch, 2021.

38 Julian Dashper Untitled 1999

acrylic on linen signed JULIAN DASHPER dated 1999 and inscribed UNTITLED in graphite verso 505 × 505mm

est $8,000 — $16,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Sue Crockford Gallery, Auckland.

39 Julian Daspher untitled c1990s

vinyl on drum skin 530mm (diameter)

est $10,000 — $18,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Modern & Contemporary Art, International Art Centre, Auckland, 4 October 2018, lot 83.

40 Julian Dashper Regent 1985

oil on paper

690 × 1200mm (each panel)

est $15,000 — $20,000

provenance

Private collection, Wellington. Acquired from Peter Mcleavey Gallery, Wellington, 1985.

exhibitions

The Dowse Art Museum, c1988.

“One of the things that Elizabeth and I did when we got back to Taranaki was to drop the kids off with mum and dad and we spent seven days going right round the mountain. I drew the mountain from every angle I could get at it. It was a sort of return visit with the knowledge I had achieved with drawings and so in the South Island. Out of those drawings came a number of paintings.”

Above: Michael Smither discusses drawing Taranaki Maunga. Opposite: The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, Michael Smither (New Plymouth, 1984), 36.

Taranaki 1971

oil on board signed MDS and dated '71 in brushpoint lower left 475 × 520mm

est

$80,000 — $160,000

provenance

Private collection, Western Australia. Passed by bequest, 2013; Private collection, Taranaki. Acquired directly from the artist, c1971.

Taranaki Maunga is a striking feature of the landscape it inhabits. The white-shrouded volcanic peak rises majestically over the surrounding plains; with an elevation of over 2,500 metres, it can be seen from hundreds of kilometres away on a fine day. The mountain is sacred to Māori. In 2017 Taranaki was granted by the New Zealand Government as "a legal personality in its own right". Taranaki has become an iconic national landmark. There are numerous historical interpretations of the mountain and its surrounding areas. For locals too, it is a defining feature of the region. Michael Smither is an artist who responds to his environment. The places he lived and the people close to him are often the subject matter for his hard-edge paintings and prints. Smither was born in New Plymouth in 1939, and he grew up in proximity to Taranaki Maunga. His hometown, daily life, and the mountain became recurrent themes in his artwork. The four works in this catalogue offer a representative view of his subject matter, and span in production dates from 1964 through to 2007.

Smither painted his untitled depiction of a group of people outside a New Plymouth building in 1964. The work has a crisp look and feel, with a measured rendering of the scene. The figures appear relaxed, as if enjoying a sunny morning while dogs roam around them. Smither's early figurative pieces are somewhat cartoonish, as is the case with this work. This style imparts a sense of lightheartedness to the figures. Yet, this is a serious work produced by a highly skilled painter. Smither's mastery of creating visual depth through light and shadow, and his ability to immediately capture the essence of the figures, is in full display in this work.

In 1967, the artist produced the untitled dining table still life. This painting explores one of Smither’s central themes — domestic life. Here, it presents the viewer with a closeup depiction of a cup and a grapefruit. The fruit has been consumed, as has the contents of the cup. The sharp angle of the shadows suggests an early morning light, and perhaps that the painting depicts the artist’s breakfast. As with many of Smither’s domestic paintings, this work takes a seemingly ordinary every day event and elevates it.

The painting is technically fascinating. Like the earlier street scene, forms are carefully rendered through layered application of paint. While the composition contains minimal elements, it is thoughtfully balanced; the edges of the cup, plate, and spoon handle sit perilously close to the edges of the picture plane, yet the effect is dynamic, rather than uneasy. In terms of colour, the palette is masterful. The green and yellow shades of the fruit and bowl could, if used recklessly, appear caustic. But the restrained blues, greys, and whites of the surrounding painting balance the effect. In this arrangement, the bright tones are punchy, rather than garish. Such details demonstrate the artist’s mastery of colour

and composition, while still relatively early on in his career.

In the late 1960s, Smither spent some time living in Australia. He returned freshly energised, and set about painting the New Zealand landscape with gusto. He was based for a time in the South Island, where he created some extraordinary, pared back images of the Central Otago landscape, though subsequently returned to the familiar surrounds of his hometown environment in Taranaki. “New Plymouth’s isolation is an advantage for me,” he noted. “Here I am forced to find things out entirely for myself, away from artistic groups or trends. I wouldn’t want to be away from the sea. And here I am left alone to get on with painting without too many interruptions.” During this time, he created some of his most iconic images, frequently depicting the dramatic land and sea views that dominated the region. His distinctive stylised depictions of Taranaki Maunga capture its near symmetry and its powerful presence in the landscape. He has painted it numerous times, and it appears in many of his best-known artworks. Smither painted Taranaki in 1971. The work is striking. It is sparing in terms of detail, yet powerfully captures the snowcapped splendour of the mountain. Focussing on the peak and the slopes beneath, the painting is cropped in a way that eschews reference to the surrounding landscape. In using this compositional device, Smither makes the painting portrait-like; focussing on the subjecthood of the mountain itself. It captures the essence of the mountain, speaking to the spiritual reverence it has generated for many inhabitants of the area over centuries.

Some decades after Smither painted this work, esteemed New Zealand photographer Lawrence Aberhart photographed the mountain. Aberhart’s 1999 image,

est $65,000 — $85,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

42 Michael Smither untitled 1967 oil on board signed MDS and dated '67 in brushpoint lower right 450 × 590mm

43 Michael Smither untitled 1964 oil on board signed M.D.S in brushpoint lower left; dated 1964 in brushpoint verso 660 × 560mm

est $40,000 — $60,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

The Prisoner’s Dream (Taranaki from Oeo Road Under Moonlight) captures Taranaki Maunga with a similar majesty to Smither’s painting. The two artists, both among New Zealand’s finest, created two very different artworks that both speak to this magnificent natural monolith. Smither’s work, unlike Aberhart’s, features a degree of artistic licence in how the shape of the mountain is represented. Employing another wellcrafted painting device, Smither gives the viewer a vertiginous view of the slope. One sees the mountain as if climbing towards the summit, up a dizzyingly steep face. This is communicated through a highly restrained depiction of the mountain in an almost monochromatic palette — further evidence of Smither’s remarkable skill and artistry. New Plymouth Railway Station is a work from 2007, much later than the other works featured in this catalogue. The subject matter, once again, is Smither’s hometown. Yet the style of this work is completely unlike the others. The paint application is much more gestural and painterly, relying on impression, rather than detailed rendering. The palette of the this painting is also broader, bringing in red and umber hues that contrast with the blues, greys, and yellows that dominate the picture plane. In this work one can see the artist’s continued drive to innovate over the years, experimenting with new approaches to painting and image craft.

Smither is rightly recognised as one of New Zealand’s greatest living painters. Collectively, these four works present an excellent survey of the breadth and depth of his practice. In addition to his art making, Smither is also an accomplished musician and composer, having released several albums of his own music. His contribution to arts and culture in New Zealand is singular and unique.

44 Geoff Thornley

untitled (Ocean Within Series No.1) 1967

oil on board signed Thornley and dated '67 in brushpoint lower left 1350 × 1200mm

est $10,000 — $20,000

provenance

Private collection, Cambridge.

exhibitions Ocean Within, Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland, 1967.

from art school. For such an early work, it is remarkably accomplished. The faceless figures are eery and unsettling, yet they sit in a balanced composition that quietly hums. While it is entirely different stylistically from what was to come, its obvious quality and depth demonstrate the artist’s prodigious talent.

Three works from the 1970s are more readily identifiable as Thornley’s. Circle from 1972, Untitled from 1976, and Untitled from 1978-79 are works that sit within the broad field of geometric abstraction. Each of these works has a different look and feel, though all three feature bold lines and distinctive colouring. Together, the reveal the artist’s considered engagement with the discipline of abstract painting, exploring variations of a relatively restrained set of elements to achieve varied but equally compelling results.

Geoff Thornley is one of New Zealand’s most significant abstract painters. He is perhaps best known for his works that stylistically straddle the disciplines of colour field painting and geometric abstraction. Thornley's practice is held by the art world in high regard. The artist has had a highly productive career spanning from the 1960s to the present day. Born in 1942, Thornley trained at Elam in the early and mid 1960s. In the decades since, he has produced a substantial body of work of intelligence and depth.

This catalogue presents a rare richness of works by Thornley, totaling six paintings. The majority of these works are from the 1970s and late 1990s, though a rare work from his first exhibition – Ocean Within at Barry Lett Galleries in 1967 – is also included. That work shows a different side of the artist’s practice – surrealist figurative painting. In sum, these works present a compelling overview of the artist’s sustained and vital career output.

This 1967 work is a remarkable painting in more ways than one: at 1350 × 1200mm, it is large scale, which lends it an imposing presence; by a mere few years, it preceded the artist’s firm steps into abstraction that came to define his career; it was painted when the artist was in his mid-twenties, freshly graduated

One of the features of Thornley’s mature work is his subtle variations in colour. This allows the works to visually slip in and out of readings of surface and depth, giving the viewer the satisfying sense that the paintings are not static. Curator and art writer Justin Paton commented on this quality in his 2008 text, First Thing . “Whether it’s the grids that don’t quite materialise, or the lines that drift away from themselves like calligraphy written in water, his surfaces seem always to be confiding something that never fully rises into view,” Paton stated. Untitled #6 and Untitled were both painted in 1999. These works feature the subtle gradations of colour that create the exact effect Paton refers to. They are visually delicate works, presenting a hazy field of colour that never quite settles as foreground or background, giving the viewer a satisfying visually meditative experience.

Paton had more to say on Thornley’s work, which seems to perfectly encapsulate the nature of these two works. “Thornley maximises the thing that makes painting so exotic in the age of the computer screen: the fact that it is stubbornly one surface. For a start, the paintings are fiercely antiphotographic, full of fine gradings of tone that simply sink from view in reproduction. Even more importantly, the paintings refuse to be held in memory. There are no bold images to carry in the mind, no governing geometrical patterns, just fields of small events that are as enveloping and changeable as weather. Look away for a moment and they seem to change character, like landscapes under changing light.”

Together, these six works present a wide and compelling view of Thornley’s practice. When it is all said and done, he is a painter of rare skill, depth, and enduring dedication to his art. Inevitably, quality stands out. In the fullness of time, much more will be written and said about his work.

45 Geoff Thornley

Untitled 1976 oil on canvas signed Geoff Thornley, dated 1976 and inscribed Untitled in ink verso 865 × 840mm

est $10,000 — $16,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired c1980s.

46 Geoff Thornley

untitled 1978-79

oil and graphite on canvas signed Thornley and dated '78-79 in graphite verso 1100 × 490mm

est $10,000 — $16,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired c1980s.

47 Geoff Thornley Untitled #6 1999 oil on linen signed Thornley, dated 26.98.99. and inscribed Untitled.#6 in brushpoint verso 1055 × 900mm

est $6,000 — $9,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

48 Geoff Thornley Untitled 1999 oil on canvas signed Thornley, dated 12.99. and inscribed Untitled in brushpoint verso 1055 × 900mm

est $6,000 — $9,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

49 Geoff Thornley Circle 1972 ink on paper on canvas signed Thornley, dated '72 and inscribed Circle in ink verso 710 × 710mm

est $6,500 — $8,500

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired c1980s.

50 A Lois White untitled oil on board signed A LOIS WHITE in brushpoint lower left 440 × 360mm

est $20,000 — $30,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

note

est $20,000 —

provenance

Collection

est

provenance

Private

52 Jeff Koons Puppy 1992 ceramic, edition of 3000 signed JK with incision on base 450 × 280 × 430mm (widest points)

$25,000 — $35,000

collection, Auckland. Acquired from Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland.

51 Gordon Walters Arahura 1982

screenprint on paper, 57/135 signed Gordon Walters, dated 1982 and inscribed 57/135 Arahura in graphite lower edge 760 x 560mm

$30,000

of noted art historian Iain Buchanan, Auckland.

This lot includes the artwork's original packaging.

2011

acrylic on wood

signed S W Cotton, dated 2011 Clutch Play II in brushpoint upper edge 860 × 60 × 60mm (widest points)

est $20,000 — $30,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Hamish McKay, Wellington.

2014

automotive paint on Fiberglass, edition of 15 410 × 125 × 100mm (widest points)

est $35,000 — $55,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Michael Lett, Auckland.

53 Shane Cotton Clutch Play Il

54 Michael Parekōwhai Kapa Haka

55 Fiona Pardington

Portrait of a South Island Kokako, Extinct 2016–2021

inkjet print on Hahnemühle paper, edition of 10 signed Fiona Pardington in ink verso 1090 × 1460mm

est $35,000 — $55,000

provenance

Private collection.

Fiona Pardington (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Ngāti Kahunga, Clan Cameron) is one of New Zealand’s most revered contemporary artists. She has exhibited locally and internationally since the 1980s to considerable acclaim. Pardington is an important figure in New Zealand photography and remains a leading practitioner of the medium. Her work balances conceptual rigour and technical finesse, challenging preconceptions of photography’s capacity for artistic excellence beyond its documentative qualities.

Pardington is particularly well-known for her hauntingly beautiful and austere portraits and still-life photographic compositions. She has frequently depicted Māori taonga and museological objects including specimens of native wildlife. Her photographic works are powerful. They possess a quality; or je ne sais quoi, that seemingly summons the sheer life-force (the hau) of her subject matter, as if drawing on some supernatural essence. Portrait of a South Island Kokako, Extinct is a compelling example of this.

The Māori god Tāne Mahuta is the lord of the forest, and all those which inhabit the land are his offspring. This genelogical connection of Tāne Mahuta to the South Island Kokako is evidenced by Pardington's reverent portrayal of this majestic creature. It is more in the manner of noble portraiture than mere object specimen for a still-life study. Pardington’s mastery for animating every detail draws us into the intimate space between artist and subject. In this space, the significance of the enigmatic darkness from which the South Island Kokako emerges, and the soft glow which shows its magnificence, becomes inescapable. This seems symbolic of its fate. The light source is not from the natural world, it is artificial, while the darkness is both the cosmological void of divine potential, and Te Kore, the eternal nothingness.

The melancholic undertone to Fiona Pardington’s practice is a characteristic often regarded as specific to Aotearoa. One might go so far as to say that Pardington is the Ruler of New Zealand Gothic. Portrait of a South Island Kokako, Extinct is a stunning example of her work. It is richly steeped in the nuances of her practice, formally sophisticated, and visually arresting.

56 Bill Hammond

Scribe Wishbone Ash 2010

acrylic on canvas

signed W D Hammond, dated 2010 and inscribed SCRIBE Wishbone Ash in brushpoint upper right 600 × 600mm

est $85,000 — $145,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2011.

exhibitions

Wishboneash: Urns & Burners, Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2012.

Bill Hammond’s paintings have an air of mystique. Whether it is in the visual-overload of his early career graphic works, his midcareer first steps into the enchanting realm of birds, or his late-career avian masterpieces, his paintings all have it.

S cribe Wishbone Ash is from 2010, nearing the later stages of Hammond’s life and artistic output. It is a relatively restrained image, consisting of a large, seated bird figure – the scribe – holding a quill. Over its head hovers another, smaller bird figure, perhaps an angel or muse. The scribe is burning a small wishbone over a tiny urn. Smoke rises from the fire, forming a small cloud that rises up and spills into lavish gold paint runs. This scene is set against a bright blue background, that pushes it strongly to the fore. Each element is thoughtfully balanced and fastidiously executed.

The ritual taking place in this painting, like in so many of Hammond’s works, is opaque. What is the scribe looking for in the burning wishbone? What is it that they are writing down? One could imagine that some act of divination foretelling is taking place, the observance of wishbone smoke and ash offering some supposed clues into the workings of the cosmos, like the reading of tarot cards or tea leaves. The urn appears positioned to catch the ash from the burning bone, perhaps offering

a semblance of a clue to the purpose of this frequently recurring motif through Hammonds work. Though, one may well ask, what is it that motivates this esoteric ritual and urn use?

Such questions abound when viewing Hammond’s paintings, though they remain unanswerable. Hammond never cared to discuss or write down exactly what it was that the birds were up to. These creatures and their activities remain enigmatic, an alluring quality for artwork to possess. Artworks that offer easy answers don’t sustain meaningful contemplation in the long run. There is something primeval about Hammond’s work, some remnant of the wilderness that he encountered so formatively at Enderby Island in 1989. These works tap into a powerful psychological current, feeding the part of the psyche that longs for wildness and the abandonment of the sanitised reality of contemporary life, somewhatdevoid of mystery and meaningful ritual as it is.

Whatever its exact intended meaning, Scribe Wishbone Ash is a stunning work by one of the nation’s greatest ever artists. Since his death in 2021, Hammond’s artistic legacy has continued to be evaluated, grappled with, and studied. While questions about what it all means will continue to be asked, the certainty of its power and brilliance will ensure it continues to rise in cultural esteem.

“Conservation, spirituality and art usually conjoin in societies living indigenous to natural habitat. The role of any artist – in the fullest definition – can aid other specialist initiatives in habitat recovery, not just as a recorder but also as a celebrant. Bringing creativity to the world's stewardship, the artist might find a renewed role, beyond today’s commodification and hypertheorising. As Emile Nolde’s “God, the great Gardener” proposes, we should all become ‘gardeners’ of a kind.”

Above: Don Binney on life, conservation and art.

Opposite: Don Binney, Ikon Gallery, Auckland, 1964.

Of all the distinctive subjects to appear in New Zealand art, perhaps none is more universally revered than Don Binney’s depictions of native birds set against coastal shorelines. Binney created an extraordinary body of work over the course of five decades, consistently threading in his love of nature. While at times, his work slid out of fashion, Binney remained true to the artistic vision that sustained him. He continued to create his poignant, pared back paintings that captured an essential theme of life in Aotearoa.

This catalogue features a substantial body of work by Binney, including four notable large-scale artworks. The earliest of these is Te Henga (Bethells Beach) , which Binney painted in 1963. In layered paint, which is at times scumbled back, and at others worked in thick impasto, Binney presents an interpretive image of the dunes and sky at the remarkable West Auckland beach. This painting teeters on the edge of abstraction, with just enough suggestion of natural forms to hold it to a landscape reading. Notably, Te Henga (Bethells Beach) was painted in the same year as his first solo exhibition, held at Auckland’s Ikon Gallery, and it is likely to have been exhibited in that show. It is a sumptuous painting that tells its own story in paint, while offering a fascinating glimpse of the early work of an artist who went on to become one of New Zealand’s all-time greats.

Painted in 2001, Untitled (Under Moehau) depicts an aspect of the Moehau Ranges in Coromandel. The work is beautifully muted, with foreground water, midground islands, and background ranges set in a beautifully balanced composition. The paint layering is richly textural in Binney’s characteristic style, and the palette features his distinctive tones of blue. Binney was clearly drawn to this setting, as a year later he painted Under Moehau II , which pictured the same islands and ranges from a different angle. Untitled (Under Moehau) is an excellent example of the artist’s mature work, showing a calm and poised landscape composition.

Poleline Kotare IV is a unique, oil-painted lithographic work from 2002. It is immediately reminiscent of Binney’s much-loved 1980 screenprint, Swoop of the Kotare , though this work is more detailed, its subject given stunning treatment in oil paint, the coastal

Private collection, Northland. Acquired from Important Works of Art, Webb's, Auckland, 30 November 2010, lot 31.

57 Don Binney Tahuna, Takapu 2003 acrylic on canvas signed Don Binney and dated 2003 in brushpoint lower left 545 × 365mm

landscape carefully rendered. The Kotare or Sacred Kingfisher is an exquisitely coloured native bird that inhabits a wide range of coastal and wetland areas in Aotearoa. Binney was clearly captivated by the Kotare and its magnificent colours, painting and drawing it many times. Poleline Kotare IV is a fascinating example of his continued innovation in painting production methods, employing lithography for the under drawing.

Binney painted Tahuna, Takapu in 2003. The work depicts two gannets in flight over the distinctive headland of Cape Kidnappers. The cape is home to one of the largest mainland colonies of gannets in the world, occupied by approximately 6,500 breeding pairs. Part of the colony of nesting birds can be seen in the painting, atop the cliffs in the lower left of the image. In this work Binney reduces the image to bare essentials — the ocean is rendered in flat planes of blue, as is the sky. The contours of the cape itself are expressed in deftly shaded brush strokes. As is often the case with the artist’s best works, Tahuna, Takapu depicts the cape and its bird life with an unmistakeable directness.

Cape Kidnappers/Te Kauwae-a-Māui is located on the east coast of the North Island, and it has a rich and fascinating history. The cape is a location of natural significance on account of the gannet colony. During breeding season, which runs from August to April, thousands of Australasian gannets flock to the rocky outcrops of the cape to nest, breed and raise their young. This combination of cultural and natural importance may have influenced Binney’s decision to paint this particular vista.

Binney avidly observed and sketched scenes for his paintings. Writer and curator Gregory O’Brien summarised that as follows, “Sketchbooks and drawing materials accompanied Binney out into the landscape to a degree that painting and its accoutrements – for practical reasons – never could. The drawings configured as both an end in themselves and also, in numerous cases, acts of preparation or pre-planning. Increasingly, especially during the last two decades of his career, Binney would painstakingly grid up a page of his sketchbook so the imagery could then be transferred to a canvas, leaving little to chance. The numerous drawings adapted for

such a purpose are also evidence of the care – almost forensic, at times – with which he weighed up bird and landscape elements in particular, and explored their inter-relationship. In various published statements, he maintained that the truest subject of his art was the space between those two elements.”

While his earlier work often had an undercurrent of environmental protest, Binney’s later work, that from the early 2000s, appears to possess a calm reverence. In the text accompanying one of his final exhibitions, Binney stated, “The sky, the sea, the land is all there and you are there on its terms… we are beholden to old forces that endure. Is it then folly or a trivial act to try to describe it in words… or drawing, or painting? To describe, yes. To celebrate, no. It is appropriate to celebrate that which you find awesome, unique, healing.” The sense of uniqueness and healing calm that he describes simply emanates from Tahuna, Takapu .

Collectively, these four works offer a remarkable survey of the career of one of New Zealand’s most important artists. Binney’s work is widely admired and treasured by public and private collectors. Seeing this broad selection of his paintings, alongside a number of drawings and prints, is very rare outside of museum contexts. A great deal of scholarship has been generated by Binney’s work; given the quality so evident in this selection, there will considerably more to come.

59 Don Binney Untitled (under Moehau) 2001 oil on canvas signed BINNEY and inscribed MMI. in brushpoint upper left 600 x 900mm est $85,000 — $135,000

60 Don Binney untitled graphite on paper inscribed 17 1/2 × 13 1/2 kmh in graphite left edge 270 × 410mm

est $8,000 — $12,000

provenance

Private collection.

note

Certificate of Authenticity affixed verso.

61 Don Binney untitled c2003 graphite on paper 285 × 210mm

est $5,000 — $8,000

provenance Private collection, Northland.

note

Preliminary drawing for painting Tahuna, Takapu, 2003. Certificate of Authenticity affixed verso.

62 Don Binney untitled c2005 graphite on paper 230 × 165mm

est $7,000 — $12,000

provenance Private collection.

note Certificate of Authenticity affixed verso.

63 Don Binney untitled c2003 charcoal and graphite on paper inscribed Study before Deciding Main Grid and Space-Ratios in the Adapted Composition in graphite upper edge 300 × 240mm

est $8,000 — $12,000

provenance

Private collection.

note Certificate of Authenticity affixed verso.

64 Don Binney Māori Terraces 1966 graphite on paper signed DON BINNEY, dated 23 JULY '66 and inscribed MAORI TERRACES in graphite lower left 440 × 545mm

est $15,000 — $25,000

65 Don Binney

Te Henga (Bethells Beach)

1963

oil on board

signed Don Binney and dated 1963 in brushpoint lower right

460 × 700mm

est $35,000 — $65,000

provenance

Private collection, Sydney. Acquired from Contemporary & Traditional New Zealand & European Art, International Art Centre, Auckland, 29 March 2001, lot 20.

66 Leo Bensemann

Mount Grey 1964

oil on canvasboard signed Leo Bensemann and dated '64 in brushpoint lower right 430 × 630mm

est $35,000 — $65,000

provenance

Private collection, Wellington. Acquired from New Zealand & International Fine Art - Evening Sale, Dunbar Sloane, Wellington, 24 November 2021, lot 33.

est $80,000 — $160,000

provenance

Ian Scott’s so-called ‘Girlie Paintings’ of the late 1960s and early 1970s hold an intriguing place in the history of New Zealand art. They are entirely unlike the artist’s later abstract ‘lattice’ paintings, which are his betterknown works. They are also unlike anything else in New Zealand art before or since. These works picture glamorous young women in modern outfits and dynamic poses, set against wildly abstracted landscapes or stark interiors. The series draws on pop culture and advertising.

The subjects of these paintings could be read as either liberated or objectified, or perhaps both. One could find arguments for each different reading. Whatever the case, today’s culture environment is quite different to that of the time Scott made the works. For that reason, they have a distinct ‘summer of love’ temporality — these works would likely not have been made earlier or later than when they were. As such, they are distinctive icons of a period of dynamic cultural change.

In Golden Girl, the blond-haired subject is striking a firm pose. She appears happy and at ease. The wildly abstracted landscape behind her is rendered in verdant green, blue, and white; it’s impossible angles are equal parts disorienting and delightful. One could easily detect reference to McCahon’s 1952 work, On Building Bridges with its sharply angular abstracted landscape. Though the palette is entirely different to that work — rich, saturated, and bright rather than pared back and sombre. This painting is a compelling example of Scott’s work from the era, effortlessly expressing the rebellion and reinvention of the zeitgeist.

67 Ian Scott Golden Girl 1970

oil on board signed Ian Scott, dated '70 and inscribed Golden Girl in ink verso 1055 × 1285mm

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired directly from the artist, Auckland, c1998.

Peter Stichbury

Pam Reynolds, NDE/OBE 1991 2018

oil on canvas

signed P.STICHBURY, dated 2018 and inscribed PAM REYNOLDS, NDE/ OBE 1991 in brushpoint verso 1200 × 950mm

est $90,000 — $160,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Michael Lett, Auckland, c2018.

exhibitions

Peter Stichbury, Altered States, Michael Lett, Auckland, 2018.

Peter Stichbury has described his mode of painting as “a cross-pollination between old and new, or neoclassical portraiture.” 1 His subjects are intriguing people; often models, misfits and intellectuals in their 20s and 30s. They are conveyed with a sense of isolation or alienation in their ill-at-ease expressions. Riffing on pop culture and fashion magazines, Stichbury’s subjects are, “characterised by a graphic flatness and minute attention to detail” and described by Justin Paton as possessing “nearly oppressive flawlessness”. An online biography stated, “His subjects share glossy complexions and overstated facial elements, the most striking of which are wide-set eyes and a mesmerising middle-distance gaze.” 2

Stichbury’s 2018 painting Pam Reynolds, NDE/OBE 1991 is a distinctive example of the skilled portraiture that has earned the artist local and international acclaim. It possesses all of the qualities mentioned above. The subject of the painting is depicted in the classic headand-shoulders frontal pose preferred by the artist. Her gaze is characteristically off-beat, staring down and out of the picture frame. Her expression is equivocal to subtly unnerving effect — the very essence of what has made the artist’s work famous.

Stichbury’s subjects are often fictitious, given invented names, occasionally adding minor biographical details. In this case, however, the title appears to reference Pam Reynolds Lowery, an American singer/songwriter who reported

having a near death experience (NDE) during a brain aneurysm operation in 1991. Reynolds case is well-documented. During the operation, which was a last-ditch effort to save her life, she had a period of no brain activity and no blood flow to her brain. This defined her as clinically dead, though she survived and made a full recovery. Afterwards, Reynolds reported a wide range of experiences, which included accurate details of operating room processes, and encounters with deceased relatives. Her case is often referred to in discussions about the survival of consciousness after death.

For all this apparent reference to the songstress and her experiences, the image in the painting bears only a passing resemblance to her. Perhaps the artist wanted to make the association, without necessarily creating a literal depiction of the woman herself. Whatever the case, Pam Reynolds, NDE/OBE 1991 is a stunning example of Stichbury's work. It conveys a sense of the uncanny, which is only furthered by the backstory of Reynolds and her Near Death Experience.

On one level, Stichbury’s works can be viewed as casting a lens over pop culture and reframing it. His paintings engage with ideas of celebrity culture and the beauty aesthetic of fashion magazines, yet they also hold as a slightly detached existential studies. This work, among his very best, brings some of the complexities and mysteries of human experience into focus.

1 Peter Stichbury and Emma Bugden. Peter Stichbury: The Alumni (Auckland, NZ: Starkwhite, 2010).

2 Biography — Peter Stichbury, ocula.com, https://ocula.com/ artists/peter-stichbury/

69 Bill Hammond

Bobby's Alright 1986

oil on aluminium signed W. Hammond, dated 1986 and inscribed Bobby's Alright in brushpoint lower left 480 × 775mm

est $35,000 — $45,000

provenance

Private collection Auckland. Acquired privately; Private collection, Australia. Acquired from Art + Object, Auckland, 2013.

Dead Ironwood, Auckland Islands #1 1990

oil on copper, artist's frame signed W. D. Hammond, dated 1990 and inscribed Dead Ironwood Auckland Islands in brushpoint lower left; signed W. D. Hammond, dated 1990, inscribed 'DEAD IRONWOOD' AUCKLAND ISLANDS #1

NFS ACRYLIC ON COPPER in ink verso 255 × 450mm

est $50,000 — $80,000

provenance

Private collection, Greymouth. Acquired privately, 2010.

70 Bill Hammond

The story of Bill Hammond’s trip to the remote Auckland Islands is well-known. In 1989, Hammond visited Enderby Island, the northernmost of the sub-Antarctic archipeligo with fellow artists Laurence Aberhart, Lloyd Godman and Gerda Leenards. The trip had a transformative effect on Hammonds art, changing his artistic direction for the remainder of his life. There are no human inhabitants on any of the Auckland Islands, which lay some 450 kilometres south of Bluff. Birds have dominion. Hammond saw the Islands as primeval, as if they were remnants of Aotearoa before people arrived. After this trip, the artist was inspired, and started to integrate hybrid bird-people into his paintings.

Hammond created Dead Ironwood Auckland Islands in 1993. This was the same year that he began to add bird people to his paintings, but they do not feature in this work. Rather, it is an immediate precursor to such works, offering a fascinating view of Hammond’s artistic development. Dead Ironwood Auckland Islands directly references his visit to Enderby Island, capturing the desolate, wind-swept landscape with its fallen trees. Hammond has included three figures in the image – perhaps members of the party he travelled with. These figures are adopting the very kind of poses that his

bird-people would assume. In particular, the figure on the left of the image is set on a tree branch, much like many of the later bird figures would.

In the years that followed the production of Dead Ironwood , Hammond’s bird people proliferated. They are central to the majority of his post-1993 artistic output, and have become a motif as deeply ensconced in New Zealand art folklore as McCahon’s painted texts and Walters’ korus. Dead Ironwood Auckland Islands is fascinating in its own right, though all the more so for its place in the context of Hammond’s career.

Above: Lloyd Godman, Bill Hammond among the Rata Forest at night, Auckland Islands, 1989.

71 Bill Hammond

Wishbone Ash 2011

acrylic on paper signed W D Hammond, dated 2011 and inscribed Wishbone Ash paper in graphite lower right 1000 × 700mm

est $85,000 — $145,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2011.

exhibitions

Wishboneash: Urns & Burners, W.D Hammond, Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2011.

Bill Hammond’s bird-people have become a central motif of New Zealand art. They are enchanting, hard to pin down, and aesthetically thrilling. They delight and confound viewers, excite collectors, and intellectually engage critics, curators, and historians. Simply put, they are an artistic sensation.

Hammond’s bird-people inspire a complex range of associations and responses. They are anthropomorphic, engaging in humanlike behaviours, connecting with human desires and emotions. On another level, they are starkly alien. Their rituals are esoteric and their intentions unknowable. One can sense that they are reflecting an aspect of us, though they are of another realm. The world Hammond created with these birds is confounding, and he never sought to explain it. It may well have remained a mystery to him as well. Though for all their mystery, these works have a very tangible and palpable artistic vitality. Hammond’s vision was profound, and he was technically masterful.

Hammond painted Wishbone Ash in 2011. The work presents a striking solitary bird-person in a side on view. They have their arm tucked around a beautifully adorned urn, which is another of Hammond’s recurring motifs. The palette is tightly constrained, comprised mostly of gold on a dark grey background, and the overall effect is magnificent. It is a work of poise and confidence with a sense of ceremonial significance. The figure is majestic. Though their subject matter differs wildly, Hammond is every bit as skilled as McCahon in conveying gravitas.

Urns appear in many of Hammond’s works. Though they often appear to be in some way ceremonial, their purpose is often far from clear. In Wishbone Ash , the urn appears to be a receptacle for the cremated ashes of another bird – perhaps one important to the living figure. Though that reading is entirely interpretive. Even after years of viewing, Hammond’s paintings remain enigmatic, open to pluralistic readings, and deeply enchanting.

oil on board signed S.W.C, dated 1993 and inscribed 100 Revolutions in brushpoint lower edge 2440 × 400mm; 910mm (diameter, each panel)

est $60,000 — $100,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

Shane Cotton’s important early painting 100 Revolutions (1993) represents a prototypical moment in an illustrious career now spanning three decades. This seminal work signifies a pivotal arrival and departure for Cotton (Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Hine, Te Uri Taniwha), one of Aotearoa’s leading and most celebrated artists.

Prior to landing on the iconic signature style evidenced here, the artist had been painting in a more ambiguous and open-ended fashion, reworking biomorphic abstraction in a contemporary context. 100 Revolutions demonstrates his breakthrough into the more figurative style for which he is now well known.

Cotton’s dual Māori and Pākeha heritage guides his approach, speaking to these deeply interwoven cultures and their complex interactions, past and present. This painting is emblematic of the artist’s examination of early contact histories and cross-cultural exchange between Māori and European settlers, excavating the complexities and contradictions of our postcolonial present. Notably, Cotton has drawn on Māori folk art as a source (which combined European and Māori cultural motifs). Central to his work is an address of the postcolonial condition, grounded in the present while also explicitly referencing the past. It is an alternative –indeed speculative – history painting. The artist engages the politics and poetics of appropriation: both referring to, and drawing from, the borrowings of others. Cotton’s personal iconography draws from an array of contemporary cultural and historical

sources, co-opted into an evolving visual grammar we see first tested here. In particular, this work demonstrates Cotton’s interest in nineteenth century Māori figurative painting, which reflects the impact of European settlers on the lives of Māori and their modes of representation. A prime example can be found at Rongopai, the wharenui built at Waituhi near Gisborne in 1887. Constructed for the prophet and resistance leader Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Tūruki, Rongopai contains unique and significant figurative paintings.

A potted plant features in 100 Revolutions, also particularly unusual in its composition across three component boards: two circular and one rectangular. The plant’s wilted appearance is perhaps in need of loving attention, while the words ‘Swell Ground’ float above. Despite the monumental size of the pot, the ground it contains may not be in such a fertile ‘swell’ state after all. Cotton’s characteristic doubles and foils – both visual and verbal – may also connote the idea of a ‘groundswell’, a widespread shift in popular opinion. This is particularly loaded in the context of revolution, whether collective and political, or spiritual and personal.

Rendered in a rusty palette of umber and sienna, the artist’s textured underpainting is prominent here, providing a coarse surface with which to collect layered applications of oil paint and the signs of their repeated rubbing back. These worked surfaces appear old and weathered, akin to sepia-toned photographs and topographies which reveal the impacts of their inhabitants.

burnished steel, steel rivets, and wood inscribed Black Window in brushpoint upper edge 1085 × 1005mm

est $90,000 — $120,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland, 2016.

Hone Papita Ruakura “Ralph” Hotere (Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa) was born in Mitimiti, a small settlement on the Hokianga Harbour, Northland in 1931. He initially studied art at the Dunedin School of Art in 1952, and later was granted a fellowship that supported him to study at the Central School of Art and Design in London. He travelled through Europe and was influenced by the development of contemporary movements — pop and op art. He returned to Dunedin in 1965 and was the Frances Hodgkins Fellow at the University of Otago in 1969.

Hotere’s Black Window series found its impetus in a significant event in New Zealand’s cultural history: the Save Aramoana campaign that commenced in 1974. The campaign opposed the planned construction of an aluminium smelter near to the Aramoana settlement on the Otago Peninsula, and the displacement of the communities of both Aramoana and the nearby village of Te Ngaru that it would entail. At one stage, the settlement declared itself a sovereign state, a ‘micro nation’ with its own border posts and passports. The campaign eventually prevailed and the smelter was not built. To Hotere, the events that unfolded at that time were deeply significant. His references to Aramoana did not simply refer to the conflict over an aluminium smelter, rather, they reflected the plight that tangata whenua continue to face in Aotearoa.

While Ralph Hotere’s practice is deeply politicised, it was not until the early 1980s, when his Black Window series was produced,

that he openly engaged with contemporary political discourse. Prior to this, the concerns echoed in Black Window were present, however they were often hidden behind a complex set of reference points. For example, Hotere’s Black Paintings of the late 1960s and early 1970s engaged with the aroha of the tangata whenua by constructing a waiata from abstract visual harmonics; and his Sangro series of the late 1970s engaged with the issue of selfdetermination by recalling the death of his brother Jack in the Second World War. Hotere made Black Window in 1983. The work is constructed from a sash window and burnished metal, with large swathes of the support painted black. Black is absolute. Set at the end of the chromatic scale, it forms the boundary to hues both warm and cold and, depending on the mattness or glossiness of its application, it can negate or synthesise colour. Here, it appears at first glance to negate colour. Though on closer inspection the black backdrop serves to accentuate the dynamic spectrum of colour that can be observed in the burnished metal.

Through all of Hotere’s works, one can detect a deep connection to place, specifically the artists homeland Aotearoa. His works offer a window, both lliteral and figurative, into his poetic understanding of the world around him. This glimpse of understanding also poses a line of questioning in which his highly reflective surfaces will sit before us as a mirror, insisting that the viewer look within and seek beyond the work before them.

acrylic,

est $50,000 —

provenance

Private collection,

est $25,000 —

provenance

Private

75 Pat Hanly Garlands Knot — Learning Stops Seeing 1991

enamel and nails on board signed Hanly, dated '94 and inscribed Garland Knots in ink lower right 790 × 990mm (widest points)

$45,000

collection, Auckland. Acquired from Jonathan Smart Gallery, Auckland, c2013.

74 Ralph Hotere Port Chalmers 1989 burnished steel signed Hotere, dated 89 and inscribed Port Chalmers in ink verso 600 × 670mm

$70,000

Auckland. Acquired from New Collector's Art, Applied Arts, Modern Design, Art + Object, Auckland, 11 May 2021, lot 267.

Pat Hanly is a unique figure in the history of New Zealand art. His vibrant paintings offer an energetic counterpoint to the moody themes and palettes of many of his New Zealand modernist contemporaries. Over the course of his life, Hanly created a body of profoundly expressive work.

Hanly was never an artist who lapsed into formulaic ways of working. He was always experimenting, trying out new ideas, and reconfiguring his approaches to materials and techniques. In his definitive Hanly monograph, writer and curator Gregory O’Brien noted this tendency, stating, “In Hanly's endlessly inventive works, we experience a freewheeling cosmology, a solid but adaptable technique, and a constant appetite for mixing things up and turning them around.”

Late in his career, the artist produced a number of richly inventive mixed-media assemblage works, Garlands Knot – Learning Stops Seeing is one such piece. These works comprised Hanly’s lsat solo exhibition of new work, Family Assemblages and Bouquets at RKS Art in 1992. According to O’Brien, “The works were inspired by Rembrandt's The Jewish Bride (1697) – which he had seen at the Riksmuseum in Amsterdam in 1961 - and by the fact many of his friends were getting married.” The works were assembled from

remnants of earlier paintings, which Hanly had kept in his studio. O’Brien added, “In these assemblages, he breathed new life into old materials, hinting at states of perpetual evolution, rebirth and renewed hope.”

Garlands Knot – Learning Stops Seeing is a stunning example from this series. Though it has been constructed from parts of several artworks, the assemblage has been carefully composed. It features expressive splashes of paint along with more deliberate lines and bold planes of colour. The back of the work is particularly fascinating. It includes several handwritten notes by the artist, commenting on the series. O’Brien concluded that Hanly’s assemblage works were ‘meditations on universal cycles of creation and destruction’. This was a consistent theme of the artist’s oeuvre, though it was taken to new heights in this body of work.

Hanly’s reputation as New Zealand’s foremost master of colour is furthered through Garlands Knot – Learning Stops Seeing and other works in this series. They are richly expressive painting assemblages, which add another layer of nuance to the artist’s status as a painter of historical importance. In these works, Hanly’s inventiveness and brilliance with colour and composition shine through.

There is no more distinctive icon of New Zealand art than Colin McCahon’s use of text in his paintings and drawings. McCahon, New Zealand’s greatest artist, sourced text from a range of sources. While the text he used was often biblical, he also frequently referenced the work of notable New Zealand poets. By using text, McCahon imbued his work with a compelling sense of narrative. Some of his texts were deeply personal and reflective, others more pithy or quizzical. Yet, these works were more than simply textual recounting. Rather than simply writing words on the canvas, McCahon integrated the text into his compositions, using it as a pronounced gestural element of the work.

McCahon created Poetry isn’t my words in 1969. It references the work of poet Peter Hooper, who was a prominent figure in the New Zealand’s literary scene in the mid twentieth century. McCahon made this work in response to Hooper's poem Poetry is for peasants, from his 1969 anthology Journey towards an elegy and other poems.

Literary critic Nicholas Reid mentioned this exact poem in his review of the anthology, stating, “It is in this collection that Hooper produces a sort of poetic manifesto with Poetry is for Peasants claiming, ‘Only when the feet and hands / know the earth / in agony and joy / can the mind be nourished / on beautiful words.’ This is a call to life experience rather than intellectual concepts as the force of poetry.”1 It may be this very call that drew McCahon’s interest in Hooper’s work (Reid also noted McCahon’s interest in Hooper’s poetry).

As with many of the master artist’s best works, Poetry isn’t my words uses text as the primary subject of the artwork. A number of additional compositional features also come in to play, with a striking horizontal band setting up a suggestion of landscape in the work. McCahon’s seeming association between language, art, and physical environment is powerfully evident in this work. Poetry isn’t my words was exhibited at Barry Lett Galleries in 1969 in the exhibition Written paintings and drawings: Colin McCahon. This is notable pedigree for a work by the artist; many of McCahon’s finest work were first exhibited at this important Auckland gallery.

76 Colin McCahon

Poetry isn't my words

1969

conté on paper signed Colin McCahon, dated Sept 25 '69 and inscribed Peter Hooper on a poster! in graphite lower right; inscribed Peter Hooper: Poetry is for Peasants / Journey towards an elegy. Nags head Press (Chch.) in graphite upper right 1585 × 535mm

est $130,000 — $160,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland, 2001.

exhibitions

Colin McCahon 1019–1987, Gow Langsford Gallery, 2001; Written paintings and drawings: Colin McCahon, Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland, 6 October–17 October 1969.

note

Colin McCahon database (www.mccahon.co.nz) number: cm000864

1 Nicholas Reid, ‘Review of Rejoice Instead – the Collected Poems of Peter Hooper’, published on Reid’s Reader – A Blog of Book Reviews and Comment, 2021,

“There is deliberate counterpoint in the composition: in the way that the central head is placed slightly left of centre, inclined slightly right, so as to regard the little jester in his hand (Jesters' staffs were a little duplicate of themselves, a little fall-guy; my opening of the staff head’s mouth to speak not only emphasises this, but continues the ‘motif’ of 2 earlier paintings of mine: The old man and child; The tree of life). In the way that the light source, coming from the left, throws the comedy face in shadow, the tragedy face hits light.”

Photographic Portrait of Tony Fomison by Lawrence N. Shustak, c1976. Image appears courtesy of the estate of Lawrence N. Shustak.

Fomison paints as if modernism had never happened. There is none of the selfconsciousness regarding the intervening history of modern painting in his return to narrative and figuration, which is the hallmark of that particular aspect of postmodern painting. Nor, necessarily, is his return in the hope of rejuvenating the tradition. His paintings, rather, are willed anachronisms. If they speak to us in the present at all, it is from the encrypted position of their aesthetic self-exile at the historical origins of our modernity — as if they would remain, contra the Enlightenment, in the dark, as if they could renege on modernity. 1

Tony Fomison lived a life of intensity. He was a painter through and through — driven, dedicated to his craft, and with an anarchic bent. It can rightly be said that he painted in a way that no one else has either before or since; his paintwork and his subject matter were both unique. Fomison was known for a fascination with the macabre, often creating images that engaged with psychological darkness. Along with nods to the cinematic genres of horror and film noir, the artist created many works that explored challenging aspects of the human condition. He relished painting social misfits and those at the edge of society, seemingly identifying with such characters. Though he didn’t live a long life, dying at the age of 50, Fomison created an incredibly rich body of artwork. This catalogue presents a total of six paintings by Fomison. In sum, it is one of the most remarkable suites of works by the artist ever to be offered at auction. The earliest of the works, Head of Christ After Morales , is from 1967. At this time, the artist was still in his twenties and about to return to New Zealand after three years in Europe. The latest, King Lear , and its companion painting, King Lear’s Eldest Daughter , were both painted in 1989 — a short period before

the artist’s death in 1990. Collectively, this presentation affords a compelling overview of the artist’s career output, and of his extraordinary gift for painting.

In late 1963, Fomison was awarded an Arts Advisory Council travel grant to spend a year independently studying art collections in Paris and London. He set off in early 1964, travelling by ship from Auckland to Southampton via Australia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Egypt. Fomison engaged deeply with the experience, observing not just museum art, but the human experience of the places he lived and visited. After his year was up, he opted to stay on, and engaged in a richly informative period of Bohemian life as an artist in Europe. The year abroad turned into three, and it was a time of great development for Fomison.

Head of Christ After Morales was clearly influenced by the artist's time in Europe. The painting and its title refer to the work of Spanish renaissance painter Luis de Morales — Fomison painted several works inspired by Morales’ Head of Christ paintings. A small, monochromatic oil painting, Head of Christ After Morales is an exquisite example of Fomison’s early work. It possesses all of the hallmark qualities that the artist is known for — restrained brushwork, thoughtful integration of support materials, and a tightly composed image. The Christ depicted in the painting has their eyes closed and is wearing a crown of thorns — suggesting that they are portrayed during or after the crucifixion. Fomison returned to this central motif of Christianity many times, and his portrayals of Christ are among his most memorable paintings. Head of Christ After Morales is a particularly fine example.

Fomison painted Mental Patient in a White Hat in the early 1970s. The work is a large, close-up portrait of the titular patient. The artist’s characteristic painterly brushwork

deftly captures the patient’s facial expression, writ large with their internal struggle. A dark lock of hair on one side of the subject’s face, and deep shadows beneath their chin contrast with the bright white of their hat, this chiaroscuro effect adding a sense of drama to the image. The patient’s face is bunched, drawn inwards to a scowl, their eyes dark. With this work, Fomison gives voice to someone nameless, and expresses some aspect of their inner challenges. The artist was notably drawn to characters like the mental patient in this image — their struggles somehow echoing his own.

Writer and curator Lara Strongman wrote insightfully on this subject in her 1991 thesis Tony Fomison: An Artist’s Life . She stated, “The second thematic body of works to emerge in the early seventies can be loosely identified as 'institutional' images. Paintings such as But There’s Nothing wrong with me (1971), Mugshot (1971), From a Mark Adams Photo of a Sunnyside Patient (1972), An Institution Wall, “Three’s a Crowd" (1972) and Rueful Prisoner (1973)... deal with entrapment and imprisonment. Dim faces peer at the viewer between heavy bars or are encased within fixed grimaces. The dividing line between the prisoner of crime and the mental patient is blurred: both are guilty of the crimes of abnormality and irrationality. The prisoner, the criminal, the victim, all are outcasts from the norm, dangerous individuals penned together in a shared institutional life.” 3

Fomison’s research included a deep dive into the work of Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung, in whose work he found a pair of compelling ideas, “the first a non-judgemental understanding of mental illness as an alternative, rather than an abnormal, state of mind; secondly, a vindication of his own position on the significant relationship between art, culture, mythology and the visionary mind. As he had studied the achievements of art’s great past masters, he turned his attention to the theories of the past greats of psychology, taking from his readings an understanding of the role of the mentally ill as visionaries with direct access to the cultural subconscious,” 6 stated Strongman. Fomison’s fascination with characters on the edge, including the subject of this painting, reflects his interest in such ideas espoused by Jung.

Mental Patient in a White Hat is a major work from an important period of Fomison’s output. It demonstrates the artist’s consummate abilities as a painter, capturing the subject’s likeness and disposition in deft paintwork. It also speaks to an area of personal experience and intrigue to the artist. This work offers compelling insight into Fomison’s fascination with some of the more challenging aspects of human experience.

The artist created What shall we tell them? in 1976. Simply put,

77 Tony Fomison

What shall we tell them?

1975–76 oil on jute on board signed Tony Fomison and dated 1975 - 1976 in brushpoint upper right; inscribed What shall we tell them? in brushpoint upper left 355 × 540mm

est $500,000 — $800,000 provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland, 1976.

exhibitions

Fomison — What shall we tell them?, City Gallery Wellington, Wellington, 1994; Tony Fomison – a survey of his painting and drawing from 1961 to 1979, Dowse Art Gallery, Lower Hutt, 1979; Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland, 1976.

literature

Ian Wedde (ed.), Fomison — What shall we tell them? (Wellington: Wellington City Gallery, 1994), cover, 176; T. J. McNamara, "Imagination in Exhibition", The New Zealand Herald, 2 August 1976.

78 Tony Fomison

Head of Christ After Morales 1968

oil on canvas

signed Fomison, dated 1968 and inscribed Easter in brushpoint lower edge

300 × 230mm

est $70,000 — $120,000

provenance

Private collection, Otago. Passed by bequest, 2019; Collection of Llewelyn Summers, Canterbury.

it is the standout piece in this incredible selection of paintings. What shall we tell them? was the name given to the Fomison retrospective held at City Gallery Wellington in 1994. It was also the title of the accompanying book. The cover image of that book is of this painting. In short, it is one of the artist’s finest ever paintings. Though it is modestly sized, it is a major work, and one of the most notable images of New Zealand art history. The painting depicts a jester in close-up, with closed eyes and a slight, warm smile. The carved head of the jester’s marotte appears in the lower right of the image. The palette is warm, with tones of red, magenta, ochre and Naples yellow.

Jesters are a recurrent theme in the artist’s work, appearing in numerous paintings, drawings and prints. Historically, jesters held a unique place in the feudal social order. Appointed to the courts of royals and aristocrats, their role was to entertain through telling stories, singing , and reciting poetry. They had a unique license to mock and tell uncomfortable truths as well as to entertain. Strongman discussed the jester theme in the artist’s work, stating, “The Fool, as a symbol of truth telling, and, like a Tarot Hangman, standing for death, is recurrent in Fomison's work from the mid-seventies onwards […]. This jester is the Fool of Shakespeare-the all-seeing, all-knowing, untouched and untouchable clown with the ear and confidence of the king, his political advisor and fortune teller.”

4 Ibid. 95, 96.

5 Ibid. 96.

6 Ibid. 96.

Fomison’s extensive notes on this painting offer some unique and idiosyncratic insight into the piece. "Started 5.11.75, the black is ivory black. My recent horned and snake-haired heads had suggested that my interest in jesters could be roped in at this point, commencing with this panting. It favoured the headgear type with stiffened side extensions […] Frontal depictions of jesters feature extreme laughs and grins and popping eyes, for the less open smile & eyes of mine I made a perusal of my pulled faces folder, which has mostly old-age faces (I had determined from the outset not to produce a young handsome face, such as my other smiling face paintings have inevitably had). There is deliberate counterpoint in the composition: in the way that the central head is placed slightly left of centre, inclined slightly right, so as to regard the little jester in his hand (Jesters' staffs

7 Tony Fomison, Painting logbook page for #108: What shall we tell them?, 1976.

were a little duplicate of themselves, a little fall-guy; my opening of the staff head’s mouth to speak not only emphasises this, but continues the ‘motif’ of 2 earlier paintings of mine: The old man and child; The tree of life) In the way that the light source, coming from the left, throws the comedy face in shadow, the tragedy face hits light.” 7

Webb’s presented the companion piece to this painting, titled What shall we tell them now? at auction in 2022. That work is something of a dark reflection of this one. It features a muted palette of ochre and black, with dark shadows under the jester’s eyebrows and around their chin. The two paintings mirror one another in more ways than their titles. Both are brilliant works of art. Both compositions are dominated by the jester figure, both have averted gazes. Each appears to possess secret knowledge. Though it is in What shall we tell them? that Fomison achieved the pinnacle of his jester paintings.

Three late career works round out the selection of Fomison’s work in this catalogue. An Actor’s Face from 1986 along with King Lear , and King Lear’s Eldest Daughter , both from 1989. These works demonstrate different aspects of Fomison's approach to paint work and image making. An Actor’s Face is painted on coarse hessian, a material that Fomison favoured. The rough weave of the fabric is pronounced, creating modulation in the thickness of the paint. The artist has worked the paint in a free-flowing, gestural way — something he became particularly expert at later on his career. The name of the actor isn’t mentioned, though the intensity of their stare seems purposeful and dramatic.

By way of contrast, King Lear and King Lear’s Eldest Daughter are both painted on jute on board. The weave of this fabric is much less of a feature of these two paintings, which have more of an even surface finish. The palette of both works is dominated by red ochre — a fitting colour for works themed on Shakespearean tragedy. Fomison’s interest in these two characters may have stemmed from his fascination with the unsettling side of human nature. The tale, after all, touches on themes avarice, betrayal, madness, and murder. Given that these works come so late in the piece for the artist, they are historically intriguing.

80 Tony Fomison King Lear 1989

oil on jute on board signed Fomison and inscribed King Lear, Williamson Ave Grey lynn in ink verso 360 × 455mm

est $70,000 — $90,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired privately; Private collection, Australia.

81 Tony Fomison

King Lear's Eldest Daughter 1989

oil on jute on board signed Fomison, dated 1989 and inscribed King Lear's Eldest Daughter in ink verso 355 × 455mm

est $45,000 — $75,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired privately; Private collection, Australia.

Where might he have gone had he lived longer? What masterpieces might he have created? Such questions can only lead to speculation, though in the sweepingly reductive brush strokes and lusciously finished surfaces of these two works, one can detect a hint of what may have lay ahead.

Fomison is rightly recognised as one of the nation’s greatest artists. The body of work he assembled in his tumultuous life is extraordinary, as is the story of the man himself. His personal trials and tribulations have been laid out in painting for all to see. Though his work often grappled with the darker aspects of the human condition, it is powerfully authentic and bold. Fomison lived and painted his truth, and it is extraordinary to behold.

1 Peter Brunt, ‘Framing Identity’ in Fomison: What shall we tell them?, edited by Ian Wedde (Wellington: City Gallery Wellington, 1994). 63-74, 67.

2 Lara Strongman, Tony Fomison: An Artist’s Life (Christchurch: University of Canterbury, 1991), 68. 3 Ibid. 83.

82 Tony Fomison

An Actor's Face 1986

oil on hessian

signed Fomison, dated '86 and inscribed

An Actor's Face in ink verso

345 × 280mm

est $50,000 — $80,000

provenance

Private collection, Hawkes Bay.

83 Terry Stringer

Tribute to Giacometti 2018

bronze signed Terry Stringer and dated 2018 with incision lower left 1790 × 305 × 305mm

est $35,000 — $55,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Artis Gallery, Auckland.

84 Don Binney

Manunui Otakamiro 2010

screenprint on paper, 25/80

signed Don Binney, dated 2010 lower right, and inscribed 23/80 Manunui Otakamiro lower left in graphite

515 × 380mm

est $20,000 — $40,000

85 Gordon Walters

untitled

screenprint on paper

510 × 385mm

est $5,000 — $8,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Starkwhite, Auckland, 2016.

86 After Andy Warhol Moonwalk (Yellow) 11.404

2020 screenprint on paper, printer's proof 950 × 950mm

est $4,000 — $6,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

note Certificate of Authenticity affixed verso.

87 Richard Thompson untitled c2000s acrylic on Perspex 1010 × 1005mm

est $1,500 — $2,500

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland.

88 Rose Nolan

RUOK

c2016 acrylic on corrugated cardboard 395 × 280mm

est $3,000 — $6,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Hamish McKay Gallery, Wellington.

89 Reuben Paterson Somewhere a Man Answers Courage with Courage 2019 glitter on canvas signed Reuben Patterson, dated 2019 and inscribed Somewhere a Man Answers Courage with Courage in ink verso 595 × 505mm

est $8,000 — $16,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland.

90 Billy Apple Interstate Longboard 2009

Longboard; computer cut vinyl, 1/10 1130 × 275 × 150mm (widest points)

est $10,000 — $20,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

exhibitions

Billy Apple & Inhouse PORT/STARBOARD, Physics Room, Christchurch, 2012; From the Matuku Trust Collection, Whangārei Art Museum, Whangārei, 2015.

literature

Billy Apple – From the Matuku Trust Collection (Whangarei Art Mueseum, 2014).

91 Peter Siddell Foundation for the Blind Building 1988

oil on board signed Peter Siddell and dated 1988 in brushpoint lower left 600 × 900mm

est $50,000 — $80,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Important, Early & Rare, International Art Centre, Auckland, July 2015, lot 15; Collection of Terry & Moira Wood. Acquired from International Art Centre, Auckland, 1990.

est $100,000 — $150,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Jonathan Grant Galleries, Auckland, c1993.

92 Peter Siddell Sunday Service 1974

acrylic on canvas

signed Peter Siddell and dated 1974 in brushpoint lower left 675 × 800mm

oil on board signed Peter Siddell and dated 1978 in brushpoint lower left 285 × 365mm

est $18,000 — $28,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Passed by bequest, 2022, Auckland; Acquired from Barry Lett, Auckland, c1977.

exhibitions

The House Full, Te Tuhi, Auckland, 2022. Barry Lett Galleries c1977.

oil on hardboard signed Peter Sidell and dated 1981 in brushpoint lower right 415 × 310mm

est $18,000 — $28,000

provenance

Private collection, Otago.

93 Peter Siddell untitled 1978

94 Peter Siddell White Window 1981

The Great Leap (大跃进 ) c2010

RGB LED display, Giclée print facemounted on plexiglass, teak wood frame unique edition

2000 × 800 × 130mm

est $30,000 — $50,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

exhibitions

Them that Glide Past our Windows, Island6 Art Center, Shanghai, 2012; The Garden Beneath the Street Lights; Liu Dai (Island6) Shanghai based art collective, Bath Street Gallery, Auckland, 2013.

95 Liu Dao

1995 oil on canvas

915 × 1500mm

est $25,000 — $45,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Passed by bequest, 2010; Acquired from Urs Meile Gallery, Kunsthalle, Basel, 1999.

more meditative and restrained style of painting. His signature technique involves the use of a single colour applied in thin washes, which creates a subtle gradient of tones that suggest the changing light and atmosphere of a landscape.

Qiu's paintings are designed to be experienced as immersive environments rather than individual works of art. He has described his work as a "philosophical journey through painting," and his spare, contemplative style has been compared to that of the American painter Agnes Martin. One might also associate it with the white on white abstracts of Robert Ryman, the meditative colour field painting of Mark Rothko, or, for an example from closer to home, the monochromatic corner paintings of Milan Mrkusich.

Qiu Shihua is a Chinese painter known for his minimalist approach to landscape painting. He was born in 1940 in Zizhong, Sichuan, China, and studied at the Xi'an Academy of Fine Art in the 1960s. Qiu's paintings are notable for their stark, monochromatic palettes and minimalistic style. The artist’s early works were characterised by the use of bright colours and thick brushstrokes, but in the 1980s the artist honed in on a

Horizontal White Landscape is a white monochrome with subtle underlying layers that allude to colour and form of an overpainted landscape. Qiu’s works are almost always restrained, yet in Horizontal White Landscape , the artist takes subtlety to another level. This work provides a meditative expanse into which the viewer can project their own contemplative associations with landscape.

Qiu Shihua's paintings are held by major museums and private collections around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the M+ Museum in Hong Kong. Horizontal White Landscape is a rare offering of the artist’s work in New Zealand.

96 Qiu Shihua Horizontal White Landscape

exhibitions Galerie Urs Meile, Art Basel 30 Art Fair, Kunsthalle, Basel, 1999.

note Accompanied by official letter from Urs Meile Gallery.

Invisible 2003

acrylic on fabric

signed J.F dated 29.05.03 and inscribed WE'RE LOOKING AT YOU, CIAO BELLA. in ink lower edge; inscribed Invisible in ink upper right 295 x 300mm

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

untitled 2016

oil on canvas signed Grace Bader and dated 2016 in graphite verso 350 × 350mm

est $2,000 — $4,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

Rio

2020

vinyl record and acrylic on card record sleeve 320 × 310mm

est $600 — $900

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Michael Lett, Auckland.

97 Jacqueline Fraser

98 Grace Bader

99 White Saucer and Stella Corkey

100 Helen Schamroth

Domestic Honours — Medallion 2C 2001 cotton embroidery signed H Schamroth, dated 2001 and inscribed Domestic Honours — Medallion 2C in ink verso 80 × 85mm

est $250 — $350

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

101 Russell Clark untitled watercolour on paper signed Russell Clark in brushpoint lower left 440 × 545mm

est $15,000 — $25,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Passed by bequest, 2012; Private collection, Canterbury. Acquired directly from the artist, Canterbury, c1960.

102 Michael Smither New Plymouth Railway Station 2007 oil on board signed MD Smither and dated '07 in brushpoint lower right 400 × 700mm

est $15,000 — $25,000

provenance

Private collection, Western Australia. Passed by bequest, 2013; Private collection, New Plymouth. Acquired directly from the artist, New Plymouth, c1971.

103 Toss Woollaston untitled 1983 watercolour on paper signed Woollaston and dated 83 in brushpoint lower right 245 × 340mm

est $4,500 — $6,500

104 Louise Purvis

Bull Torso Cony with Pearls 2013

bronze and plastic, 2/9 signed LP and dated 2013 with inscision verso 245 × 180 × 190mm (widest points)

est $2,500 — $4,500

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown.

105 John Radford 191 Queen Street 1994

plaster signed John Radford and dated 1994 with incision lower edge 1000 × 540 × 75mm (widest points)

est $3,000 — $6,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland.

106 Louise Purvis Filipe Ladder

c2016

metal

300 × 115 × 110mm (widest points)

est $2,500 — $4,500

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Bath Street Gallery, Auckland.

107 Terry Stringer

Love of Land Land of Love bronze, wood, 82/100 signed Terry Stringer, dated 2001 and inscribed 82/100 with incision lower edge 170 × 110 × 75mm (widest points)

est $2,500 — $3,500

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Artis Gallery, Auckland.

bronze

est $2,500 — $3,500

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Artis Gallery, Auckland.

est $9,000 — $15,000

provenance

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Lane Gallery, O'Connell Street, Auckland.

108 Terry Stringer Elevation 1999

signed Terry Stringer and dated 1999 with incision lower edge; inscribed Metropolis with incision verso 120 × 120 × 25mm (widest points)

109 Michael Tuffery Povi Lima c2004 metal and wood 440 × 600 × 200mm (widest points)

est $30,000 —

provenance

est

provenance

110 Edward Bullmore Facade Tauranga 1959 oil on board signed EB in brushpoint upper right; dated July 1969 and inscribed Facade Tauranga graphite verso 400 × 200mm

$50,000

From the collection of The Tauranga Club, Tauranga.

111 Andy Leleisi'uao Umbilical Paths of Natlo – Part 1 2010 acrylic on canvas 755 × 1515mm

$15,000 — $25,000

Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Milford Galleries, Dunedin, 2010.

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4.8. Reserves

Unless otherwise indicated, all lots are offered subject to a reserve, which is the confidential minimum price below which the Lot will not be sold. The reserve will not exceed the low estimate printed in the catalogue.

The auctioneer may open the bidding on any Lot below the reserve by placing a bid on behalf of the Seller. The auctioneer may continue to bid on behalf of seller up to the amount of the reserve, either by placing consecutive bids or by placing bids in response to other bidders.

4.9. Auctioneers Discretion

The Auctioneer has the right at his/ her absolute and sole discretion to refuse any bid, to advance the bidding in such a manner as he/she may decide, to withdraw or divide any lot, to combine any two or more lots and, in the case or error or dispute and whether during or after the sale, to determine the successful bidder, to continue the bidding, to cancel the sale or to reoffer and resell the item in dispute. If any dispute arises after the sale, then Webb’s sale record is conclusive.

4.10. Successful Bid and Passing of Risk

Subject to the auctioneer’s discretion, the highest bidder accepted by the auctioneer will be the buyer and the striking of his hammer marks the acceptance of the highest bid and the conclusion of a contract for sale between the Seller and the Buyer. Risk and responsibility for the lot (including frames or glass where relevant) passes immediately to the Buyer.

4.11. Indicative Bidding Steps, etc.

Webb’s reserves the right to refuse any bid, withdraw any lot from sale, to place a reserve on any lot and to advance the bidding according to the following indicative steps:

5. After the Sale

5.1. Buyers Premium

In addition to the hammer price, the buyer agrees to pay to Webb’s the buyer’s premium. The buyer’s premium is 19.5% of the hammer price plus GST (Goods and Services Tax) where applicable.

5.2. Payment and Passing of Title

The buyer must pay the full amount due (comprising the hammer price, buyer’s premium and any applicable taxes and GST) not later than 2 days after the auction date. The buyer will not acquire title to the lot until Webb’s receives full payment in cleared funds, and no goods under any circumstances will be released without confirmation of cleared funds received. This applies even if the buyer wishes to send items overseas. Payment can be made by direct transfer, cash (not exceeding NZD$5,000, if wishing to pay more than NZD$5,000 then this must be deposited directly into a Bank of New Zealand branch and bank receipt supplied) and EFTPOS (please check the daily limit). Payments can also be made by credit card in person with a 2.2% merchant fee for Visa and Mastercard and 3.3% for American Express. Invoices that are in excess of $5,000 and where the card holder is not present, cannot be charged to a credit card without prior arrangement. Bank cheques are subject to five days clearance. The buyer is responsible for any bank fees and charges applicable for the transfer of funds into Webb’s account.

5.3. Collection of Purchases & Insurance

Webb’s is entitled to retain items sold until all amounts due to us have been received in full in cleared funds. Subject to this, the Buyer shall collect purchased lots within 2 days from the date of the sale unless otherwise agreed in writing between Webb’s and the Buyer. At the fall of the hammer, insurance is the responsibility of the purchaser.

5.4. Packing, Handling and Shipping

Webb’s will be able to suggest removals companies that the buyer can use but takes no responsibility whatsoever for the actions of any recommended third party. Webb’s can pack and handle goods purchased at the auction by agreement and a charge will be made for this service. All packing, shipping, insurance, postage & associated charges will be borne by the purchaser.

5.5. Permits, Licences and Certificates

Under The Protected Objects Act 1975, buyers may be required to obtain a licence for certain categories of items in a sale from the Ministry of Culture & Heritage, PO Box 5364, Wellington.

5.6.1. to charge interest at such a rate as we shall reasonably decide.

5.6.2. to hold the defaulting Buyer liable for the total amount due and to commence legal proceedings for its recovery along with interest, legal fees and costs to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law.

5.6.3. to cancel the sale.

5.6.4. to resell the property publicly or privately on such terms as we see fit.

5.6.5. to pay the Seller an amount up to the net proceeds payable in respect of the amount bid by the defaulting Buyer. In these circumstances the defaulting Buyer can have no claim upon Webb’s in the event that the item(s) are sold for an amount greater than the original invoiced amount.

5.6.6. to set off against any amounts which Webb’s may owe the Buyer in any other transactions, the outstanding amount remaining unpaid by the Buyer.

5.6.7. where several amounts are owed by the Buyer to us, in respect of different transactions, to apply any amount paid to discharge any amount owed in respect of any particular transaction, whether or not the Buyer so directs.

5.6.8. to reject at any future auction any bids made by or on behalf of the Buyer or to obtain a deposit from the Buyer prior to accepting any bids.

5.6.9. to exercise all the rights and remedies of a person holding security over any property in our possession owned by the Buyer whether by way of pledge, security interest or in any other way, to the fullest extent permitted by the law of the place where such property is located. The Buyer will be deemed to have been granted such security to us and we may retain such property as collateral security for said Buyer’s obligations to us.

5.6.10. to take such other action as Webb’s deem necessary or appropriate.

Absentee bids must follow these increments and any bids that don’t follow the steps will be rounded up to the nearest acceptable bid.

5.6. Remedies for Non-Payment

If the Buyer fails to make full payment immediately, Webb’s is entitled to exercise one or more of the following rights or remedies (in addition to asserting any other rights or remedies available under the law)

If we do sell the property under paragraph (4), then the defaulting Buyer shall be liable for payment of any deficiency between the total amount originally due to us and the price obtained upon reselling as well as for all costs, expenses, damages, legal fees and commissions and premiums of whatever kinds associated with both sales or otherwise arising from the default.

If we pay any amount to the Seller under paragraph (5) the Buyer acknowledges that

5.7.

Webb’s shall have all of the rights of the Seller, however arising, to pursue the Buyer for such amount.

Failure to Collect Purchases

Where purchases are not collected within 2 days from the sale date, whether or not payment has been made, we shall be permitted to remove the property to a warehouse at the buyer’s expense, and only release the items after payment in full has been made of removal, storage handling, insurance and any other costs incurred, together with payment of all other amounts due to us.

6.

Extent of Webb’s Liability

Webb’s agrees to refund the purchase price in the circumstances of the Limited Warranty set out in paragraph 7 below. Apart from that, neither the Seller nor we, nor any of our employees or agents are responsible for the correctness of any statement of whatever kind concerning any lot, whether written or oral, nor for any other errors or omissions in description or for any faults or defects in any lots. Except as stated in paragraph 7 below, neither the Seller, ourselves, our officers, agents or employees give any representation warranty or guarantee or assume any liability of any kind in respect of any lot with regard to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, description, size, quality, condition, attribution, authenticity, rarity, importance, medium, provenance, exhibition history, literature or historical relevance. Except as required by local law any warranty of any kind is excluded by this paragraph.

7. Limited Warranty

Subject to the terms and conditions of this paragraph, the Seller warrants for the period of thirty days from the date of the sale that any property described in this catalogue (noting such description may be amended by any saleroom notice or announcement) which is stated without qualification to be the work of a named author or authorship is authentic and not a forgery. The term “Author” or “authorship” refers to the creator of the property or to the period, culture, source, or origin as the case may be, with which the creation of such property is identified in the catalogue.

The warranty is subject to the following: it does not apply where a) the catalogue description or saleroom notice corresponded to the generally accepted opinion of scholars and experts at the date of the sale or fairly indicated that there was a conflict of opinions, or b) correct identification of a lot can be demonstrated only by means of a scientific process not generally accepted for use until after publication of the catalogue or a process which at the date of the publication of the catalogue was unreasonably expensive or impractical or likely to have caused damage to the property.

the benefits of the warranty are not assignable and shall apply only to

the original buyer of the lot as shown on the invoice originally issued by Webb’s when the lot was sold at Auction.

the Original Buyer must have remained the owner of the lot without disposing of any interest in it to any third party.

The Buyer’s sole and exclusive remedy against the Seller in place of any other remedy which might be available, is the cancellation of the sale and the refund of the original purchase price paid for the lot less the buyer’s premium which is non-refundable. Neither the Seller nor Webb’s will be liable for any special, incidental nor consequential damages including, without limitation, loss of profits.

The Buyer must give written notice of claim to us within thirty days of the date of the Auction. The Seller shall have the right, to require the Buyer to obtain two written opinions by recognised experts in the field, mutually acceptable to the Buyer and Webb’s to decide whether or not to cancel the sale under warranty. the Buyer must return the lot to Seller in the same condition that it was purchased.

8. Severability

If any part of these Conditions of Sale is found by any court to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that part shall be discounted, and the rest of the Conditions shall continue to be valid to the fullest extent permitted by law.

9. Copyright

The copyright in all images, illustrations and written material produced by Webb’s relating to a lot including the contents of this catalogue, is and shall remain the property at all times of Webb’s and shall not be used by the Buyer, nor by anyone else without our prior written consent. Webb’s and the Seller make no representation or warranty that the Buyer of a property will acquire any copyright or other reproduction rights in it.

10. Law and Jurisdiction

These terms and conditions and any matters concerned with the foregoing fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New Zealand, unless otherwise stated.

11. Pre-Sale Estimates

Webb’s publishes with each catalogue our opinion as to the estimated price range for each lot. These estimates are approximate prices only and are not intended to be definitive. They are prepared well in advance of the sale and may be subject to revision. Interested parties should contact Webb’s prior to auction for updated pre-sale estimates and starting prices.

12. Sale Results

Webb’s will provide auction results, which will be available as soon as

possible after the sale. Results will include buyer’s premium. These results will be posted at www.webbs.co.nz.

13. Goods and Service Tax

GST is applicable on the hammer price in the case where the seller is selling property that is owned by an entity registered for GST. GST is also applicable on the hammer price in the case where the seller is not a New Zealand resident. These lots are denoted by a dagger symbol † placed next to the estimate. GST is also applicable on the buyer’s premium.