Mary Kisler in conversation with Sebastian Black about Ralph Hotere’s White Paintings.
Sebastian Black: My mother was originally Spanish American who married an Englishman and towards the end of her life, became more and more fond of her memories of Spain. Spanish was her first spoken language – she lived in Cuba where she was born until she was 11 years old. She had a little money left to her by one of her aunts and in 1966 she decided to use the capital to build a house in one of the first developments for tourists, urbanizacións – which they had in Northern Spain and in the Balearics. She built the house about the time I came to New Zealand to a job teaching at Auckland University and in 1972–3 I had my first sabbatical leave from university with my partner Judith Binney. We stayed in the house in Menorca and fell in love, it becoming for us a second home. Over the years when family weren’t staying there, I’d offer it to friends going to Europe who needed space, especially someone like Ralph who needed to paint. Ralph went there around Sept ‘78– I remember we had a big party here (Brentwood Ave) before he set off – and he spent about a month there. I think he himself also loved the place as did his family. Ralph and Cilla arrived there in one of those old VW station wagons that I suppose many New Zealanders remember as their base of their O.E. There was a large veranda in front of the house with a table which we used as an outdoor dining table. Menorca has a wonderful climate for the summer and you live outdoors, you live on the verandas where you eat, doze, drink, enjoy yourself. Ralph saw this table and he went straight down to the combi and got a roll of canvas out which he pinned to the table - you can see the drawing pin holes on the side of the painting. This is the one on 49