1. ELIZABETH REES, Light Air (2009), oil on canvas,
canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 1150 x 1200 x 36 mm
ELIZABETH REES, Light Air (2009) DETAIL VIEW
ELIZABETH REES, Silence (2009) oil on linen, stretcher (v x h x d): 608 x 608 x 23 mm
ELIZABETH REES, Silence (2009) DETAIL VIEW
ELIZABETH REES, Competition (2009) oil on linen, stretcher (v x h x d): 608 x 608 x 22 mm
ELIZABETH REES, Out of the Blue (2009) oil on linen, stretcher (v x h x d): 760 x 760 x 22 mm
ELIZABETH REES, Competition (2009) DETAIL VIEW
ELIZABETH REES, Out of the Blue (2009) DETAIL VIEW
ELIZABETH REES, Around Again (2009) oil on canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 650 x 752 x 22 mm
ELIZABETH REES, Light Turn (2009) oil on canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 750 x 1000 x 36 mm
ELIZABETH REES, Around Again (2009) DETAIL VIEW
ELIZABETH REES, Light Turn (2009) DETAIL VIEW
ELIZABETH REES, Club Run (2009) oil on jute, stretcher (v x h x d): 455 x 603 x 36 mm
ELIZABETH REES, Rhythm I (2009) oil on jute, stretcher (v x h x d): 452 x 702 x 36 mm
ELIZABETH REES, Rhythm II (2009) oil on jute, stretcher (v x h x d): 452 x 702 x 36 mm
ELIZABETH REES, Rhythm II (2009) DETAIL VIEW
ELIZABETH REES, Fun Run (2009) DETAIL VIEW
10. ELIZABETH REES, Fun Run (2009), oil on canvas,
canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 1150 x 1200 x 36 mm
ELIZABETH REES, Dawn Chorus (2009) DETAIL VIEW
11. ELIZABETH REES, Dawn Chorus (2009), oil on
on canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 1150 x 1200 x 36 mm
ELIZABETH REES, Twilight Team (2009) DETAIL VIEW
12. ELIZABETH REES, Twilight Team (2009), oil on
on canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 1150 x 1200 x 36 mm
ELIZABETH REES, Surrender to the Sky (2009) DETAIL VIEW
13. ELIZABETH REES, Surrender to the Sky (2009), oil
oil on canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 1150 x 1200 x 36 mm
ELIZABETH REES, Flow (2009)
DETAIL VIEW
14. ELIZABETH REES, Flow (2009), oil on canvas,
canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 1150 x 1200 x 36 mm
ELIZABETH REES : In Motion : PRICELIST Momentumandpassageareever-presentinElizabethRees’newbodyofwork.Timeisfrozen asfigurescaptured‘InMotion’givearealsenseofbodiesmovingthroughthelandscape.As ifpartofacinematicfilmstrip,darkhumanshapesmoveforward,butwherearetheygoing toorwhataretheyrunningfrom?Reesexploresmood,energy,aphysicalconnectiontoour surroundingenvironmentandtheonwardsdeterminationofthejourneyweallexperiencein ourdailylife.
From dynamic, expressive brush strokes that are dragged and twisted across the painting surface to soft, smudgy and delicate application, Rees masterfully uses paint. ‘Light Air’ exploresthemomentumofforwardmovement,withexpressivehorizontalbrushworkguiding oneseyefromlefttoright.
Rees’palettehasbroadened,andcandescentredsandorangesgiveanappearanceof glowinglight.‘FunRun’addressestheenergyandpowerofthemovingbodyandtherestless natureofthemind.Figuresemanatelightasiffuelledbyfire,drivingforwardandonward. ‘SurrendertotheSky’showsafigurehurtlingthroughreddishearlymorningorlateevening skieswhilethecomfortinothersisexpressedin‘TwilightTeam’asagroupoffiguresmove towardsthedarkeningnight.
Rees’feminineandfamiliarpeachesandcreamsarecontrastedagainstdarkenedbodies. Thereisasoftnessandvulnerabilitytotheseworks.Asolitaryfigureispicturedin‘Silence’and a sense of peace and meditation is explored through the composition. The smudgy and smokyapplicationin‘Flow’showsamistylandscape,wherealonefigurepassestowardsan unknowndestinationbathedinasoothinglight.
Cropped figures and backgrounds allude to what lies beyond. What is out there in the brooding darkness of the unknown? A fragment of time; we are only seeing a part, a snapshotofthegreaterwhole.
Rees’ paintings are enigmatic. From the brooding mood-scapes, to the face-less figures, thereisaqualityofmysteryandambiguitytothework.Aswithlife,eachsnapshotcanbe interpretedandexperiencedinadifferentway,andtheonwardjourneyofdiscoveryiswhat makesushuman.
ELIZABETH REES b. 1959, lives Auckland
(2008)
Rees’worksexploretherelationshipbetweenthebodyandmindandtheenvironmentinwhichwe exist.Withinherrecentcanvasesshedepictsthebodyinmotion,movingtowardorawayfromthe unknown.“Whatarewefleeingfrom?Whatarewehurtlingtowards?Whatareweleavingbehindand whatdowehopetofind?Eachtoone'sownpathandmotivationweareinmotioninthepassageof lifeandtime.Eachpaintingfreeze-framesamoment;thelaststephasgoneandthenextisyetto come.”1
Previousbodiesofworkshowfiguresatintersections,withinmoodyandstilllandscapes.“They are…aboutpeopleatintersectionsorcrossroadsoflife.Whatwearewitnessingareepiphanies,timesof decisionandapprehension.Theworksbecomeanalogiesforpointsofchangeandtransitioninthe stretchofhumanlife,thephysical,psychologicalandspiritual.”2
Aswithherfigureworks,herlandscapeshaveapsychologicalelement.Eachenigmaticspaceconjures thefeelingofisolation,potentialandmystery. Sheachievesthisthroughacontrolledanduniqueuseof paint.Reesworksoncarefullyprimedcanvases,enhancingtheluminousqualitiesofoilpaint.Attimes shehascreateddivisionsinthepictureplanewhichareeitherbothrealandimagined.“Lightisamajor componentofherwork.Thelightoftheskiesandbackgroundsfloodaroundthedarkscumbledfigures, providingthemwithbrilliantauroras…whichaddstothemysteryoftheworks”.3
ReeswasborninPalmerstonNorthin1959.ShecompletedaDiplomainFineArts,QueenElizabeth Collegein1976andaDiplomainFineArts[Painting],UniversityofCanterburyin1980.Shehasexhibited regularlysince1989.Sheisrepresentedinmajorprivatecollectionsnationallyandoneofthemost significantprivatecollectionsintheUSA.
(1)ArtistStatement,2009.
(2)JohnDaly-Peoples,‘ArtistReesconjuresupsenseofisolation’,NationalBusinessReview,12April2002.
(3)JohnDaly-Peoples,‘Southernviewisfullofforeboding.’NationalBusinessReview,14May1999
Idyll
EDUCATION
ELIZABETH REES b. 1959, lives Auckland
1976 PreliminaryDiplomaofFineArts,QueenElizabethCollegePalmerstonNorth
1977 DiplomaofFineArts(PaintingMajor),UniversityofCanterbury,Christchurch
SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2009 InMotion MilfordGalleriesDunedin
2008 Rapture milfordgalleriesauckland
2007 SecondSequence MilfordGalleriesDunedin
Sequence milfordgalleriesauckland
2006 SelectedPaintings milfordgalleriesauckland
2005 Mood&Memory MilfordGalleriesDunedin
2004 RecentPaintings milfordgalleriesqueenstown
FigureandLandscape milfordgalleriesauckland
2003 Traffic milfordgalleriesauckland
2002 Intersection milfordgalleriesauckland
2000 Painted MilfordGalleriesDunedin
Journey milfordgalleriesauckland
1999 Momentum MilfordGalleriesDunedin
1998 LowLight PeterMuirPetfordGallery
1996 HereandNow MilfordGalleriesDunedin
1995 SpecialEffects ChiaroscuroGallery
1994 SecondStage ChiaroscuroGallery
1993 SmallStage ChiaroscuroGallery
1992 RecentPaintings ChiaroscuroGallery
1989,90,91 ElizabethRees AucklandSocietyofArts
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2009 SouthernLandscape milfordgalleriesqueenstown Take5 MG,Auckland
2007 Masterworks milfordgalleriesqueenstown Moments milfordgalleriesauckland LookingSouth MilfordGalleriesDunedin
2006 Essence milfordgalleriesauckland LocationSouth milfordgalleriesqueenstown
2005 TheSouthernLandscape MilfordGalleriesDunedin
TheSouthernLandscape milfordgalleriesqueenstown
2004 TransitofVenus milfordgalleriesAuckland
TransitofVenus milfordgalleriesqueenstown NotableWorks milfordgalleriesqueenstown
2003 IsAsLandscapeAsMetaphor MilfordGalleriesDunedin
Chosen milfordgalleriesauckland
2002 PortraitExhibition milfordgalleriesauckland
TheCloak:AGroupexhibition milfordgalleriesauckland
PNGHSTeManawa NewZealandBalletExhibition,ParnellCathedral
2001 WinterExhibition milfordgalleriesauckland
Rees/Cleverley/Binding milfordgalleriesauckland
2000 ArtistsChairs milfordgalleriesauckland
1999 LookingSouth MilfordGalleriesDunedin
1998 ASpecialPlace WarwickHendersonGalleries NewZealandNow WarwickHendersonGalleries
1997 TheSubjectofObject MilfordGalleriesDunedin NewZealandReal MilfordGalleriesDunedin
MilfordGalleriesDunedin www.milfordgalleries.co.nz
1996 BuyByTender
1995 AidsFoundation
1994 ModernMyth
1993 PortrayPortrait
1992 ChiaroscuroShow
AWARDS
1989 BirkenheadArtAward(Merit)
COLLECTIONS KensingtonSwan
ChiaroscuroGallery
ChiaroscuroGallery
ChiaroscuroGallery
MorganLeFayGallery
ChiaroscuroGallery
PrivatecollectionswithinNewZealandandinternationallyincludingamajorprivatecollectioninthe USA
SELECTED ARTICLES (as attached)
1999 Kerr,ElizabethJ,‘Momentum:NewWorkbyElizabethRees’,ArtNewZealand,issue93, Summer,1999/2000
1994 Unger,Pat,‘TheTheatreofDisintegration:ThePaintingsofElizabethRees’,ArtNew Zealand,issue73,Summer,1994/95
1994 Mannion,Robert,‘PaintingaBrightFuture’,TheDominion,SaturdayOctober22,1994
Light Air (2009)
