NEIL DAWSON by Milford Galleries

1. NEIL DAWSON DECK - Ten of Spades (2010), screenprinted & powdercoated stainless steel, edition 1/6, size (v x h x d): 501 x 710 x 158 mm

1. DETAIL VIEW NEIL DAWSON, DECK - Ten of Spades (2010)

2. NEIL DAWSON, DECK - Ace of Spades (2010)

screenprinted & powdercoated stainless steel, edition 1/6, size (v x h x d): 768 x 450 x 93 mm

2. DETAIL VIEW NEIL DAWSON, DECK - Ace of Spades (2010)

3. NEIL DAWSON DECK - Eight of Clubs (2010), screenprinted & powdercoated stainless steel, edition 1/6, size (v x h x d): 501 x 710 x 185 mm

3. DETAIL VIEW NEIL DAWSON, DECK - Eight of Clubs (2010)

4. NEIL DAWSON DECK - Nine of Clubs (2010), screenprinted & powdercoated stainless steel, edition

size

4. DETAIL VIEW NEIL DAWSON, DECK - Nine of Clubs (2010)

5. NEIL DAWSON DECK - Five of Diamonds (2010), screenprinted & powdercoated stainless steel, edition 1/6, size (v x h x d): 460 x 715 x 150 mm

5. DETAIL VIEW NEIL DAWSON, DECK - Five of Diamonds (2010)

6. NEIL DAWSON DECK - Eight of Diamonds (2010), screenprinted & powdercoated stainless steel, edition 1/6, size

6. DETAIL VIEW NEIL DAWSON, DECK - Eight of Diamonds (2010)

NEIL DAWSON, Whare (2009), screenprinted & powdercoated stainless steel,

whare (v x h x d): 530 x 715 x 750 mm, plinth (v x ø): 665 x 1103 mm

7. DETAIL VIEW NEIL DAWSON, Whare (2009)

NEIL DAWSON, Rua's Temple (2010), screenprinted & powdercoated

steel, edition 1/6, temple (v x h x d): 360 x 670 x 670 mm, plinth (v x ø): 670 x 850 mm

8. DETAIL VIEW NEIL DAWSON, Rua's Temple (2010)

PRICELIST

Every playing card has two sides – one reveals its number and suit, and with it there comes the implied language of that symbol, be it heart, spade, diamond or club; the other side is equally common and ubiquitous, being design and pattern, and in this manner comes to contain the broad social language of its sources and references

The pack of cards in Dawson’s hands becomes a “house of cards.” “Whare” (2009, edition of six) is a literal rendition of a Maori meeting house. In this, he has used pattern as a metaphor of carving and as an architectural device. This challenging, wondrous work builds a social narrative, traversing dialogues of culture, identity and place.

“Rua’s Temple” (2010, edition of six) is equally literal and pays homage to one of the most memorable buildings ever constructed in NZ. Rua Kenena, the prophet (a forerunner of the Ringatu and Ratana religious and political movements) retreated with his followers to the Urewera’s and there built a meeting (council) house (called Hiona at Maungapohatu) in the round. Upon this were placed the symbols of cards. Dawson has taken this fact, and in a nod to the social documentary role performed by (black and white) photography at that time gives us a window into the aspiration and remarkable achievement that was Rua’s temple. The inside of this important work can be glimpsed through the windows and there revealed is a rhythm of black and red, side by side and stacked

Dawson’s use of humour and contradiction is as equally fundamental in the single playing card works as is his characteristic play with space, perspective, and dimension and in so doing to release shape from pattern. He turns “Deck: Ace of Spades” into a devotional vanitas object where the spade floats in back space. In “Deck: Ten of Spades” he has taken a Spanish card design and revealed – in a flourish – a layered array of floral trumpets. In “Deck: Five of Diamonds” out of the blue comes the Taj Mahal. In “Deck: Nine of Clubs” a blade spins from the centre. The “Deck: Eight of Diamonds” has a perforated surface and the centre has been rolled, and in this way hides and reveals the surface and underside.

Each of the works in Deck: Second Hand alters shape with every different viewing position. Like a card trick, nothing is as it first seems and each work can be readily hung back to front. Similarly the works can be displayed free-standing on a table or surface but when presented on the wall, shadow, angle and depth come to play an integral part in how we see and what we see.

EDUCATION

NEIL DAWSON

b. 1948, lives Christchurch

1973 DipGrad(Sculpture),NationalGalleryofVictoriaArtSchool,Melbourne,Australia.

1971 DipTch,ChristchurchTeachersCollege.N.Z.

1970 DipFA(Hons),UniversityofCanterbury,Christchurch,NewZealand

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2010 Deck:SecondHand,MilfordGalleriesDunedin

2009 Deck:FirstCut,JonathanSmartGallery

2008 Old/New/Borrowed/Blue,MilfordGalleriesDunedin

2007 VanishingPoints,AnnaBibbyGallery,Auckland RecentWork,MilfordGalleriesQueenstown RecentWork, JonathanSmartGallery,Christchurch

2006 ThoughtsonIce,JanneLandGallery,Wellington

2005 Craters,AnnaBibbyGallery,Auckland,N.Z

RecentWallSculptures,MilfordGalleriesDunedin

2004 WallSculpture2004,JonathanSmartGallery,Christchurch

2003 NewWallSculptures,PeterWebbGalleries,Auckland WallSculptures,JanneLandGallery,Wellington

2002 Domes,CityArt,Christchurch

1994 StepsandStages,JonathanJensenGallery,Christchurch

1993 NewWork,JonathanJensenGallery,Christchurch

1992 Installation/exhibition,LubaBiluGallery,Melbourne,Australia JonathanJensenGallery,Christchurch InfomuseGallery,Tokyo,Japan

1991 SueCrockfordGallery,Auckland JonathanJensenGallery,Christchurch

1990 SueCrockfordGallery,Auckland JonathanJensenGallery,Christchurch LubaBiluGallery,Melbourne,Australia.

1989 NeilDawsonSiteWorks1981-89,NationalArtGallery,Wellington

1988 SueCrockfordGallery,Auckland RoslynOxley9Gallery,Sydney,Australia

1987 SueCrockfordGallery,Auckland SiteRelatedWork1981-87,CentreForContemporaryArt,Hamilton

1986 JannelandGallery,Wellington,N.Z

OverheadHardware,Brooke-GiffordGallery,Christchurch

1985 Mirrors,BosshardGallery,Dunedin NewWallWorks,DenisCohnGallery,Auckland

1984 SunsetConstructions,DenisCohnGallery,Auckland RockConstructions,Brooke-GiffordGallery,Dunedin

1982 Holes,RobinsonBrookerGallery,Christchurch LandEscapes,DenisCohnGallery,Auckland

1981 HereandThere,DenisCohnGallery,Auckland Escapes,PeterMcLeaveyGallery,Wellington Boundaries,Brooke-GiffordGallery,Christchurch

1980 RecentSeries,DenisCohnGallery,Auckland HereandThere,NewZealandChancellery,WashingtonDC,U.S.A.

1979 Interiors,ElvaBettGallery,Wellington Order/Chaos,BosshardGallery,Dunedin

1978 HouseAlterations,Brooke-GiffordGallery,Christchurch

1975 3BlackHoles,CSAGallery,Christchurch

1972-73 PinacothecaGallery,Melbourne,Australia

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2008 NeilDawson,RalphHotere,PatHanly,milfordgalleriesAuckland

2006 Tribute,AucklandCityArtGallery.Auckland Birds,Pataka.Porirua

2004 Cutouts,AnnaBibbyGallery,Auckland Project04,PeterWebbGalleries,Auckland

2003 SculptureontheGulf,WaihekeIsland

1995 H2O,DowseArtGallery,LowerHutt

1994 Incident,ArtNow,MuseumofNewZealand,Wellington Globe’89,VirtualReality,NationalGalleryofAustralia,Canberra

1993 Canopy AsiaPacificTriennialofContemporaryArt, QueenslandArtGallery,Brisbane,Australia

1992 WellingtonFestivalExhibition,GowLangsfordGallery,Wellington ProspectCanterbury,RobertMcDougallArtGallery,Christchurch

1991 Review1991 LubaBiluGallery,Melbourne,Australia

1989 MagiciensdelaTerre,MuseeNationald’ArtModerne,CentreGeorges Pompidou,Paris,France

1988 NZXl,AucklandCityArtGallery

From the Southern Cross. AView of World Art, Sydney Biennale,Art Gallery of New South Wales,Australia

1986 AspectsofRecentNewZealandArt:Sculpture,AucklandCityArtGallery Content/Context,NationalArtGallery,Wellington

1985 SixNewZealandArtists,Perspecta’85,MoriGallery,Sydney,Australia BetterthanCollectingDust,ManawatuArtGallery,PalmerstonNorth Chance&Change:ACenturyoftheAvant-Garde,AucklandCityArtGallery

1980 4NewZealandSculptors,SargeantGallery,Wanganui

1978 Platforms,CSAGallery,Christchurch SeventhMilduraSculptureTriennial,MilduraArtsCentre,Mildura,Australia LittleWorks,AucklandCityArtGallery

1974 EnviromentalStructures,ChristchurchArtsFestival

INSTALLATIONS & PUBLIC COMMISSIONS

2009 SkyLen,GuthreyPlaza,Christchurch’sCityMall

2006 Anchor,VictoriaPoint,Docklands,Melbourne,Australia Wellsphere,GouldonSquare,RochdaleRoad,Manchester,U.K.

2005 BomberCommandMemorial,AustralianWarMemorial.Canberra. H2O,LincolnUniversity,Canterbury MahanaCeilingDome,WoollastonEstateWinery,Motueka Raindrops,LumiereBuilding,Manchester,U.K

2004 Fanfare,SydneyHarbourBridge.Australia

2002 LappedSphere,ChristchurchGirls’HighSchool,Christchurch Suntrap,HastingsDistrictCouncil,Hastings

2003 Chevron,KateEdgerCommons,UniversityofAuckland CorroDome,PrivateCommission,Sydney,Australia

2001 FlyingSteps,HunterCourtyard,VictoriaUniversity,Wellington

2000 Skies,WestMainEntryArtwork,StadiumAustralia Cones,DunedinPublicArtGallery Chalice,CathedralSquare,Christchurch Diamonds,NationalGalleryofAustralia,Canberra OtherPeoplesHouses,PrivateCommission,WaihekeIsland

1999 Sphere,Cone,Cylinder.,Designworks,Wellington Starferns,APECconference,AucklandTownHall Feathers,EastMainEntryArtwork,StadiumAustralia,Sydney RipplesandRays,ClearCommunications,Takapuna,Auckland

1998 Ferns,WellingtonCivicSquare,Wellington Expansion,PyneGouldCorporation,Christchurch

1997 VanishingStairs,PhileoPromenade,KualaLumpur,Malaysia

Leafsphere,WismaPerkasa,KualaLumpur,Malaysia 1996 DecoyFeathersphere,PrivateCommission,TeHoro DecoyDown,PrivateCommission,TeHoro MajesticEarth,MajesticCentre,Wellington Plumage,PhileoDamansara,KualaLumpur,Malaysia Butterflies,PhileoAvenue,KualaLumpur Tranquility,TsingYiMTRStation,HongKong Flora,PrivateCommission,GovernorsBay 1995 Down,PrivateCommission,Auckland Canoe,SkyCityCasino,Auckland 1994 Steps,MuseumofContemporaryArt,Sydney Nor’WestArch,Lincolnuniversity,Lincoln Kahu,TakahangaMarae,Kaikoura Horizons,PrivateCommission,Kaukapakapa DifferentSkies,OsakaBusinessPark,Japan. FlyingChairs,PrivateCommission,Kaukapakapa Globe,CollectionofNationalGalleryofAustralia,Canberra 1993 Lens,PetrocorpBuilding,NewPlymouth Untitled,HighCourtofNewZealand,Wellington FlyingChairs,SculptureintheGardens,Christchurch Canopy,QueenslandArtGallery,Brisbane,Australia

1992 Snap,AdelaideFestivalCentre,Australia WaveScreens,PrivateCommission,Auckland Throwback,AlbertPark,Auckland Echo(re-installation),ArtsCentre,Christchurch GlobeInstallation,GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland Vertigo,GalleryKobayashi,Tokyo,Japan PerceptionRoom,CapitalDiscoveryPlace,Wellington

1991 Orb,PrivateCommission,Taranaki Awakenings,HastingsBoysHighSchool JetsetGlobe,JetsetToursBuilding,Melbourne,Australia Spectra,AoteaCentre,Auckland

1990 MacawFeather,PrivateCommission,Wellington Leadlight,PrivateCommission,Wellington KeiKoneiInaianei:Blue/Green,TheBathHouse,Rotorua GlobeDownUnder,SargeantGallery,Wanganui Featherlight,AoteaCentreFoyer,Auckland

1989 Globe,MagiciensdelaTerre:MuseeNationald’ArtModerne,Centre GeorgesPompidou,Paris,France Framework,NationalArtGallery,Wellington GetThePicture,WellingtonRailwayStation

1988 Vanity1,TheAustralianBiennale,ArtGalleryofN.S.W.Sydney, Vanity2,MelbourneConcertHall,Melbourne,Australia Featherlight,MethodistTrustassociationBuilding,Auckland

1987 Ripples,TeWhareTaongaOWaikato/TheWaikatoMuseumofArtand History,Hamilton Plumbobs,PrivateCommission,Christchurch

1986 GoingForBroke,Sculptureprojects1985-86,GovettBrewsterArt Gallery,NewPlymouth

1984 TheRock,BankofNewZealandCentre,Wellington Paper,Scissors,Rock.RobertMcDougallArtGallery,Christchurch 5LargeWorks,GraduateCentreMall,CityUniversity,NewYork,U.S.A. Lightwell,PrivateCommission,Wellington

1981 Echo,ArtsCentre,Christchurch VanishingPoints,AucklandCityArtGallery Reflections,NationalArtGallery,Wellington

1980 StreetShow: StreetGrid,RobertMcDougallArtGallery,Christchurch

AirspaceattheHansellsSculptureExhibition, WairarapaArtsCentre,Masterton

1979 SeascapeInstallation/Documentation,RobertMcDougallArtGallery,Christchurch

SELECTED AWARDS

2006 InvitedArtistProgramme,Antarctica,NewZealand 2004 CompanionoftheNewZealandOrderofMerit

2003 LaureateAward.NewZealandArtsFoundation

1985 AwardedQueenElizabeth2ArtsCouncilEstablishmentGrant

1980 AwardedQueenElizabeth2ArtsCouncilTravelGrant

1973 GainsGraduateDiplomainSculpture

1972 AwardedQueenElizabeth2ArtsCouncilGrant

SELECTED ARTICLES

2009 Suckling,Lee, The Sky’s the Limit, ArtNews,Summer2009,pp52–55

2006 Mane-Wheoki,Jonathon, Laureate Feature – Neil Dawson, Applause,ArtsFoundationof NewZealand,pp7

2005 Blundell,Sally, The Outsider, TheListener,November262005,pp44&462003 Fusco, Dr.Cassandra, Ways of Seeing Presence and Absence- The Work of Neil Dawson, Craft ArtsInternational,Number582003pp34–412000 Caughey,ElizabethandJohnGow, Contemporary New Zealand Art 2,Auckland;DavidBateman,1997,pp52–55 1996 Brown,Warwick,Another100NZArtists,GodwitPress1996,pp26

Plate 14 (2008)