Ralph Hōtere Black Painting

Ralph Hōtere’s impact on the art scene in Aotearoa is both obvious and mysterious. As a pioneering artist of great stature, his presence in the visual-art lexicon of the country is undeniable. However, his notable reluctance to discuss his work made him something of an enigma, despite the extensive depth of publication and commentary on his work.

Hōtere’s paintings often display restraint, utilising a modest range of painterly techniques. Black dominates his palette, resulting in paintings that exude a sense of nocturnal darkness and ambiguity. Yet, despite their simplicity, his artworks have sophistication and depth.

Black Painting from 1969 is a pristine example of the sharp minimalistic abstraction that Hōtere was producing at the time. Such works are among his most admired and sought-after, and they helped build his reputation as a historically significant New Zealand artist. The work is pared back, exquisitely composed, and finished in rich lacquer. Like many of Hōtere’s best artworks, Black Painting features a strong and distinctive aesthetic.

Hōtere had already attained a status as one of the all-time greats of New Zealand painting long before his death in 2013. Since then, awareness of his work has only grown. Given the depth and longevity of his artistic output, his legacy as an artist of enduring significance is secure.

PROVENANCE

The K' Road Collection, Auckland.

Tony Fomison’s (1939–1990) art is unlike the work of any of his contemporaries. It is unique, singular. This is true of both the technical approach that he adopted and the subject matter he engaged with. His work was significantly shaped by an extended stay in Europe in the 1960s; initially travelling there for 12 months on an Arts Council grant, he remained there for three years. Francisco Goya and Hans Holbein the Younger were among the artists whose work he observed and was influenced by during that time.1

Seemingly unconcerned with fashion or prevailing tendencies, Fomison pursued his unique vision of painting. Influenced by the writings of Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung, his works are steeped in psychological themes and mythology. This, combined with his distinctive paint work, makes for potent images that tap into the depths of the psyche.

Fomison painted Pas de Deux in 1986. It features a lighter palette than many of his other works. Two figures face each other, one painted in reddish tones, the other shadowy. Fomison’s mastery of oil painting, gesturally applied in thin layers, is clearly in view. One could read this work through a mythopoeic lens, engaging in some internal confrontation with the shadow side of the psyche.

In recent years, Fomison’s work has risen in public esteem — a consequence of the undeniable quality of the work and the singular vision of the artist who created it. Pas de Deux is an excellent example of the artist’s work from the later stages of his life and career.

98 Terry Stringer, Love Land 2001 bronze; wood, 89/100 signed, dated and title inscribed 170 × 110 × 75mm (widest points)

EST $2,000 $3,000

PROVENANCE

The K' Road Collection, Auckland.

99 Terry Stringer, Absent Friends 2001 bronze, 98/111 signed, dated and title inscribed 95 × 95 × 25mm (widest points)

EST $1,500 $2,500

PROVENANCE

The K' Road Collection, Auckland.

100 Paul Cullen, untitled 2010 acrylic on found book; pencils signed and dated 250 × 170 × 90mm (widest points)

EST $1,000 $2,000

PROVENANCE

The K' Road Collection, Auckland.

101 Richard Killeen, Tattoo Plate 2002 glazed ceramic signed, dated and title inscribed 290mm diameter

EST $800 $1,600

PROVENANCE

The K' Road Collection, Auckland; Acquired from Ivan Anthony, Auckland.

EST $30,000 $40,000

PROVENANCE

The K' Road Collection, Auckland.

104 Richard Killeen, untitled 2009 vinyl on Longboard, 2/10 1131 × 275 × 150mm (widest points)

EST $10,000 $20,000

PROVENANCE

The K' Road Collection, Auckland.

105 Liz Maw, untitled 2009 vinyl on Longboard, 2/10 1130 × 275 × 150mm (widest points)

EST $10,000 $20,000

PROVENANCE

The K' Road Collection, Auckland.

106 Lonnie Hutchinson, untitled builder's paper 1500 × 780 × 110mm (widest points); 1035 × 800 × 110mm (widest points)

EST $5,500 $7,500

107 Rose Nolan, Help Me to Do Things Differently 2001 oil on hessian and cotton signed and dated 1750 × 865mm (widest points)l

EST $8,000 $10,000

108 Fiona Jack, untitled (from Ōtākaro Plant Parade) 2015 cotton embroidery on velvet; wood 1600 × 1430mm

EST $6,000 $8,000

109 Rozana Lee, Vermillion Dream c2020 wax, dye and acrylic on silk; wood 1180 × 1610 × 400mm (widest points)

EST $2,000 $3,000

110 Gretchen Albrecht, Changes (Blue) 1984 oil on canvas signed, dated and title inscribed 1120 × 1110mm (widest points)

EST $35,000 $55,000

Andrew McLeod is a highly regarded artist whose work is held in major collections throughout the country. He is well known for his skilful intertwining of abstract and figurative approaches to painting, creating hybrid imagery from eclectic sources. He collects, indexes and reassembles images in his paintings, often responding to the work of earlier generations of New Zealand artists. McLeod’s paintings often reference the history of art, especially renaissanceera religious painting or Victorian portraiture. In other works, he engages more with pop culture and contemporary illustration, weaving these references into his wider lexicon of imagery.

The works presented in this selection are a series of gouache paintings on prints of architectural plans. Mainly defined in white on black, the delicately paint images contrasts against the bold linear plans. In some cases McLeod seems to be responding directly to the diagrammatic room plans – such as adding a bed and couch to one scene –while in others the imagery is at odds with the plans, such as the depiction of a horse silhouette and the torso of a man. The visual additions and layers in the works reflect the physical layers of history in an architectural site.

McLeod is an artist who defies genres. His image making is both idiosyncratic and deeply sophisticated. It is informed by a rich understanding of Western art history, a refined awareness of internet culture and digital technology, and a consummate skill with paint. Given the strength and prolific nature of his output, it is easy to forget that McLeod is still only in his midforties. The future is very bright for the artist and his work.

123 John Reynolds, Nude with Saint George 1994 oil on board signed, dated and title inscribed 2040 × 860mm (each panel)

EST $15,000 $25,000

124 Dick Frizzell, Escape from Salvation Pt II 1986 acrylic on paper signed, dated and title inscribed 750 × 660mm

EST $8,000 $12,000

125 Séraphine Pick, untitled 1993 oil on canvas signed and dated 305 × 305mm

EST $5,000 $8,000

126 Nigel Brown, Belong, belong, belong 2015 acrylic on canvas signed, dated and title inscribed 590 × 590mm

EST $10,000 $15,000

Robyn Kahukiwa (Ngāti Porou) is one of Aotearoa’s pre-eminent Māori painters. She was born in Australia in 1938 and moved to New Zealand in 1955. This move brought about Kahukiwa’s rediscovery of her Māori heritage, which became a central aspect of her art-making practice. Since her first solo exhibition in 1971, Kahukiwa has engaged in a painting practice that passionately articulates her identity as a Māori wāhine. Her work celebrates Māori tikanga and traditional values through powerful portrayal of people and their interconnecting relationships with their whakapapa, legends and the land.

Kahukiwa’s practice began with painting in her kitchen when her children were young. She was ardent about instilling in her tamariki a strong sense of cultural identity, to be proud and knowledgeable of their heritage. Her paintings are often populated with ancestral figures, native birds, plants, and trees. The two works featured in this catalogue were included in the 1999 exhibition Māori Paintings and Sculpture by Robyn Kahukiwa at the gallery Rich Women of Zurich in London. The pair are striking portraits of a Māori man and a Māori woman painted in a style distinctive to the artist. The strong colours and large scale of the works feel almost mural like — commemorating the revered subjects they portray. These works exemplify the bold imagery

Kahukiwa is known for and cement her as an artist of great stature, and a leading voice in contemporary Māori art.

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.

141 Wayne Youle, Just a Quick Note 2014 acrylic on cardboard signed and dated 255 × 370mm

EST $3,500 $5,500

142 Wayne Youle, Written in Stone 2014 acrylic on cardboard signed and dated 380 × 290mm

EST $3,500 $5,500

143 Wayne Youle, Sincerely, Faithfully, Respectfully, Regretfully acrylic on cardboard signed and dated 425 × 360mm

EST $3,500 $5,500

144 Wayne Youle, Hugs and Kisses 2015 acrylic on cardboard signed and dated 365 × 275mm

EST $3,500 $5,500

145 After Andy Warhol, Double Elvis 2022 screenprint on board, printer's proof 360 × 360mm

EST $2,800 $4,800

NOTE

This work is accompanied by a Sunday B Morning Certificate of Authenticity.

146 After Andy Warhol, Moonwalk - Yellow 11.404 2020 screenprint on board 950 × 950mm

EST $4,000 $6,000

NOTE

This work is accompanied by a Sunday B Morning Certificate of Authenticity.

147 After Andy Warhol, Reigning Queen (Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom) screenprint on board 950 × 760mm

EST $4,000 $6,000

NOTE

This work is accompanied by a Sunday B Morning Certificate of Authenticity.

148 Jeff Koons, Puppy 1999 screenprint on paper, 20/93 signed and dated 1060 × 645mm

EST $6,000 $10,000

149 Gregor Kregar, Thinker Gnome stainless steel 1190 × 460 × 200mm (widest points)

EST $10,000 $18,000

150 Don Binney, Lake Omapere 1963 charcoal on paper dated and title inscribed

154 Ralph Hōtere, Music Faculty Auckland University 1978 graphite on paper signed, dated and title inscribed 575 × 375mm

EST $3,000 $5,000

PROVENANCE Estate of Ans Westra, Wellington.

155 Ralph Hōtere, untitled 1990 lithograph on paper, 22/100 signed and dated 720 × 165mm

EST $4,000 $6,000

156 Ralph Hōtere, Matauri Bay, Black Rainbow 1988 lithograph on paper, 15/30 signed, dated and title inscribed 550 × 440mm

EST $3,000 $4,500

157 Ralph Hōtere, Matauri Bay 1988 lithograph on paper signed, dated and title inscribed 490 × 330mm

EST $4,000 $6,000

158 Ralph Hōtere, Portrait of Andrea 1986 graphite on paper signed, dated and title inscribed 300 × 230mm

EST $4,000 $6,000

159 Francis Upritchard, untitled watercolour on paper 600 × 460mm

EST $2,500 $3,500

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