Melting Moments: A Private Collection of Contemporary Art, October 2021

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Paul Evans Managing Director paul@webbs.co.nz +64 21 866 000

Christine Kearney PR & Marketing Director christine@webbs.co.nz +64 27 929 5604

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Elliot Ferguson Art Director design@webbs.co.nz +64 21 111 9146

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

AD Schierning Manager, Art ad@webbs.co.nz +64 27 929 5609

Tasha Jenkins Specialist, Art tasha@webbs.co.nz +64 22 595 5610

Carey Young Specialist, Art carey@webbs.co.nz +64 21 368 348

Julian McKinnon Content & Research editor@webbs.co.nz +64 21 113 5001

Charles Tongue Valuations Specialist valuations@webbs.co.nz +64 22 406 5514

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David Maskill Consultant, Art david@webbs.co.nz +64 27 256 0900

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Table of Contents

Journal 14 Cultural Capital: Webb’s Launches in Wellington

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Where It All Began: Billy Apple & Peter Webb

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Always His Own Man: Bill Hammond

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Foreword 36 Programme 39 List of Essays

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Plates 41

Webb's

Terms & Conditions

125

Index of Artists

128

Absentee Bid Form

129

2021

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Passed Through The Hands: Laphroaig Distillery

Laphroaig Distillery employees posing for a photograph.

The distillery re-opened in 1945 at the cease of World War II. This bottle may have passed through the hands of one of those individuals who served.

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Webb’s have witnessed a huge increase in demand for fine Whiskies over the last two years. This culminated in the achievement of an incredible price for a 1940s bottling of Laphroaig, which reached $42,660. With this, Webb’s easily achieved the highest price for a single bottle at auction in New Zealand.

The bottle was labelled simply, ‘Laphroaig Distillery D. Johnston and Co 80° Proof’. It was an extremely rare no age statement (NAS) distillery bottling. Our consignor was gifted the bottle for their 21st birthday by their grandfather.

Originally, this unique bottle came from a pub that was owned by their great-grandfather just out of Timaru, ‘The Cave Arms’. At one point, the owner of the pub went on a world tour; it is likely that he brought the bottle back from that trip.

We estimate this bottle is from the late 1940s. The Laphroaig distillery has a fascinating history behind it. During World War II, production was shut down and the facility was used as a base for the Royal Air Force. Scotland’s Ministry of Defence agreed to pay Laphroaig £120,000 for near full usage of the distillery, and sought to enlist Laphroaig workers. As an RAF base, they had a significant contribution to the battle of Dunkirk, protecting Allied Forces’ ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. The distillery re-opened in 1945 at the cease of World War II. This bottle may have passed through the hands of one of those individuals who served.

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The video stream showed bids rushing in to the auctioneer, who accepted them from online & virtual phone bidders. ‘I couldn’t quite believe it, how crazy was that?’ the vendor remarked afterwards.

Laphroaig Distillery D. Johnston and Co 80°Proof circa 1940s, Single Malt Scottish Whisky est. $18,000 – $24,000 price realised. $42,660

Due to the scarcity of fresh ex-sherry butts after World War II, the industry needed to reuse exhausted casks. As the last of the Johnston family line, Ian Hunter aimed to maintain high standards at the distillery. He chose not to compromise, instead pioneering the use of readily available American 53 gallon barrels. These had to be broken down and re-coopered as slightly bigger hogshead casks in Laphroaig’s cooperage. This no doubt added to the unique taste of Laphroiag.

As there were very little records of such rare bottles selling worldwide, our estimate of $18,000 to $24,000 was reasonable, though it turned out a little conservative. An absentee bid of $10,000 kicked things off, before fevered bidding drove us well past the high estimate. Our consignor watched the auction excitedly from the comfort of their own home. The video stream showed bids rushing in to the auctioneer, who accepted them from online & virtual phone bidders. “I couldn’t quite believe it, how crazy was that?” the vendor remarked afterwards.

While single malt scotch has led the way in this recent upturn in demand, Japanese whisky has also been hugely popular. Age-statement bottlings of Hibiki and Yamazaki continue to increase in price, while lesser-known brands such as Taketsuru are starting to catch people’s eye. As we have always been advised about Japanese whisky, “if it has a number on it, it is worth buying.”

While Japanese and Scotch whiskies have had markedly different histories, the reason bottles from both countries can demand increasingly higher prices is the same: rarity. When Suntory announced they were discontinuing production of the Hibiki 17yo & 30yo, the price skyrocketed overnight. It has continued to climb ever since. These discontinuations were due to the fact that 20 years ago, not many people knew or drank Japanese whisky, meaning production was far lower. Scotch has a much longer history. Bottlings of scotch whiskies that are from silent stills, special releases, longermaturation whiskies, and those bottled pre-World War II can command very high prices.

Due to the increase in demand for fine Whiskies, Webb’s has been planning our first ever whisky-exclusive auction. However, after finding some stunning bottles of cognac in recent times, this may evolve into an auction for the wider Spirits category.

With Webb’s existing dedicated buyers looking to add to their collections and emerging collectors following our auctions closely, we are very keen and excited to see what rare wines and spirits our clients can discover in their cupboards and cellars that we may offer for auction.

Contact us for an appraisal.

Marcus Atkinson Head of Fine Wines & Whiskies marcus@webbs.co.nz +64 27 929 5601

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Marshell Wan Fine & Rare Wines Specialist marshell@webbs.co.nz +64 22 061 5612 15

A Masterpiece: The Sang House One of the things to remember about the design of a house, is that it is designed for its occupants and their requirements. There’s another layer, which is aesthetic. A great building combines those things. — Darryl Sang, Director of Sang Architects Webb's

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Earlier this year, Webb’s partnered with Wall Real Estate to sell The Sang House. This architectural icon is both an exquisite home and an important piece of New Zealand cultural history. It was designed by renowned architect and art collector Ron Sang as his family residence in 1973.

Nestled amongst trees, every room within this house allows dappled afternoon sun and unique views. It is an exceptional environment for living. From the custom-made Guy Ngan door handle to the home’s seamless integration with the landscaped garden, Sang’s attention to detail and his discerning taste for modern art is evident throughout this extraordinary home. This combination of the domestic and the artistic was summed up by Darryl Sang, “One of the things to remember about the design of a house, is that it is designed for its occupants and their requirements. There’s another layer, which is aesthetic. A great building combines those things.”

This was Webb’s first auction of a piece of architecture, and our collaboration with Wall Real Estate was an overwhelming success. The Sang House found a buyer at $4,000,000, an eye-watering mark-up from its capital value of $2,025,000. The sale generated a combined total of $4,433,664, with a sell through rate of 91% that saw each lot achieving prices well above the expected estimates.

The presentation of Ron Sang’s house, itself a modernist masterpiece, offered an occasion to acknowledge his legacy beyond the world of architecture. He was an art collector and publisher of some of the most sumptuous publications on significant New Zealand artists. In his house in Remuera, Sang surrounded himself with paintings, sculptures, studio ceramics and art glass by some of the leading practitioners in these fields. Darryl Sang said of his father,

[He] was an architect as well as an art collector, and those two aspects of his life really went hand in hand. His architectural style developed along with his art collecting.

His houses are designed to display art.

The list of paintings collected by Sang is a roll call of New Zealand art from the 1970s onwards. There were early stained colour-field canvasses by Gretchen Albrecht from the 1970s, as well as one of her iconic hemispheres from 1984 and a later spectacular oval, Nomadic Geometries (At This Hour-Red) from 1994. Sang’s collection also included paintings by Don Binney, Pat Hanly, Michael Smither, Robert Ellis, Allen Maddox and Philippa Blair. His other passions in the field of collecting were the sculptures of Guy Ngan and Don Driver, the studio ceramics of Len Castle, Roy Cowan, Graeme Storm and the art glass of Ann Robinson.

Ron Sang’s passion for the art and culture of this country is something to be celebrated. Webb’s marketed a curated selection of artwork alongside the house. This included works by some of Sang’s favourites: Ralph Hotere, Gretchen Albrecht, Guy Ngan, and others. This innovative approach had a symbiotic effect of enhancing both the art and the house through mutual association. It proved a winning combination, with sales well over reserve.

Sang was intently involved in the art and culture scene.

He forged relationships with artists and makers, supporting their practices and collecting their work. As his son observed, these associations proved mutually beneficial. Our founder, Peter Webb also made sustained efforts to cultivate the careers of many of New Zealand’s most prominent modern artists. He worked with Colin McCahon, Don Binney and Pat Hanly, to name but a few. These were the very same artists whose work Ron Sang loved and collected. The spirit of mutual support and cultural collaboration was exemplified

by Webb’s sale of the Sang House.

Are you looking to bring your unique architectural home to market? With our innate cultural capital and our distinct, high-production marketing, Webb’s is unmatched.

We achieve market-beating results for high-end homes.

Contact us for an appraisal.

Paul Evans Managing Director paul@webbs.co.nz +64 21 866 000

Detail of a custom-made Guy Ngan door handle on the The Sang House.

Webb's

Detail of The Sang House interior. Gretchen Albrecht, Colloquy #4, 1984, price realised $60,000.

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Charles Ninow Head of Art charles@webbs.co.nz +64 21 053 6504 17

Roaring Success: The Collectors’ Car Market

1965 Mercedes-Benz 230SL, price realised. $137,313 est. $150,000 - $170,000

In the last 36 months, we have seen year-on-year growth in spending in our car auctions.

Many factors contribute to this, including the increased frequency of our auctions, though it is largely due to ‘post-Covid’ spending habits. We have seen a surge in discretionary spending. Many buyers are reallocating funds that they would otherwise have spent on travel, and collectable cars have proven to be an appealing alternative. Recreational holidays have consisted of road trip getaways to the bach, rather than flights to Barcelona.

With interest rates remaining low, classic cars are being looked as alternative forms of investment. There are a number of considerations to weigh up: originality, mileage, condition, low ownership and rarity.

We have seen huge growth in the Australian Muscle car market, which is mirroring what’s happening across the Tasman. Last December we saw a 1972 Ford Fairmont XYGT Shaker sell for $221,375 against a $120,000 - $150,000 estimate. In March; we saw a 1970 Ford XW Falcon GT- HO Phase II sell for $414,000, all staying in New Zealand.

This growth can be seen as a positive trend towards the ‘local manufacturing’ of our trans-Tasman neighbours. It is also a consequence of demand outstripping supply, with many collections being tightly held and expanded as the wealth of collectors grows.

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Older collectors are also demonstrating changing attitudes. Many would once have only collected European or American cars. Nowadays, they are happy to park a Nissan Skyline GT-R in the garage next to their Bentley or Rolls-Royce. The Japanese market is also growing due to younger collectors hitting the auction floor. For these buyers, nostalgia is a factor. Their wallets can now reach the cool cars of their youth, whether they saw them on the silver screen, PlayStation game, or with the ‘cool dude’ down the street.

Caolán McAleer Head of Collectors’ Cars caolan@webbs.co.nz +64 27 929 5603

Ian Nott Collectors’ Car Specialist ian@webbs.co.nz +64 21 610 911 18

Top Fifteen Prices 1

1998 Aston Martin Vantage V600 price realised. $451,500 est. $500,000 - $600,000

Registered new in the United Kingdom in April 1998, this Aston Martin Vantage V600 was imported into New Zealand in 2011.

In 1993 it was the most powerful car on the market, with a top speed of 322 km/h. With only one local owner, it presented in what can only be described as a near concours condition being truly the last of the coach-built cars from this marque. This is undoubtedly one of the finest vehicles that Webb’s has been privileged to offer.

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1970 Ford XW Falcon GT-HO Phase II price realised. $414,000 est. $400,000 - $450,000

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1972 Ford Fairmont XYGT Shaker price realised. $221,375 est. $120,000 - $150,000

This GT-HO Phase II was delivered new by Falconer Motors, Ford dealers in Toowoomba, Queensland. The Ford Falcon GT-HO was right up there with the best of them, and when Ford launched the facelifted XW Falcon range in 1969, the GT heralded new levels of performance. Communication from Ford Australia prior to sale set out the build data of the vehicle and noted that “A short test run was impressive to say the least!”

This great looking XYGT was imported to New Zealand in 2018. It had one local owner and was an original GT shaker with the correct and unmolested MS 33 ID tags present confirming its all-important authenticity. Our vendor purchased it after a three-year search from a friend who found it in South Africa with a low mileage of 82,000kms and auto transmission. An Australian expert on the marque put it, “These cars are real GTs just marketed in another country.”

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1964 Mercedes-Benz 230L price realised. $201,250 est. $160,000 - $180,000

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1953 Jaguar XK-120 Fixed Head Coupe price realised. $184,000 est. $140,000 - $175,000

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2001 Ferrari 360 Modena price realised. $146,050 est. $130,000 - $150,000

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2007 Ford GT40 (Recreation LVVTA Ford) price realised. $143,750 est. $85,000 - $100,000

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1965 Mercedes-Benz 230SL price realised. $137,313 est. $150,000 - $170,000

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1973 Holden Torana XU1 price realised. $132,250 est. $130,000 - $150,000

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1928 Cadillac 341A price realised. $132,250 est. $140,000 - $160,000

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1974 Jensen Interceptor price realised. $123,625 est. $75,000 - $100,000

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1927 Stutz price realised. $120,750 est. $130,000 - $160,000

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1966 AC Cobra price realised. $100,625 est. $60,000 - $80,000

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1936 Indian Chief price realised. $97,750 est. $92,000 - $110,000

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1955 Austin Healey BN1 price realised. $93,150

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est. $80,000 - $120,000 19

Royal Oak: An Undisputed Horological Leader

The creation of one of the most iconic watches came about in the late 1960s. At this time, many Swiss watch manufacturers were under significant pressure due to super-accurate quartz watches flooding the market from Japan. This period is often referred to as the ‘Quartz Crisis’. Audemars Piguet realised that without a disruptive change, financial collapse was inevitable.

To prevent a dramatic sales drop, Georges Golay (Audemars Piguet’s Managing Director at the time) decided it was time to introduce something totally new. The company had received feedback from the Italian market about potential interest in a steel luxury watch. Acting on this, Golay devised a sporty yet elegant timepiece as never seen before. The designer of choice for this task was Gerald Genta.

A celebrity designer in his own right, Genta designed some of the most iconic watches – Patek Philippe’s Nautilus, Cartier’s Pasha de Cartier IWC’s Ingenieur, Omega’s Constellation, and many more. But the Royal Oak is undeniably the biggest success of his career.

According to the legendary watch designer, he received a call from Georges Golay at 4 o’clock one afternoon in 1969.

Georges needed a design for a sport watch, and he needed it by the next morning. Genta worked through the night on the design, taking inspiration from deep-sea diving helmets and their visible screws, as well as the shape of the cannon scuttles on the HMS Royal Oak. In an interview Genta was quoted as saying: “At the time it marked an innovation... That of making visible what had hitherto always been meant to remain hidden.”

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At the time it marked an innovation... That of making visible what had hitherto always been meant to remain hidden. — Gerald Genta

Back then there were few, if any, watches like the Royal Oak. On release in 1972, its cost was more than ten times that of a Rolex Submariner, which was then the market’s leading sports watch. This was on account of the expense of manufacture. Shaping all of the complex facets of the case and bezel in hard steel was so expensive that the prototypes were all formed in softer white gold; the cost of machining outweighed the cost of the precious metal.

Recently at Webb’s, we have had the pleasure of bringing to the saleroom a rare 1974 variant of the Royal Oak 5402ST, with a serial reference starting with “B”. This reference indicates that it is of second production run. This was the rarest run with only 1000 pieces believed to be produced in total – around half of the production of the original A series.

This watch was passed down from father to son, travelling from Switzerland to New Zealand, and over the years has been beautifully kept and cared for. This stunning piece came to us around the same time our watch specialist Samuel Shaw joined the Webb’s family.

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Sam Shaw has over 10 years experience in the luxury watches and jewellery sector. He has worked for some of the United Kingdom’s most prodigious retailers, including Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Smythson of Bond Street, David M Robinson Jewellers and the London Rolex Boutique at One Hyde Park, Knightsbridge.

Sam emigrated to New Zealand in 2015 and managed Partridge Jewellers in central Christchurch for six years before moving to Auckland in June this year.

He is an enthusiast for watches on a personal level, and Sam is an active member and administrator for New Zealand’s largest watch collecting club. His passion is evident and his customer service unparalleled. Sam’s wealth of knowledge and connection to collectors has seen him build up the watch sector of the auction house tremendously.

Currently the market is particularly strong for steel watches, especially from the three powerhouse brands: Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe and Rolex. Sam knew he could find the right buyer for the Royal Oak, and with the help of Webb’s in-house marketing team, this proved to be the case. The Royal Oak sold to an avid New Zealand collector for the handsome sum of $78,000 (including BP). This excellent outcome showed that in almost 50 years, the love for this angular octagonal design with its integrated bracelet hasn’t declined.

It also demonstrates that buyer sentiment is strong.

Now is a great time to bring your pre-loved treasures to the market. To learn more about our sale highlights, head over to our website or get in touch with our specialist team for an obligation-free appraisal. Your piece may well become the next slice of auction history.

Portrait of designer Gerald Genta.

Kassidy Hsieh Head of Fine Jewels & Watches kassidy@webbs.co.nz +64 27 929 5607

Samuel Shaw, Manager of Fine Jewels & Watches, inspecting the Royal Oak 5402ST.

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Samuel Shaw Manager, Fine Jewels & Watches samuel@webbs.co.nz +64 22 499 5610 21

A George Nakashima Conoid Bench, est. $65,000 - $75,000 price realised. $68,137.00.

Soul of a Tree: The Legacy of George Nakashima

George Nakashima with his collection of wood, c1950s.

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George Nakashima is without question one of the leading innovators of the 20th century. His contribution to modernism, in my opinion, cannot be overstated, and the opportunity to present his exceptional work to market in 2021 has been one of the highlights of my time in the auction industry.

After graduating from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Master’s in Architecture, Nakashima immediately sought inspiration from the world. He purchased an around-the-globe steamship ticket and travelled through France, India, and his ancestral home of Japan, where he engaged with the works of Le Courbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, and worked closely with Antonin Raymond. He indulged in rich cultural experiences, all of which would inform his pre-war production.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour and the incarceration of all West Coast residents of Japanese ancestry led to a pivotal moment in his development as a craftsman. Assigned the role of designing and planning rooms within the camp, Nakashima collaborated with skilled ‘Issei’ carpenter Gentaro Hikogawa. It was during this time the carpenter trained Nakashima in the precise use and care of Japanese hand tools, refining his skills as a woodworker, and honing his knowledge of Japanese wood joinery to a level usually reserved for generational artisans. The skill Nakashima developed with Hikogawa became an essential feature of his post-war practice.

The unique design philosophy of Nakashima is something that has fascinated me for some time. It’s well documented that within his Pennsylvania studio there were enormous racks filled with locally sourced slabs of timber.

These imposing slices of American hickory, walnut and oak would remain untouched, often for years at a time, until Nakashima understood the purest way of expressing their natural form through design and execution.

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His unwavering dedication to celebrating the materials’ imperfections with highly technical woodworking techniques is the hallmark of Nakashima’s practice. The conoid bench is the perfect example of this. Nakashima respects the natural form of the black walnut slab, keeping its free edge and enhancing a crack in the wood with a supportive butterfly join. This ensures no two benches are the same; each is totally unique to the wood it was created from.

Testing the depth of the local market at the highest level is something Webb’s continues to excel in. Establishing a record for modern design at auction in Aotearoa with the successful sale of the Conoid bench, alongside two other individual offerings from the conoid series by Nakashima, is a clear indication that internationally renowned design has a firm place in the homes of New Zealanders.

Nakashima is survived by his daughter Mira who continues to this day in her father’s legacy, creating and executing these design masterpieces that will be admired for generations to come.

If you are considering consigning or investing in modern design with Webb’s, or to discuss current market trends please reach out to me directly, I would be delighted to hear from you. — Ben Erren, Head of Decorative Arts

Each flitch, each board, each plank can have only one ideal use. The woodworker, applying a thousand skills, must find that ideal use and then shape the wood to realize its true potential. — George Nakashima

George Nakashima with conoid chair, c1970s.

Ben Erren Head of Decorative Arts ben@webbs.co.nz +64 21 191 9660 Webb's

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Cultural Capital: Webb’s Launches in Wellington

The launch of Webb’s in Wellington is an exciting moment for local collectors and art lovers. This step is testament to the enduring success of Webb’s, and the fact that New Zealanders are valuing our culture more than ever before. – David Maskill, Webb’s Art Consultant Webb’s is thrilled to announce the opening of a new premises in Wellington in November 2021. This is an important step for New Zealand’s largest auction house, and for the market it serves. Situated at 23 Marion Street, the Wellington premises will provide a welcoming environment for our clients, a 450 square metre state-of-the-art gallery space, private meeting and viewing rooms and secure storage facilities.

Over the past three years, Webb’s has been setting the pace in the auction business in New Zealand. We have gone through an astonishing time of success and growth. This has seen us engage with clients across the country. It is our intention to continue to develop these relationships.

Carey Young and David Maskill will run Webb’s new Wellington office. Carey brings a distinguished track record as a former gallerist and Webb’s representative in Wellington.

David brings his knowledge and experience as an art historian and educator to the role. They are a complementary pair in terms of their proven leadership and knowledge of both historical and contemporary art. Together they will provide a wealth of expertise to our growing clientele in the Wellington region and further afield.

This is an important step for Webb’s as a business.

Peter Webb, the founder of our enterprise, was instrumental in developing the market for modern and contemporary Webb's

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New Zealand art. His vision and drive to succeed saw Webb’s grow to be the largest auction house in the country. Under his leadership, it expanded into the distinct departments it features today – enabling the development of secondary markets for a broad clientele with diverse tastes. Webb’s today is proud of this legacy, and it informs our direction.

We are defining the market now, much as Peter Webb did when he established the business. We’re driven to achieve results that change the way art and luxury collectibles are viewed, written about, and valued. This is our raison d’être.

Our new Wellington premises will enable further growth and development of this distinct Webb’s vision.

Wellington Office 23 Marion Street Te Aro, Wellington 6011 +64 4 555 6001 Carey Young Specialist, Art carey@webbs.co.nz +64 21 368 348

David Maskill Consultant, Art david@webbs.co.nz +64 27 256 0900 25

Where It All Began: Billy Apple & Peter Webb

Billy Apple, Sold, 1981, acrylic on canvas, 2130 x 1520 mm, private collection. Courtesy of Billy Apple® Estate.

Tribute by Christina Barton Webb's

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Billy Apple (1935–2021) 26

Billy Apple’s passing on 6 September 2021 was a shock to the art world, despite the artist being in his eighty-sixth year. Not only was he a regular fixture at openings around Auckland, or in whichever city he visited, but his status as a registered brand, Billy Apple®, somehow gave him the aura of invincibility. He would usually arrive in his black BMW Mini One with its red and green Apple logos, parking as near as possible to the entry, to minimise the time it took to get inside. He was often accompanied by Mary Morrison, his wife and collaborator, and their West Highland Terrier, Macintosh, and, once he had secured a drink, he would work the room. As he always said, these occasions were where the artist did their business; it was all part of his practice.

He would talk to gallerists, collectors, and artists, plot new projects and secure commissions; he was as likely to pass judgment on the calibre of the wine as the art on the walls. I think the last event he attended was when the Arts Foundation celebrated its twenty-first birthday in early August. He was not well by then, and had to sit for the duration. He told me with a smile that he was surprised at the number of people who made a point of coming to talk to him, having heard the news that he was dying.

I know that in his final weeks Billy Apple never doubted for a moment the life he had led as an artist. He worked until the very end, setting in train a string of projects that will roll out long after he is no longer here to see them through. I was struck by his calmness and lack of fear. Perhaps his final illness was simply proof of one of his most profound but slippery statements: “The artist has to live like everybody else”. I also had the impression that he ‘could’ let go, because, only a few weeks previously, the signwriter Terry Maitland, who for forty years painted Apple’s canvases, had also passed. Billy was adamant there would be no more paintings without the expert craftsman who had been his “hands” as he put it. And there were other factors that calmed him: he has a respected dealer in London, James Mayor, who is making good progress in finding suitable homes for the artist’s early British and American works. There is a substantial monograph on the artist in print that is the final milestone of the retrospective exhibition staged at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki in 2015. And two other books – by Anthony Byrt and Thomas Crow – have succeeded in knitting him into the early history of Pop art, his exclusion from which had hurt him deeply. With projects to look forward to, and promises made that the warehouse where he kept his possessions would be turned into a proper archive, I think he knew that while the man would no longer exist, the artist would “live forever”, another memorable statement that appears on a canvas linked to Billy’s immortalisation project (where the artist’s cell nuclei had been altered so his cells live on in storage and are available to medical researchers, a collaboration with Craig Hilton).

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Webb’s has a special relationship with Billy Apple.

Not only has his work passed through the auction house over many years (a process the artist followed with keen attention), but it was in the rooms of the original Peter Webb Galleries in April 1981 that Billy Apple presented the first canvases and prints to mark his return to object making after more than a decade of time-based and ephemeral practice.

As I outline in Billy Apple® Life/Work (Auckland University Press, 2020), this exhibition was a watershed not just for the artist but for New Zealand art in general. And the large canvas that was the centrepiece of the exhibition, Sold, 1981, was also the very first one painted by Terry Maitland.

The story of this exhibition bears retelling as it paints a picture of the Auckland art scene in the 1980s that is very different from today. Contemporary New Zealand art was by 1980 well and truly being made and shown in Auckland by a growing number of serious artists, who were supported by a small number of dealer galleries – particularly Barry Lett Galleries (by then RKS Art), Denis Cohn, and New Vision – and by the Auckland City Art Gallery, which was running a cutting edge programme, especially utilising the new large galleries of the Edmiston wing for contemporary projects.

But there wasn’t a secondary market for contemporary work and Peter Webb Galleries was set up in part to address that lack.

Much more needs to be written on the crucial role Peter Webb played in the Auckland art scene at this time, but suffice to say, in late 1979 he refurbished a space on the first floor of the T & G Building on the corner of Elliott and Wellesley Streets to function as a combined auction house and contemporary gallery, launching this as Peter Webb Galleries (it is here that the first contemporary New Zealand art auction took place). Webb was helped in preparing the space by Billy Apple, then known as a New York-based conceptual artist who had flustered the public by staging radical installations across New Zealand in his two visits to his country of birth in 1975 and 1979–80. These largely entailed removing items from spaces and requiring owners to correct architectural, decorative or functional features he felt detracted from their performance as spaces fit for art, and presenting the empty or adjusted galleries as ‘his’ work. Indeed, between 27 November and 7 December 1979, Apple documented the changes he was responsible for in Webb’s new space as one of his The Given as an Art-Political Statement series titled New Premises in the rooms Webb now occupied.

Then, on the invitation of Peter Webb, who had provoked the artist by asking him to make something he could sell, Billy Apple staged the exhibition Art for Sale (27 April – 8 May 1981). This consisted of one large canvas and ten smaller screenprints each functioning as a blownup bill of sale. Using the distinctive typography Apple had developed for the installations he executed nationally for his second tour of the country, these works were the first to move centre stage from ancillary documents to physical art works. The really radical dimension of the exhibition, however, was the challenge Apple set Webb, which was to ensure that all the works were sold prior to the opening.

This was the only way their contents would make sense. I can still sense the drama of this undertaking: the pressure to sell every work in the show by a particular date (which was documented the night before the opening when each work was signed by the artist, the gallery and the buyer), the Webb's

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shock for guests at the opening to discover that everything had already sold, and the consternation that a painting that merely documented the transaction and even – shockingly – announced its price, could be a work of art!

This was the moment that Apple’s conceptual practice found its visual form and the Art Transactions series Sold inaugurated, it has been the most enduring of the artist’s career. It was also the moment when the New Zealand art market came of age, at the very brink of the 1980s, that heyday for materialism that changed the system forever. From that moment, the cliché of the impoverished artist shivering in their garret was struck a terminal blow, as viewers were forced to realise that art is a material thing that can be traded like any other, and that it gains its value not because of its intrinsic qualities but because of a social contract based on relations between makers, sellers, and buyers, who must mutually believe in the value of the product.

Billy Apple articulated this arrangement and continued to do so for the rest of his career. He was fascinated by the system that gave his very existence meaning, and in every deal he struck he required a re-statement of that deepest belief in the concept of ‘art’. This was as important to him as any price paid for an art work. Though of course he understood that our society equates high prices with increased value, and was happiest when his works were sold for their true worth. In this sense Billy Apple was the contemporary art world’s conscience. It was not always an easy role to play, and there are myriad instances of him being cold-shouldered. I know it will take time for his contribution to art history to be fully understood, but in the outpouring of tributes and memories that followed news of his death, I think a tide is turning.

Christina Barton is director of Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. She is a respected curator, writer and art historian. She has known and worked with Billy Apple over many years, including curating his retrospective exhibition Billy Apple®: The Artist Has to Live like Everybody Else at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki in 2015. Her monograph on the artist, Billy Apple® Life/Work was published

by Auckland University Press in 2020.

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Billy Apple, New Premises: The Given as an Art-Political Statement, 1979, exhibition poster (courtesy of Billy Apple® Archive)

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Always His Own Man: Bill Hammond

Entrance view, Bill Hammond, Jingle Jangle Morning, Christchurch City Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū 20 July – 22 October 2007.

Tribute by Jenny Harper Webb's

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Bill Hammond (1947-2021) 30

I like Bill Hammond’s paintings a lot. Like others, I’m fascinated and intrigued by their detail, with the singular style he developed over the years. More than this, I admire Bill Hammond’s work. He could certainly paint and, even if you weren’t fully tuned into the issues he dealt with, his works were not something you could pass by without wondering.

His death in January this year sadly marks an end to his output, but it enables the task of assessing the full range of this artist’s phenomenal contribution to the heritage of Aotearoa New Zealand. Just as Hammond’s artistic landscapes are humorous and subversive, imaginary and ethereal, they are decidedly from here and of this place. Their impact will endure as they are admired by gallery visitors and in more private situations; they’ll fascinate and preoccupy curators and scholars well into the future. Hammond declined all interviews and opportunities to talk about his work. As far as he was concerned, he’d made it – and others could talk about it.

Bill Hammond was born in Christchurch in 1947 and attended Burnside High School before the University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts. During the 1970s, he worked in a sign factory, made jewellery and designed and manufactured wooden toys, but he turned to painting full-time in 1981. He also had a keen interest in music, playing the drums in the Band of Hope Jug Band.

Canterbury has a rich history of nurturing artistic talent and Bill Hammond loved Banks Peninsula and lived most of his life in Lyttelton. He had two sons, and together with his second wife, Jane McBride, he became part of the Lyttelton community. It was a struggle at first and Bill Hammond paid for food and drinks at the Volcano Café and Lava Bar with paintings.

Volcano Flag, 1994, now in the collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna Waiwhetū, has a visible red wine stain in the lower right corner which remains as part of its history.

Always his own man, Hammond was notoriously reticent when it came to talking about his work; ‘I just paint them’, is about as much as he would say. We’re free to interpret without any expectation. On a personal level, once the ice was broken, he was nicely forthcoming about life, peppered with heaps of his wry sense of humour. Like many in this area, however, he was badly affected by the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010-11, losing and having to relocate both his studio and living spaces.

His 1980s work is infected with the energy of punk, rock ‘n’ roll, graffiti, cartoons and other unexpected sources. Perhaps it functions as something of a gothic rebellion against the suburban conservatism of Christchurch. But it also shows the impact of other visual cultures, that of Japan and various European artists whom he admired when he travelled there. Titles are often painted on a work.

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[They] are like New Zealand before people got here. It’s bird land.

You feel like a time traveller… [it’s] a beautiful place, but also full of ghosts, shipwrecks and death…1 – Bill Hammond 1 Gregory O’Brien, Lands and Deeds, Auckland, Godwit, 1996, p 58.

Birds first began to populate Hammond’s paintings after he visited the Auckland Islands in 1989, as part of the Art in the Subantarctic project. It was a three-week trip to the remote, windswept islands, where the severity of the climate has allowed little human impact on the natural environment. Clearly a revelation, an epiphany, this visit had a profound impact on him.

For here Hammond experienced what he termed Birdland – and it led to his claiming of the bird motif like few others. In a 1996 interview with Gregory O’Brien, Hammond spoke of the Auckland Islands as a kind of lost world, ruled over by beak and claw: ‘[They] are like New Zealand before people got here. It’s bird land. You feel like a time traveller… [it’s] a beautiful place, but also full of ghosts, shipwrecks and death…’¹ In earlier 1990s canvases, the anthropomorphic creatures on Hammond’s canvases may have been the great flocks killed and stuffed by Victorian ornithologist Sir Walter Buller.

Over the years they grew into something different – a beautiful, but occasionally sinister, race of creatures distinct from both avian and human beings.

These beings are layered and active. They connect with the volcanic and hilly landscapes Hammond looked out at from his studio and, in pictorial and metaphorical ways, to Europe.

These creatures inhabit caves and sink holes as well as mountain tops. They grow wings, ride horses, play musical instruments, go freedom camping, hang from trees or ropes. Their heads may be above or below the clouds; one even became a ‘strap buddy’ when the artist broke his ankle and had to go to the orthopaedic section of Christchurch Hospital.

Hammond’s local public art gallery, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, has done him the honour of two exhibitions, both resulting in strong major publications. The first, Jingle Jangle Morning (a line taken from Bob Dylan’s song Mr Tambourine Man, and the title of a 2006 painting), was an impressive exhibition of more than two decades of Hammond’s work staged in 2007. The second publication, Across the Evening Sky, has only just become available. Developed after another Hammond exhibition at the Gallery in 2019, Playing the Drums, it also celebrates the successful fundraising and purchase in 2021 of the sensational Bone Yard Open Home, Cave Painting 4, Convocation of Eagles, 2009, to enhance the Gallery’s already strong collection of his work. Another formidable book production, designed as a companion to the first, it combines several essays and an informal recorded conversation (remember, no interviews) between Tony de Lautour and Bill Hammond, as well as other essays, and incorporates excellent new photography of his work.

There’s no doubt in our minds that Bill Hammond is an artist admired by artists as we read the heartfelt commentary of a dozen of them on him and his work. Looked up to by others, he remained generally dismissive of the broader art world and its expectations. There was little doubt, however, of the ultimate respect many, many people from all walks of life had for him as a string of farewells followed his burial on Banks Peninsula earlier this year.

Jenny Harper Director of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū November 2006 to March 2018. Prior to that, Jenny worked at Victoria University of Wellington, developing the Art History programme and establishing the Adam Art Gallery. She was Director of the former National Art Gallery in Wellington, becoming Director of Art & History at the then Museum of New Zealand after legislative change in 1992. In 2011 she received an MNZM for services to the arts.

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An artist with a singular vision, Bill Hammond was one of the greats of Aotearoa New Zealand’s art history.

This exquisite new book, conceived of in collaboration with the artist, shows Bill at his finest, focusing on his legendary bird and cave paintings from 2007 onwards. Features more than thirty paintings, an exclusive interview between Bill and fellow artist Tony de Lautour, texts by Peter Vangioni, Ariana Tikao, Nic Low, Paul Scofield and Rachael King, and responses to Bill’s practice by artists including Fiona Pardington, Marlon Williams and Shane Cotton among others.

Hard cover with dust jacket, 240 pages | $69.99

Order from the Design Store christchurchartgallery.org.nz/shop Strategic partners

Top Ten Prices This Year 001 Colin McCahon Landscape Theme and Variations (H) c1963

oil on jute 1770mm × 830mm est $300,000 – $500,000 price $312,350

003 Michael Smither Three Rock Pools 2004 oil and sand on board 1260mm × 820mm est $250,000 – $350,000 price $262,000

005 Ralph Hotere Les Saintes Marie de la Mer 2002 enamel on mirror 11180mm (diameter) est $90,000 – $120,000 price $156,200

008 Tony Fomison Perriot/Dracula

1975 – 76 oil on jute 365mm × 260mm est $80,000 – $140,000 price $114,120

002 Colin McCahon Jump E4 1973 acrylic on jute 910mm × 442mm est $250,000 – $350,000 price $303,330

004 Bill Hammond Living Large 3 1995 acrylic on paper on canvas 1990mm × 1070mm est $150,000 – $250,000 price $168,200

006 Tony Fomison Self Portrait 1975 oil on cloth on board 430mm × 495mm est $80,000 – $120,000 price $156,200

009 Don Binney Te Henga 1967 oil on canvas 500mm × 550mm est $60,000 – $80,000 price $105,110

007 C F Goldie Head of a Nubian 1896 oil on canvas 385mm × 330mm est $110,000 – $170,000 price $120,125

010 Grahame Sydney Hawkdun Moon 2004 oil on canvas 500mm × 550mm est $60,000 – $80,000 price $98,500

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Total Market

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2020

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2021 has been a challenging year. Along with lockdowns, we have had to farewell some of the enduring legends of the art world. Artists Bill Hammond and Billy Apple passed away in recent months, as did legendary Christchurch gallerist Judith Gifford. In each of these cases, extraordinary legacies have been left for us all to treasure and learn from.

It was a particular distinction for Webb’s to present a prized work from Gifford’s personal collection at our last major auction – Colin McCahon’s Jump E4. Gifford acquired the work after it was exhibited at Brooke/Gifford in 1975, and it remained hers until our sale in August. We remain humbled to have had the opportunity to represent this work on her behalf. Gifford was instrumental in developing the work and careers of a number of legendary Christchurch artists, Hammond being a shining example.

In considering important legacies, we are drawn to reflect on our own. Peter Webb was the inspiration and vision behind this company when it began. His legacy is Webb's

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New Zealanders are embracing the value of our place in the world, our stories, and our art like never before.

at the essence of the auction powerhouse that is Webb’s today. We are defining the market now, much as Peter Webb did when he established the business. We are the highest turnover auction house in New Zealand, and our business is rapidly growing. We’re making and expanding markets for new generations of artists, while raising the bar for blue-chip luminaries.

We’re driven to achieve results that change the way art is viewed, written about, and valued. We are speaking the language of today while representing timeless values in art that will be cherished for decades to come. We love art and we love telling stories that add meaning to the works we present. Presenting great art in the best possible light to the broadest possible audience is what drives us. If you have artwork that you’re considering selling, get in touch with the team at Webb’s.

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Works of Art: Entries Invited

Grahame Sydney, 2.40 Mailbag, 1974 egg tempera on board, est $80,000 – $160,000

Webb’s is inviting entries for our November Works of Art auction.

This will be our final flagship sale for 2021. Our last iteration of Works of Art grossed an eye-watering $2.4 million. We fully anticipate that we will surpass this figure in November.

Webb’s is on the rise. As we continue to raise the bar in the art market, we are expanding our business. With its important role as a cultural hub, we are establishing a permanent presence in the capital. Highlights from this auction will be shown as the inaugural exhibition at our new Wellington premises.

The market for New Zealand art has never been stronger than it is right now. This promises to be a definitive auction at a time when the market is running at fever-pitch. If you are considering selling art, now is a fantastic time. Please contact us for an appraisal of your collection.

Charles Ninow Head of Art charles@webbs.co.nz +64 21 053 6504 Webb's

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Melting Moments: Foreword

I first encountered Bill Hammond’s Melting Moments II around ten years ago. It immediately grabbed my attention.

Being a distinctive Hammond from the key late 90s era, it was always going to pique my curiosity. On closer inspection, however, it was one of those rare artworks that has both immediate appeal and the substance to reveal more and more with time.

One can get lost in the detail, in the paint runs and contrasting background washes. Each of the anthropomorphic bird-creatures has its own unique particularities: some bear eggs, some carry video equipment, two have text worked in to their figures, one paddles, another shines a torch. One of the extraordinary qualities of Hammond’s work is the way he combines so many distinct elements into a single painting, yet retains a flawlessly uncluttered and measured composition. This is much more difficult than Hammond makes it look, and Melting Moments II demonstrates this particular skill exceptionally well.

I never dreamed that I’d get the opportunity to represent this work in a sale. I have no doubt that it will go down as a personal career highlight.

Hammond is a unique figure. He was undoubtedly one of New Zealand’s greatest ever painters and his work

will still wow and thrill audiences many decades from now.

His graphic abilities as a creator of images were matched entirely by his mastery of paint – an uncommon gift. He successfully wove into his paintings important discourse about our natural history and the terrible tide of extinction that human inhabitants brought to this erstwhile kingdom of birds. In addition to this, Hammond had the even rarer quality of sustaining an output with enduring market appeal.

Hammond met great commercial success, and did so while at the peak of his artistic powers. He was creating and exhibiting until his passing earlier this year. His importance to Webb’s, to the art market in general, and to the artistic culture of Aotearoa was immense. I have a profound sense of gratitude and admiration for his contribution.

Key though it may be, Hammond’s work is only one part of this exquisite collection. There are numerous works in this catalogue that would be the standout piece in any other auction: Séraphine Pick’s Burning the Furniture, Andrew McLeod’s Interior with Pink, Liz Maw’s The Naiad, an exceptional suite of works by Robin White, and the list goes on. It would be impossible to do them all justice in summary, though many of these works are explored in depth in the pages within this catalogue.

Hammond is a unique figure. He was undoubtedly one of New Zealand’s greatest ever painters, and will still wow and thrill audiences many decades from now. His graphic abilities as a creator of images were matched entirely by his mastery of paint – an uncommon gift. He successfully wove into his paintings important discourse about our natural history and the terrible tide of extinction that human inhabitants brought to this erstwhile kingdom of birds. In addition to this, Hammond had the even rarer quality of sustaining an output with enduring market appeal.

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This is a remarkable collection of contemporary art that encapsulates the singular vision of a collector with an unsurpassed eye for great art. It reflects a certain time in the New Zealand art scene, though most especially within Wellington. Many of these works were acquired directly from the legendary Peter McLeavey Gallery. McLeavey, of course, was gifted in identifying and supporting artists with unique and significant artistic vision. His work with Hammond is the stuff of legends, though so too is his development of the exceptional talents of Liz Maw and Andrew McLeod. Both artists came into McLeavey’s stable at an early stage of their careers, and both prospered artistically and professionally.

Hamish McKay’s representation of Shane Cotton and Séraphine Pick is also significant to the development of this collection. The relationship between this collection, the gallerists of Wellington, and the artists they represent has been robust, mutually supportive, and to the benefit of all parties. The collector behind this has done a great service to the artistic culture of New Zealand with their sustained support.

Wellington’s cultural contribution to New Zealand is prodigious; this collection is testament to that fact. It is also home to many artists, collectors, art lovers and key galleries and institutions. In an important step for Webb’s as a company, we are opening a premises in the capital in November. This will consist of a gallery and office space, and will be under the leadership of Wellingtonians David Maskill and Carey Young. David and Carey both bring a wealth of experience and professionalism to their roles.

On a final note, I would like to acknowledge the extraordinary culture of excellence of the team at Webb’s.

This catalogue has been entirely produced under lockdown conditions. It has required a remarkable level of professionalism, dedication to the task, and complex problem solving under pressure to bring it into being. As you will no doubt see, it meets and exceeds Webb’s industry leading standards in publishing. — Charles Ninow Webb's

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The art department team at Webb's, left to right: Adrienne (AD) Schierning, David Maskill, Tasha Jenkins, Charles Ninow, Carey Young, Julian McKinnon and Connie Dwyer.

Charles Ninow Head of Art charles@webbs.co.nz +64 21 053 6504 37

Industry Leading Valuations Specialists Image detail from The Sang House auction, July 2021. Don Driver La Guardia No 2 , 1966, price realised $51,053.

With the dramatic shifts and spikes in value we have seen in the art market recently, it is important to keep insurance cover of your collection up to date. There is no time like right now to revisit the value of your cultural assets. At Webb’s we have the team to assist with all aspects of your collection management.

Webb’s is very pleased to welcome Charles Tongue as our new Valuations Specialist. Charles has a broad knowledge of New Zealand and international art. He comes to us from Vernon Systems where he has been assisting collectors and Webb's

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museums globally with collection management systems.

This follows 15 years managing commercial art galleries in Auckland. We would love to hear from you and assist you with a valuation, or any aspect of collection management that you require.

Charles Tongue Valuations Specialist valuations@webbs.co.nz +64 22 406 5514 38

Programme Wellington Preview Wednesday 13 October

6pm - 8pm

Wellington Viewing Thursday 14 October

10am - 6pm

Friday 15 October

10am - 6pm

Saturday 16 October

10am - 4pm

Auckland Preview Wednesday 20 October

6pm - 8pm

Auckland Viewing

Wellington Viewing Level 1 39 Ghuznee Street Te Aro Wellington 6011

Thursday 21 October

10am - 5pm

Friday 22 October

10am - 5pm

Saturday 23 October

10am - 4pm

Sunday 24 October

10am - 4pm

Monday 25 October

10am - 4pm

Tuesday 26 October

10am - 5pm

Wednesday 27 October

10am - 5pm

Auckland Viewing

Auction

Webb’s Gallery 33a Normanby Rd Mount Eden Auckland 1024 Webb's

Thursday 28 October 2021

6.30pm 39

List of Essays Richard Killeen To Just Be What You Are

By Tasha Jenkins Andrew McLeod A Magpie of Iconography

By Megan Shaw Joe Sheehan Set in Stone

By Julian McKinnon Liz Maw A Mysterious Dusting

By Natasha Conland Matt Hunt The Eternal Nightmare of Hades

By Julian McKinnon Mitch Cairns Draught (game)

By Charles Ninow

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Bill Hammond Arabesque Across the Surface

By David Maskill

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80-82

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Brent Harris Towards the Unknown

By Victoria Munn

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60-62

Séraphine Pick Burning the Furniture

By David Maskill

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Robin White The Land Beneath Her Feet

By Neil Talbot

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Linde Ivimey St Hippolytus

By Neil Talbot

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Laith McGregor The Passing of Time

By Samantha Taylor

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Brendon Wilkinson Half asleep she climbed up from beneath the canopy

By Christie Simpson

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Tim Maguire Untitled

By Olivia Taylor

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Shane Cotton Convertibles

By AD Schierning

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Fiona Pardington Ruru Perfect Prince

By Connie Dwyer

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Plates

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1 Richard Killeen

Living & Dying 1979 oil on paper signed Killeen, dated 10 12 79 and inscribed Living & Dying in graphite lower edge 570 x 390mm est $6,500 — $7,500 Provenance Acquired from Page Galleries, Wellington.

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2 Robin White

Bare Hill Paremata 2 c1969 watercolour on paper signed Robin White, dated c.1969 and inscribed Paremata 2 in ink verso 300 x 210mm (image size) est $12,000 — $18,000 Provenance Acquired from McLeavey Gallery, Wellington.

Literature Alister Taylor Robin White New Zealand Painter (Martinborough: Alister Taylor, 1981), 75.

3 Peter Robinson

untitled 1996 oil and bitumen on paper 700 x 500mm est $15,000 — $20,000 Provenance Acquired from Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, 1996.

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4 André Hemer

SP_IRL#1 2017 acrylic and pigment on canvas signed André Hemer, dated 2017 and inscribed SP_IRL#1 in graphite verso 1000 x 700mm est $12,000 — $18,000 Provenance Acquired from Bartley and Company Art, Wellington, 2017.

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Exhibitions Small Paintings IRL, Bartley and Company Art Wellington, 2017.

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5 Richard Killeen

Regeneration 2006 powdercoated aluminium, 8/8 signed Killeen, dated 2006 and inscribed Regeneration 8/8 in brushpoint verso 830 x 528mm est $12,000 — $18,000 Provenance Acquired from Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2006.

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Exhibitions Catcher, Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2006.

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Richard Killeen – To Just Be What You Are Essay by TASHA JENKINS

While seeming impersonal, Killeen’s signs, symbols and patterns examine the time and place in which they were made.

The beauty of these three works is the visual simplicity that allows the viewer to find a multitude of meanings. It is fitting that Killeen seems to encourage the viewer, and perhaps his work, to just “be what you are”.

Richard Killeen’s precise paintings have permeated since the late 1960s. His iconic cut-outs, layered collages and graphic symbols are instantly recognisable. Moving from colourful domestic scenes to abstract monotone patterns to digital collage, Killeen has consistently maintained his unique bold and bright sensibility.

Killeen was born and raised in Epsom and attended Elam School of Fine Arts where he trained under Colin McCahon. He began his artistic career in the 1960s painting realistic depictions of everyday scenes, using flattened forms and strong colours. In the 1970s Killeen began to incorporate more graphic symbols and Pacific-inspired abstract forms, in works such as his Comb series. Following this, he came to the forms he is known for and dispensed with the traditional pictorial frame entirely. Through their use of abstraction, symbols and existence outside the frame, Killeen’s works become unique objects that seem to question, rather than directly depict, the world around us.

After his time at art school Killeen worked as a signwriter, which seems to have influenced the bold shapes, patterns and symbols within his paintings. Be What You Are (1978, Lot 6), the earliest work of the trio within this catalogue, presents Killeen at his finest: clean, contrasting colour and bold shapes. The black-and-white triangular pattern is borrowed from a Sāmoan siapo design and creates almost windmilllike forms. By repeating the shapes in the same fashion as a siapo but changing the medium, the work creates new meanings while still acknowledging the Sāmoan design. The Webb's

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craftsmanship of making and painting tapa cloth is inherently laborious and can be seen in the physicality of the material.

In contrast, Killeen’s meticulously painted triangles negate any obvious mark of the maker, instead focusing on colour, shape and form.

The year 1978 was also when Killeen made his first cutout works, the painted aluminium shapes arranged across a wall that he is now well known for. Given the distinction between these works and Be What You Are, it is obvious that Killeen was comfortable experimenting with abstraction and figuration concurrently—sometimes within a single work, and sometimes entirely separately. The two exist together in the oil on paper work Living and Dying (Lot 1), made only one year later in 1979. Triangular forms are present here again, in red, but combined with a silhouette of a butterfly. These stencil-like shapes and careful arrangement of forms are key elements within Killeen’s visual lexicon. In Regeneration (Lot 5), made in 2006, the butterfly shape is joined by a fish, leaf and another triangle. Harking back to Be What You Are, the work is again rendered in simple black and white—perhaps giving another meaning to the word regeneration.

While seeming impersonal, Killeen’s signs, symbols and patterns examine the time and place in which they were made. The beauty of these three works is the visual simplicity that allows the viewer to find a multitude of meanings. It is fitting that Killeen seems to encourage the viewer, and perhaps his work, to just “be what you are”.

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6 Richard Killeen

Be What You Are 1978 acrylic and lacquer on aluminum signed Killeen, dated 1978 and inscribed No755 Be What You Are in ink verso 900 x 900mm est $22,000 — $32,000 Provenance Acquired from McLeavey Gallery, Wellington.

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7 Gordon Walters

Karaka 1979 screenprint on paper, artist’s proof signed Gordon Walters, dated 1979 and inscribed Karaka Artists Proof in graphite lower edge 510 x 400mm

8 Gordon Walters

Kura 1982 screenprint on paper, artist’s proof III signed Gordon Walters, dated 1982 and inscribed Kura Artists Proof III in graphite lower edge 750 x 560mm

est $18,000 — $26,000

est $18,000 — $26,000

Provenance Acquired from Starkwhite, Auckland.

Provenance Acquired from Starkwhite, Auckland.

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9 Andrew McLeod

Whakaaro 1999 oil on canvas signed A McLeod and inscribed Whakaaro in brushpoint verso 1300 x 800mm est $12,000 — $22,000 Provenance Acquired from Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 1999.

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Literature Andrew McLeod, Andrew McLeod (North Carolina: lulu, 2013), 9.

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Andrew McLeod – A Magpie of Iconography Essay by MEGAN SHAW

1 Damian Skinner and Aaron Lister, Split Level View Finder: Theo Schoon and New Zealand Art, (City Gallery Wellington: 2019), 14

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Driven by the delight and depth of images rather than by fashion, Andrew McLeod plucks his iconography and eclectic influences from the corners of visual culture.

Collecting, indexing, and reassembling images in his paintings, he works deftly in both representation and abstraction. The three significant paintings presented here are highlights of McLeod’s prolific practice.

Painted just a year after his graduation from Elam, Whakaaro (1999, Lot 9) is part of the Camowhaiwhai series that boosted McLeod’s early career. Combining camouflage and Māori kōwhaiwhai patterns, McLeod riffs off Theo Schoon and Gordon Walters in the postmodern context of appropriation. Whakaaro is highly considered in both motif and construction. A Camowhaiwhai (1999) work on paper in the Chartwell Collection shows McLeod’s process of mapping out the pattern and proceeding with a paint-by-numbers approach. While McLeod returned to the camowhaiwhai motif again around 2009, Whakaaro belongs to the original series. They were recently described as inserting themselves “into the problematic cultural space [that] Schoon’s works pried open with a more acceptable self-awareness and irony.” 1 The cross-cultural tensions, criticisms and possibilities of Schoon and Walters have since been explored by McLeod across many media, including kōwhaiwhai carpets made for Auckland Airport and Government House in Wellington.

From the Inner Light (2007, Lot 11) is a visual feast in lucid colour. It embodies McLeod’s interest in wondrous imagery, and lots of it. A felled tree decorated with baubles of festive fruit and new growth rises at the centre of the composition. A nude woman curls up on its right bough, while a small lamb sleeps on the back of a sunbathing figure.

McLeod includes single flames as recurring ornaments across the picture to highlight elements of his assemblage: a lamb standing on a plush couch, a basket, a toy car, an empty chair, and an extinguished birthday candle. Influenced in part by the cut-out work of Richard Killeen, this phantasmagorical assemblage would look at home in the travelling surrealist exhibition on display at Te Papa Tongarewa. The more we look, the more we see. Stairs lead to nowhere, a hawk carries a fire on its back and a mosquito feasts on a discarded dinner. Moths and butterflies flutter in space, watched by bats, birds, a rabbit and a caterpillar. The painted vegetables are particularly enchanting. The partially sliced pumpkin, cabbage, melons and Brussels sprouts build on the tradition of Northern Renaissance market scenes by Joachim Beuckelaer and Nathaniel Bacon.

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10 Andrew McLeod

Interior with Pink 2011 oil on canvas signed A McLeod and dated 11 in brushpoint lower right 1200 x 1600mm est $35,000 — $55,000 Provenance Acquired from Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2011.

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Literature Andrew McLeod, Andrew McLeod (North Carolina: lulu, 2013), 154.

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This painting is a large-scale cornucopia offering abundance, rebirth, precarity and dreaming, much like the Garden of Eden. This work is, of course, an exquisite exercise opposing the modernist motto “Less is more”. McLeod was awarded a McCahon House Residency in 2007, and the proliferation of green recalls the Titirangi bush. The bold colour, complex and quirky iconography, tight technique, and alluring light prove McLeod’s skill and understanding of visual culture.

McLeod’s modern history painting Interior with Pink (2011, Lot 10) is a cultural conversation that draws upon his encyclopaedic influences. The foreground is a tribute to thousands of years of art history, journeying from Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome to the British Arts and Crafts movement of which the artist is so fond. Two angels battle with serpents while the Egyptian Horus illuminates a collage of the natural world that dominates the painting. A wooden chest opens to reveal a blooming tulip, a curious item of blue furniture supports a tall spout or flue that dissects the composition. On the right, a classical bronze figure is poised to shoot an arrow, a heron carries a staff, and a PreRaphaelite woman teeters above a plush armchair, tenderly reaching to pluck a flower. A bird flies towards us, adding an element of surprise. The title Interior with Pink suggests that the background is a vibrant retro wallpaper, but a keen eye will notice McLeod’s transfiguration of the Māori koru. Indeed, while his early work was highly influenced

by Schoons’ and Walters’ abstraction and appropriation of Māori motifs, McLeod’s interest is clearly longstanding.

In this accomplished painting an optical illusion is created with the abstracted koru bars, forming a graphic blocked background. The blocked rather than rounded bars are architecturally inspired, referencing another of McLeod’s influences.

Andrew McLeod’s reputation as a leading figurative and abstract artist is recognised by his presence in significant art collections, including Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, the Chartwell Collection, Te Papa Tongarewa, the University of Auckland and the National Gallery of Victoria. He received the National Drawing Award in 2004, a McCahon House Residency in 2007, a New Zealand Arts Foundation Award for Patronage in 2010, and is the inaugural recipient of the Gullies Art Residency for 2022.

Driven by the delight and depth of images rather than by fashion, Andrew McLeod plucks his iconography and eclectic influences from the corners of visual culture. Collecting, indexing and reassembling images in his paintings, he works deftly in both representation and abstraction.

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11 Andrew McLeod

From the Inner light 2007 oil on canvas signed A McLeod and dated 2009 in brushpoint lower right 1800 x 2000mm est $45,000 — $65,000

Exhibitions Ocean, Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2009.

Provenance Acquired from Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2009.

Literature Andrew McLeod, Andrew McLeod (North Carolina: lulu, 2013), 95.

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12 Jake Walker

untitled 2016 oil, aluminium and metal tacks on linen, glazed stoneware frame signed JW and dated 2016 with incision right edge 490 x 490mm (widest points)

13 Toss Woollaston

Blackball 1962 watercolour on paper signed Woollaston in ink lower right; inscribed Toss Woollaston Blackball, 1962 1254/1081 on label affixed verso 275 x 380mm

est $4,500 — $6,500 Provenance Acquired from Hamish McKay Gallery, Wellington, 2017.

est $5,000 — $8,000

Exhibitions The Turps, Hamish McKay Gallery, Wellington, 2017.

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Provenance Acquired from Page Galleries, Wellington.

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14 Kushana Bush

Red Cheek 2011 gouache and graphite on paper signed Kushana Bush, dated 2011 and inscribed ‘Red Cheek’ From All Things to All Men in graphite verso 760 x 560mm

15 Kushana Bush

Pinched End Motion 2009 gouache and graphite on paper signed Kushana Bush and dated 2009 in graphite verso 760 x 560mm

est $5,000 — $8,000

est $5,000 — $8,000

Provenance Acquired from Brett McDowell Gallery, Dunedin, 2011.

Provenance Acquired from Brett McDowell Gallery, Dunedin, 2009.

Exhibitions All Things To All Men, Hocken Gallery, Dunedin, 2012, The Pah Homestead TSB Wallace Arts Centre, Auckland, 2012.

Exhibitions Ready to Roll, City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi, Wellington, 2010.

Literature Kushana Bush, All Things To All Men: Kushana Bush (Dunedin: University of Otago, 2012).

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Notes A copy of Kushana Bush, All Things To All Men: Kushana Bush (Dunedin: University of Otago, 2012) is included.

Literature Ready to Roll, (Wellington: City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi, 2010), 5.

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Joe Sheehan – Set in Stone Essay by JULIAN MCKINNON

Stone carving often comes with a sense of dead-set seriousness, as if it bears monumental consequence. To an extent, this is warranted; carved stone can endure for millennia. Though from a cosmological perspective, millennia are fleeting increments of time—“why so serious?” one may well ask. Sheehan’s work manages to reconcile these polarities. It carries gravitas though retains some conviviality at the same time.

The mineral crust of the earth is largely comprised of rocky material. Such matter has been shaped by vast and powerful forces over countless millenia—heat, pressure, time, gravity, entropy. The nett effect of deep time and geological processes is a material that is inert, weighty, and inflexible.

For all this static density, Joe Sheehan breathes life into stone. He gives it an appearance of malleability, shaping it as if it were soft and pliable. The apparent ease with which he does this can be attributed to a masterful level of skill.

Stone carving often comes with a sense of dead-set seriousness, as if it bears monumental consequence. To an extent, this is warranted; carved stone can endure for millenia. Though from a cosmological perspective, millenia are fleeting increments of time —“why so serious?” one may well ask. Sheehan’s work manages to reconcile these polarities. It carries gravitas though retains some conviviality at the same time. He achieves this effect in part through replicating everyday objects in stone, rather than the material typical to that object. One could call this a re-presentation of form, or mimesis.

This text addresses three works, each of which navigates material and mimesis in subtly different ways. The Quick and the Dead (Lot 17) is comprised of a substantial number of carved stone objects. Each piece is in some way modelled on a remote control, or console, though all are unique. Carved from an assortment of greywacke, basalt, and argillite, they directly reference Neolithic adzes and hand tools. This sits in contrast to the representation of contemporary electronic devices. The objects are mimetically convincing to the point that one might almost expect functionality. Nevertheless, their materiality is Webb's

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evident in areas of coarse chipped and unworked stone. The crafting of the materials give some the appearance of broken or weathered plastic whilst others appear as if they’ve been unearthed in a futuristic archaeological dig. In that sense the work seems out of time.

This intentional anachronistic effect is a vein that runs through Sheehan’s practice. In the case of 1lb (Lot 60), the object has the appearance of an old-fashioned scale weight.

The imperial measurement adds to the retro effect. The material, however, speaks to a different past. It is made of pounamu, which carries associations of tangata whenua and the pre-colonial era. In the beguiling simplicity of this object, there is a layered historical reading. There is ample room for subjective interpretation.

Bracelet and Key (Lot 16) is stone, shaped as a single handcuff, with metal adornments and a standalone key. The work is rendered in nephrite jade, minerally the same as pounamu, along with silver, brass and steel. The finish on this work is very fine, as though a jeweller might have made it. The titling of the work as a bracelet furthers this affectation of adornment, but that the object is shaped as a handcuff inverts this reading. Such subtle plays of contrasting meaning are at the core of the conceptual terrain Sheehan so nimbly inhabits.

These works presented together offer a compelling look in to the practice of an artist with a unique voice. His works offer a high level of crafsmanship and thoughtprovoking conceptual nuance. Sheehan gives shape to stone, presenting timeless forms that will hold meaning for generations and perhaps eons.

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16 Joe Sheehan

Bracelet and Key 2014–15 nephrite jade, silver, brass and steel 90 x 30 x 150mm (widest points) est $7,500 — $12,500 Provenance Acquired from Fingers Contemporary New Zealand Jewellery, Auckland, 2015.

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17 Joe Sheehan

The Quick and the Dead 2013 carved basalt 500 x 940 x 140mm (overall)

Exhibitions Tim Meville Gallery, Auckland Art Fair, Auckland, 2013.

Literature Anna-Marie White, ‘The Quick and the Dead: Recent Work by Joe Sheehan’, Art New Zealand 148, Summer 2013–14, 72; Julian McKinnon, ‘Sci-Fi Sheehan’, Eye-contact, 20 August 2013; Anna Marie White, Statement of Intent, TauākĪ Whakamaunga atu Arts Council of New Zealand.

est $25,000 — $35,000 Provenance Acquired from Tim Melville Gallery, Auckland, 2013.

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Liz Maw – A Mysterious Dusting Essay by NATASHA CONLAND

In the quiet areas of Liz Maw’s paintings, you will still find mysterious dusting—secret droplets, beads, shadows, stardust. It creeps into the shadows or sensitive parts of the body, hands, or soles of the feet, across something seemingly banal as a piece of driftwood, or highlights a concentrated area of symbology. It could be erotic, the dusting itself is sensitive, caressing, even sensual as it demarcates something more than life.

In 2006 I began work towards an exhibition of contemporary

art that would centre around why and how artists were returning to the subject of mysticism. I called it Mystic Truths. It was born out of conversations I was having with artists elsewhere, about the revival of interest in the esoteric, in the mise-en-scéne of wonder and the out-of-ordinary, even as it related to conceptual art. In Auckland I reflected on Liz Maw’s still unique contemporary iconographic paintings that had made their way almost surreptitiously into the hands of private collectors with very little public exposure.

Maw had only graduated from art school at Elam in 2002, but she had been an artist for some time. She used her time at Elam to hone what was mostly a self-taught version of realism assumed to be photographic, with nearly achromatic painted images of jewelled, ethereal figures in oil on bare board, over which she applied layers of oil in tiny droplets, which had other decorative and symbolic functions.

Rather than engaging with the technological interests of photorealism, it was clear that Maw was interested in the illusionistic world of the early Renaissance or, more precisely, the simpler tonal modelling and shallow background more typical of the traditions of icon painting. But the sitters and their tropes were entirely contemporary. Her painted figures emerged from their dark exteriors like image transfers on a band t-shirt, with that same heady mixture of fandom and unique collectability, but they were also fine and precious.

Her work stood out for its illusory other-world order. The subjects were fiery with symbolism and sexuality, and at the time observers linked the oppositional forces in the paintings to the dualities inherent in the Catholicism of her upbringing.

The symbology was assumed to be religious to the mostly agnostic audience, and certainly pictorial references were there for the initiated. Her final-year presentation was set up like an altar, but it could also have been the small confines of the studio spaces in the mansions; irrespective of this decision, the paintings and their long germination period were gaining auratic effects. To me, Maw’s paintings make more sense if you align them with her supplementary life as a poet.

Remembering that for many people an artist’s life begins in the public face, I will say that I first met Maw before

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18 Liz Maw

Two Afghan Women

and Miss Egypt 2006 2010 oil on board signed Liz Maw, dated 10 and inscribed Two Afghan Women and Miss Egypt 2006 by E Maw in ink verso 400 x 250mm est $12,000 — $16,000 Webb's

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Provenance Acquired from Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, 2010.

Exhibitions evil genius miscellaneous Lover of Judas, Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, 2010.

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she was an artist. I knew her as a poet and a waitress in the mid-1990s, when she worked and sometimes read, at an outof-time café in Grey Lynn called Gerhard’s. It was a cafe that would have been more at home elsewhere. Gerhard’s was a coffee lounge influenced by its German owner/chef with a Jewish New York music ensemble on Sundays (steered by Hershal Herscher from the Jews Brothers Band). It attracted the homeless, the hungover and those people who wanted more difference to the otherwise dull back end of Grey Lynn before its renovation project. If this story seems irrelevant, I mention it only because in my mind it charts an entry into art that characterises Maw and uniquely sets her course. Just as poetry uses few words to pull powerful associations together, and in those few sentences opens thought crevasses which resonate off the page, Maw has chosen an established visual language much of which was refined some hundreds of years ago to link characters from life and popular culture with imperceptible mysterious powers and possibilities.

With mostly self-learned technique she traces her way back into the past, taking her contemporaries with her, fusing these life portraits with a hybrid of iconographic traditions. As I wrote in the Mystic Truths catalogue entry on the paintings from this period, ‘The people in her portraits are hybrids of living and symbolic characters, already part this world and part another universal order. She finesses them with techniques drawn from the displaced traditions of kitsch realism, pop culture and symbolism—drafting contemporary icons from life and affording them surreal affect. Although they are mostly universalised, her subjects are also friends, a lover, and figures she admires, who are distilled down, then offered up again to myth, to the material of religious story, and to archetypal matter, some of her own invention.’

In some ways the paintings are like private tributes to the ways in which everyday people take on the magnetism of the sacred in our era. Maw’s selection of her subjects is not due to their good actions, but because of their ability to absorb and hold our interest. In The Naiad (2006, Lot 19), Maw takes the young art school graduate, musician and once girlfriend to an artist in her Gallery’s stable and paints her gaze low and strongly resting on the viewer. She is transformed into a mermaid, a representative of the mythical figures of rivers, springs and waterfalls, inside a plastic H2Go drink bottle. In the detailed painted beading above her head sits a flowing translucent halo of the ancient sacred figures from religious texts. The painting could be read as an exercise in rendering translucency and light. There are parts that feel deliberately fake, her blueish glowing skin and hair (in addition to her tail).

Yet in this and other paintings Maw undoubtedly captures the shadow of the person in a way that is distinctly uncanny, like early photographers who were thought to steal the spirit of their sitter. Unlike the orthodox icons which were intended as archetypes, or copies that would allow private worship in the home or on the street, Maw’s figures are eerily individualised. She emphasizes the craft of painting in the age of easy mechanical reproduction, but also the power of imbued fantasy.

In the quiet areas of Liz Maw’s paintings, you will still find mysterious dusting—secret droplets, beads, shadows, stardust. It creeps into the shadows or sensitive parts of the body, hands, or soles of the feet, across something seemingly banal as a piece of driftwood, or highlights a concentrated area of symbology. It could be erotic, the dusting itself is sensitive, caressing, even sensual as it demarcates something more than life. It’s a way of using the pleasure of paint to generate fantasy, to give things an extraordinary glow.

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19 Liz Maw

The Naiad 2006 oil on board 2280 x 1080mm

Exhibitions Young David Attenborough and The Naiad, Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2007.

Literature Liz Maw, My Beloved Hackneyed: Paintings and Poetry (Auckland: L Maw, 2008).

est $95,000 — $135,000 Provenance Acquired from Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2007.

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Notes A copy of Liz Maw, My Beloved Hackneyed: Paintings and Poetry (Auckland: L Maw, 2008) signed by the artist is included.

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20 Liz Maw

Untitled 2016 oil on board signed Liz Maw and dated 2016 in ink verso 435 x 325mm est $12,000 — $16,000 Exhibitions Sam and Dani, Debi’s Secret and The Future is Not What it Used to Be, Robert Heald Gallery, Wellington, 2016.

Provenance Acquired from Robert Heald Gallery, Wellington, 2016.

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21 Liz Maw

Pilgrims 2013 oil on board signed Liz Maw dated 2013 and inscribed Pilgrims in ink verso 580 x 540mm (widest points) est $12,000 — $16,000 Provenance Acquired from Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2013.

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Exhibitions Pandora Rides the Noon Day Demon and I Feel Sorry for You, No, I Really Do, Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2013.

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Matt Hunt – The Eternal Nightmare of Hades Essay by JULIAN MCKINNON Matt Hunt’s fantastical paintings occupy their own unique genre. In the open-ended visual lexicon of today, with all of its internet-inflected mash-up mentality, pretty much anything goes. One could go so far as to argue that within current painting practice traditional conventions do not apply.

Nevertheless, Hunt’s work is so imaginative and specific that it seems to sit outside the norms of the anything-goes present, as if originating from a parallel dimension. He presents luminous cities, spacecraft, depictions of heavens and hells, flying cars and creatures. Glimpses of damnation and eternal bliss, radiant beings, crucifixions and demons are all part of his visual repertoire. His work combines a refined technical skill with something of a cartoonish stylisation. The outcome is dense in its narrative, presenting a visual story that is both recognisable and enigmatic.

Hunt’s work often explores themes of extraterrestrial life and biblical judgement. Realms of light and darkness both appear; sometimes, these planes meet within a single canvas. The Eternal Nightmare of Hades (Lot 22), however, is nothing but hellscape. Mountains spew forth lava, a river of fire flows across the picture plane, fissures in the ground erupt with magma and flame. A lake of fire in the background is patrolled by a gun-toting boat. This sets the scene for the torments being inflicted upon the damned. One is devoured by serpents, another staked in the eye while being pushed into a fire pool. One, in the most obvious detail of the painting, is slow-roasted over coals on a spit. An armoured reptoid figure with a knife, attends to the roasting, while a plaque proclaims ‘Slow Burn 500 years’. Others are steamrolled, bashed, butchered, boiled, cast into the river of fire, and so on.

Among the tortured souls, some lament their plight. “If only I wasn’t so rigid in my theories! But they were scientifically proven,” exclaims a figure, half buried in the rocky ground.

Hunt’s eternal nightmare is a mashup of a biblical hell one might encounter in a rendering of Dante’s Inferno, a Hieronymus Bosch painting or a sci-fi, spiritual conspiracy theory in a rampant online community. One such plot posits that the world is controlled by a clandestine group of reptilian aliens, who hover in the shadows. Here, such beings are reimagined as agents of Hades, deceiving humans on earth into eternal damnation. At the top of the canvas, Hunt has painted the following in his distinctive lettering: “The Eternal Nightmare of Hades: Movements between the gates of Hell & Earth has never been busier. Evil alien fallen spirits move to and fro, deceiving the earth and then back to collect their soul bonus in Hades!” Two portals appear in the sky, through one the damned are falling, into the realm of their eternal torment. The other appears as a passage for spacecraft to pass through – perhaps the aforementioned evil fallen aliens on their busy to and fro between realms.

The cartoonish nature of the painting, along with its subject matter, is reminiscent of cautionary tales from biblical outlets published as small comic books. Though Hunt’s fantastical, imaginative take on the whole notion of hell is entirely of his own visual language. One can reach for meaning within this work, questioning whether Hunt wants the viewer to interpret a sense of caution at the prospect of eternal damnation. Or, perhaps, he intends a playful take on subject matter common through the history of art. Whatever its message, it is an unforgettable painting.

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22 Matt Hunt

The Eternal Nightmare of Hades 2009 oil on canvas inscribed The Eternal Nightmare of Hades in brushpoint upper left 2400 x 1200mm est $35,000 — $55,000

Exhibitions Ready to Roll, City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi, Wellington, 2010.

Provenance Acquired from Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, 2009.

Literature Ready to Roll, (Wellington: City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi: 2010), 11; Art News New Zealand, Spring 2009, 33.

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Mitch Cairns – Draught (game) Essay by CHARLES NINOW

Draught (game) is a picture of a chess board. It’s also a picture of a grid. And grids have a special place in the art-historical cannon. When a renaissance painter wanted to transfer one of their drawings to canvas, they did it with a grid. They broke the image into sections and redrew it one piece at a time. The grid is also the backbone of abstract painting. From De Stijl to minimalism to op art, it’s always been there. Looming in the background. Draught (game) is comment on the history and tradition of painting. It addresses the subject from many angles. It’s an assemblage of wry references that ricochet off one-another.

1 Wingdings is a typeface that comes pre-installed with Microsoft Word. It’s comprised of symbols rather than the English alphabet.

2 Interview published by Art Gallery of New South Wales, 31 Oct 2017. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=NZOCh290sqA 3 An art movement from early 20th century. It’s key proponent was Piet Mondrian.

4 An art movement that started in the 1960s.

It included American painters like Agnes Martin, Donald Judd and Sol Le Witt.

5 Another art movement that started in the 1960s.

It’s key proponents are Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely.

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I first became aware of Mitch Cairns around 2012. His output was really varied at the time. Some of his paintings were hard-edged geometric abstractions and some of them were figurative. They all had a similar feel and shared a duochromatic palette—yellow and blue.

The abstract paintings looked like they were assembled from wingdings characters 1. The figurative ones depicted characters that could have been from a Waddington’s board game. Cairns’ work from this era confused me. It was also mesmerising. I could not stop thinking about it. His practice has moved on a lot since then, and so has his career. He won the esteemed Archibald Prize in 2016. For that, he received $100,000. This purse makes it one of Australia’s richest art awards.

Why did I mention Cairns early work? Well, because an artist’s early work says a lot about them. When Cairns describes his painting process, it sounds a lot like a game.

“Painting works for me because it’s very simple, I just have to fill in the frame. That’s the limitation and I enjoy limitations.

For me, the painting process is just about trying to clarify something within the frame” 2 . I was very surprised to learn that Cairns makes his paintings freehand. There’s no masking tape involved in his clean lines. His artworks look pre-planned but they’re not. Cairns starts his paintings by laying down a few gestural marks. He works and elaborates on these marks until he has an image.

Draught (game) (Lot 23) is a picture of a chess board.

It’s also a picture of a grid. And grids have a special place in the art-historical cannon. When a renaissance painter wanted to transfer one of their drawings to canvas, they did it with a grid. They broke the image into sections and redrew it one piece at a time. The grid is also the backbone of abstract painting. From De Stijl 3 to minimalism 4 to op art 5 , it’s always been there. Looming in the background. Draught (game) is comment on the history and tradition of painting. It addresses the subject from many angles. It’s an assemblage of wry references that ricochet off one-another.

To me, Cairns communicates in a similar way to pop artists like Ed Ruscha and Andy Warhol. Draught (game) is not just a painting about painting. Its slick and polished and it acts as a mirror to the real world. Life is full of rules. It’s full of traditions too. When you navigate your way through the life, you’re navigating around these structures. Draught (game) offers a playful commentary on contemporary living.

It simple but it says a lot. It’s Cairns at his very best.

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23 Mitch Cairns

Draught (game) 2017 oil on linen 1550 x 1400mm est $15,000 — $20,000 Provenance Acquired from The Commercial, Sydney, 2017.

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Exhibitions Grounded: Contemporary Australian Art, NAS Gallery, Sydney, 2017.

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Brendon Wilkinson – Half Asleep She Climbed up from Beneath the Canopy Essay by CHRISTIE SIMPSON Brendon Wilkinson (born 1974), like his contemporary Andrew McLeod, is an artist with a baroque archaeological interest in the way capitalism and culture are intimately entangled in the modern world. Better known for his meticulous miniature dioramas, Wilkinson gained a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Elam School of Fine Arts in 1998 and has exhibited throughout Aotearoa. His works combine realistic figurative elements with saturated colours and textures to create dream-like surrealist scenes. Wilkinson’s paintings are wild interpretations of the modern world, grasping at threads of understanding and offering a fresh interpretation of contemporary culture.

Half Asleep She Climbed up from Beneath the Canopy (2007, Lot 24) is a complicated maze of natural and manufactured sci-fi forms. The colours ebb and flow over the canvas and envelope the partially clothed female figure in the foreground. Indeed, this ghostly, pale figure seems to be semi-transparent; she fades into the background with her legs and lower body beginning to blend in with the highly patterned painting she sits within. She fades and morphs into the composition, growing into the background. Her clothing is comprised of plant-like purple tendrils that creep over her naked form. Over the woman’s head hovers a headdress that appears as a beacon, perhaps of knowledge, or power, or something even more desirable. All these elements combine to create a bold, colourful work that riffs off the aesthetic of 1970s album-cover art. There are spirit-like wisps of light that depict movement, evocative of an imagined future world or the setting of Tron. The work reads as though the organic plant or sea life in the lower left is morphing into the futuristic realm that dominates the upper right of the composition.

With two worlds colliding, our figure’s gaze is contemplative but highly alert, she seems to sense danger on the horizon that she looks out towards.

The imagined scene, like many of Wilkinson’s works, oscillates between the dystopian and utopian worlds. His paintings regularly include magpie-like arrangements of symbols, icons and adornments. The larger works often feature a barren city or landscape, with crumbling buildings and debris. Together these elements create an image of a once-lavish, ideal world that has now fallen—perhaps corrupted by a needy capitalist society. In this work, the densely purple tones and undefinable shapes offer intrigue, and jellyfish dance across the picture plane between worlds.

Half Asleep She Climbed up from Beneath the Canopy is a psychedelic symphony, a science-fiction musing of a fantastic future.

Half Asleep She Climbed up from Beneath the Canopy (2007, Lot 24) is a complicated maze of natural and manufactured sci-fi forms. The colours ebb and flow over the canvas and envelope the partially clothed female figure in the foreground.

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24 Brendon Wilkinson

Half Asleep She Climbed up

From Beneath the Canopy 2007 oil on canvas 2100 x 2000mm est $30,000 — $40,000 Provenance Acquired from Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2007.

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Exhibitions Hexon Cusp, Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2007; Decade at Aratoi Museum of Art and History, Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History, Masterton, 2010.

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25 André Hemer

Sky Painting #3 (Evening) 2018 acrylic and pigment on canvas signed André Hemer, dated 2018 and inscribed Sky Painting #3 (evening) in graphite verso 1850 x 1300mm

26 Darryn George

Pukapuka #3 2007 oil on canvas signed Darryn George, dated 2007 and inscribed Pukapuka #3 ink verso, Gow Langsford Gallery label affixed verso 1015 x 1520mm est $12,000 — $18,000

est $20,000 — $30,000 Provenance Acquired from Coma Gallery, Sydney, 2018.

Provenance Acquired from Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland, 2008.

Exhibitions The Imagist & The Materialist, Coma Gallery, Sydney, 2018.

Exhibitions Pukapuka, Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland, 2008.

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Tim Maguire – Untitled Essay by OLIVIA TAYLOR

"Painting to me is a delicate interplay between control and randomness."1 — Tim Maguire.

1 New Castle Art Gallery. EVERYTHING CHANGES: Tim Maguire 2002–2017. Exhibiton Catalogue. 18 November 2017 – 18 Feburary 2018.

2 Jennifer Meagher. "Botanical Imagery in European Painting". August, 2007. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ hd/bota/hd_bota.htm

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This untitled work from 2004, evidently portraying an amaryllis flower, is a succulent layering of honey blooms that portrays the analytical accuracy of Tim Maguire’s ability to render the organic. Grainy in its production, the flower is still, locked in time like an over-saturated photograph. Set upon a shadowy black background, the charged, vibrant arcs of the flower disappear beyond the canvas as if cropped by the constraints of a viewfinder. The artist is at play here, confidently blending the outputs of the digital with analogue reproductions of oil paint and solvents.

Maguire was born in the United Kingdom in 1958. He has studied across the globe, notably at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Germany. Maguire won the Moët et Chandon Scholarship in 1993, allowing him full immersion into the French artistic milieu, where he exhibited and practised painting for a decade before returning to the UK. Maguire now works predominantly in Australia.

Early in his career Maguire investigated replication, reproduction and simulacra. His means of retrieving subject matter was collecting tiny cuttings from postcards and images of Dutch seventeenth century master paintings— such as vanitas—that told stories of time, distance and mortality. These reproduced images are the only way for many to experience and engage with the original paintings, themselves replications of the original flower. The infinite layers of reimagination, time and history marry aptly into Maguire’s technical practice, in which he layers colour rapidly, racing against the clock to apply fluid glazes of paint and solvent to the wet surface, causing unpredictable but striking results.

During the 1990s digital photography became widely accessible, encouraging Maguire to move away from the master paintings to produce his own subject matter, captured with a camera. Hue, exposure, contrast and the super-macro lens are elements that can be manipulated by the artist when selecting specific digital controls.

Maguire’s interventions of these controls, paired with large-scale canvases, pushes the natural subject towards abstraction. The viewer loses the sense of true resolution and form, the subject is obscured, leaving only fundamental pictorial elements of line and composition that are formal considerations of painting practice. Maguire combines these techniques with reference to printing processes that separate colour into three core components: magenta, cyan and yellow. After layering each colour, Maguire applies turpentine directly onto wet paint, agitating the surface and pigments to morph into inadvertent separations.

Flowers are significant subjects for artistic expression as they are historically allegorical. Different meanings are attributed to flora during different art-historical eras from antiquity to contemporality. Botanical symbolism was and is a channel for artists to articulate narratives of morality, fleeting beauty, wealth, romanticism, corruption, the feminine form and the purity of nature 2 . The amaryllis subject that Maguire has selected continues narratives of vanitas symbology.

Translating as ‘to sparkle’ in Greek, the amaryllis flower yields a single bloom upon a slender stalk, speaking to the fragility, temporality, ephemerality and individual success.

The amaryllis shines brightly with a sunset spectrum, only to decay.

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Untitled 2004 oil on canvas signed Maguire, dated ‘04 and inscribed Untitled 20041015 in ink verso 1820 x 1620mm est $35,000 — $55,000

Literature Tony Godfrey, Jonathan Watkins, Tim Maguire, Tim Maguire (Annandale: Piper Press, 2007), 219.

Notes A copy of Tony Godfrey, Jonathan Watkins, Tim Maguire, Tim Maguire (Annandale: Piper Press, 2007) is included.

Provenance Acquired from Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney, 2006.

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Exhibitions New Paintings, Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney, 2006.

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Shane Cotton – Convertibles Essay by AD SCHIERNING

Searching for meaning and taking a journey of understanding, Convertibles is perhaps not just a reference to the white convertible car that drives top-down into the sunset. It speaks also to the conversion of spirituality. It is as though there is a painting within a painting here; at the edge of a painted field in the centre of the canvas, the artist has signed the work within. An alternate title Driving Away is dated 2001 and initialled by the artist. This proposes two different approaches to, or understandings of, a single idea.

Shane Cotton (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Rangi, Ngāti Hine, Te Uri Taniwha, born 1964) is one of a group of highly successful painters that went through Ilam School of Fine Arts at the University of Canterbury. Included in this academic cluster are luminaries such as Bill Hammond, Tony de Lautour, Saskia Leek, Peter Robinson and Séraphine Pick. Cotton was the Frances Hodgkins Fellow in 1998—a year later, his contemporary Sèraphine Pick was the recipient. He received an Arts Foundation Laureate Award in 2008 and was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his contribution to visual arts in 2012. His work has a distinctly New Zealand commentary. Nevertheless, it has been well received on an international stage, with exhibitions held and awards won around the globe.

Known for painted commentary that delves into the contentious territory of an idea of biculturalism, Cotton paints in a complex system of symbols. We are asked to read his paintings, each element heaped with potential translations depending on the individual understanding each viewer brings before the work. The artist has a strong visual language which has matured and evolved through his oeuvre, yet each work is easily identifiable as a work by Cotton.

Convertibles (2002, Lot 28) is at a scale not uncommon for the artist, grand and immersive. The work is a key example of Cotton’s practice, holding all of the elements that the artist is well known for. As with many of Cotton’s works, we see a dark background on which the artist has composed each narrative element to balance the pictorial plane. To the upper left of the canvas the Lord’s Prayer is scribed delicately in white paint, in two different translations. Lower Webb's

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on the canvas is a te reo Māori translation of a verse from the Old Testament. Talking to colonialism and the difficulty of translating spirituality, this work seems to be pondering divinity. At the lower edge, again in te reo Māori, the artist professes the sad and poetic nature of his contemplation. He finishes with "kia marama", which translates into English as "let there be light".

Searching for meaning and taking a journey of understanding, Convertibles is perhaps not just a reference to the white convertible car that drives top-down into the sunset. It speaks also to the conversion of spirituality. It is as though there is a painting within a painting here; at the edge of a painted field in the centre of the canvas, the artist has signed the work within. An alternate title Driving Away is dated 2001 and initialled by the artist. This proposes two different approaches to, or understandings, of a single idea.

Across the canvas are bubbles of meaning, relatively small floating pods containing additional symbolism that adds to the complexities of our reading. A New Zealand robin sits in its bubble upon a floating branch; another small bird has escaped the confines of the painted enclosure.

A red rose hovers within a speech bubble, a green prism floats, but perhaps most compelling is the encircled horse.

The hōiho floats, captured in a restful position. The animal is titled with the heavy task of being the kupu (message) or perhaps holding the kupu. The first horse came to New Zealand with missionary Samuel Marsden and Ngāpuhi were recorded to be the first iwi to own horses. Horses quickly became an important commodity, traded and gifted with great significance. It is perhaps this link to Marsden that explains the hōiho as the bearer of the kupu.

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28 Shane Cotton

Convertibles 2002 acrylic on canvas signed S Cotton, dated 01–02 and inscribed Convertibles in brushpoint lower right 1800 x 1600mm

Exhibitions Shane Cotton, City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi, Wellington, 2003.

est $100,000 — $160,000

Literature Lara Strongman, Shane Cotton (Wellington: City Gallery Wellington, 2003), 89.

Provenance Acquired from Hamish McKay Gallery, Wellington, 2002.

Notes A copy of Lara Strongman, Shane Cotton (Wellington: City Gallery Wellington, 2003) signed by the artist is included.

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Fiona Pardington – Ruru Perfect Prince Essay by CONNIE DWYER

In Māori creation stories, in the beginning there was Te Kore; a gulf of unlimited potential. Then there was Te Pō; the darkness and ceaseless night from which came Te Ao Mārama; the lit world that we inhabit today. In Fiona Pardington’s Ruru Perfect Prince (2016, Lot 29), from the velvety depths of midnight soar outstretched wings, feathers aglow, emerging from Te Pō to the light, only to be frozen, locked in night.

The photography practice of Fiona Pardington (Ngāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Ngāti Kahungunu, Clan Cameron) has gained her recognition as one of New Zealand’s most renowned artists. She holds a Doctorate in Fine Arts from the Elam School of Fine Arts, and was appointed a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to photography. Her practice features clean and contemporary takes on classical art tropes, such as the still life and Vanitas, contoured with Māori ancestral reference. The Vanitas archetype often presents symbolic objects such as candles, clocks and flower cuttings as a visual reminder of the fleeting nature of life and the inevitable deterioration of beauty. Pardington manipulates the Vanitas parameters here, utilising them to impart a narrative of conservation and preservation of New Zealand traditions and native species.

Ruru Perfect Prince is an impressive two-panel work showing the wingspan of a Ruru, presenting a rich and reverential depiction of the native owl. The work is electric.

The repetitious layers of feathers are vivid, their brilliance lending the composition a chiaroscuro effect. There is a visual discourse between Pardington’s work and that of C F Goldie, through their shared earthy and deep sea green palettes, and both being benevolent agents of the cataloguing process of the history of Aotearoa. The rub in Pardington’s work here comes from whether the artist’s hand is loving or eerie. The body of the bird is omitted from the work, leaving only a taxidermic breadth of feathers to be scrutinised. Pardington’s isolation of the wings is somewhat grim, lending itself to an extinction narrative. Her approach leans toward an almost clinical curiosity, like someone pinning a butterfly’s wings to a board. It is a capture of the beauty of the living bird, displayed as if in a taxidermy room, before time ravages the thing into a shadow of its former glory. Yet, this morbid fascination is alleviated somewhat by the diptych format. The diptych format bears reference to altarpieces, an elevating tactic, encouraging veneration from the viewer to the cult of the bird or an undefined deity.

Pardington’s work often functions as a memoriam, particularly in her depictions of extinct species. This work is significant in Pardington’s photographic works of birds as the act of documenting is one of conservation in itself. Though Ruru Perfect Prince depicts a species of stable population, it could in this case serve as a reminder of the treasures Aotearoa still has and should protect. It captures and records an inhabited space and time, preserving lived experience.

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29 Fiona Pardington

Ruru Perfect Prince 2016 archival print on paper, 5/10 copyright Fiona Pardington label affixed verso 870 x 1100mm (each panel) est $55,000 — $85,000 Provenance Acquired from Starkwhite, Auckland, 2016.

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Bill Hammond – Arabesque Across the Surface Essay by DAVID MASKILL

The four paintings by Bill Hammond (1947–2021) included in this catalogue span nearly thirty years of the artist’s output.

They provide an opportunity to chart the development of Hammond’s practice, especially during the crucial decade of the 1990s. Companions of Misery (Lot 33) was one of the first works that Hammond made on his return from his visit to the remote Enderby Island, the most northern of the Auckland Islands in sub-Antarctic waters, 465 kilometres south of Bluff. Although archaeological evidence exists for the habitation of the island by Polynesians as early as the thirteenth century, subsequent attempts to establish permanent settlements there all failed. The islands are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for their abundant bird life and the absence of predators. It was this that caused an epiphany for Hammond when he and fellow artists Laurence Aberhart, Lloyd Godman and Gerda Leenards visited the island in 1989, only managing to land after one failed attempt due to the high seas. Companions of Misery captures the desolate, wind-swept landscape with its fallen, dead trees.

Hammond gives us, literally, a bird’s-eye view. We are above the few birds that soar over the ravaged landscape.

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It was in 1993 that Hammond began the series of paintings in which his signature bird-humans first appear. Inspired by the primordial proliferation of bird-life on Enderby Island, Hammond introduced these zoomorphic creatures into his lexicon of imagery. They play pool and prop up the bar in his scenes borrowed from comics and popular music. They are alert, watchful creatures that belie their historical extinction at the hands of collectors and traders in rare native birds, of whom Walter Buller was the most notorious. In Waiting for Buller Bar (Lot 32) there is the mere suggestion of a perspectival space with the dark diagonal section in the upper left—the bar of the title. The bar is populated by four birdhumans, one of whom wears a Balinese or Native American wolf mask and whose ‘body’ is covered with lit cigarettes.

The only non-avian form is a curiously disembodied horsehuman. Already in this early bird work, we see the beginnings of Hammond’s signature style—confusing vertiginous spaces, figures silhouetted against a flat ground posed in strict profile that recalls Egyptian and Assyrian art. And for the first time, we encounter Hammond’s use of the strident blue-green for which he was to become famous.

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30 Bill Hammond

Clutch 2 2017 acrylic on canvas signed W D Hammond and dated 2017 in brushpoint lower right; inscribed Clutch 2 in brushpoint upper edge 315 x 235mm est $30,000 — $40,000 Provenance Acquired from Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2017.

Exhibitions A Series of Bad Decisions: 20 Year Anniversary Exhibition, Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2017.

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By 1999, when he painted Melting Moments II (Lot 31), the work that lends its name to this exceptional sale, Hammond has taken his avian imagery to another level. He has scaled up the size of his canvasses so that the birdhumans float against the ground like a medieval tapestry.

They are at once reminders of a lost world of ornithological plenitude and a warning against further degradation of our environmental ecosystem. But to leave it at that is to deny the layered complexity of Hammond’s practice. His pictorial sources include ornithological encyclopaedia and medieval bestiaries—the former done in the service of science and the latter the stuff of myth, wonder and fear. The dripping pigment in the outer two sections of what is essentially a triptych, suggests transience and ultimately disappearance.

While in the central section, the bird-humans dance and play musical instruments in a carefully choreographed riot of movement.

Fast-forward some eighteen years and we find that Hammond’s inventive powers and sheer painterly brilliance remained undiminished. In works such as Clutch 2 (Lot 30) from 2017, there is jewel-like delicacy to his paint application.

The figures are rendered almost translucent by the application of thinned down layers of paint. The bird-humans are elegant and ethereal, like guardian angels in early Renaissance art.

They are perfectly positioned on the canvas, their wings and limbs creating a sinuous arabesque across the surface. The smaller scale will appeal to those who find Hammond’s big paintings either too confronting or just too weird.

Viewing these four paintings as a group, there can be no doubt of Hammond’s powers of invention and unswerving commitment to the art of painting. Fittingly, Hammond was something of a magpie, taking ideas and imagery from disparate sources. But his unique gift was the ability to reassemble his source material into works that are instantly recognisable as his. Although he famously denied all overtures to “explain” his works, he didn’t need to. He allows, us, his viewers to enter into his Gothic imaginary and to find there our own associations and meanings. That’s what great art is about.

By 1999, when he painted Melting Moments II, the work that lends its name to this exceptional sale, Hammond has taken his avian imagery to another level. He has scaled up the size of his canvasses so that the bird-humans float against the ground like a medieval tapestry. They are at once reminders of a lost world of ornithological plenitude and a warning against further degradation of our environmental ecosystem.

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31 Bill Hammond

Melting Moments II 1999 acrylic on canvas signed W D Hammond, dated 1999 and inscribed Melting Moments II in brushpoint upper left; Brooke/Gifford label affixed verso 850 x 2000mm est $350,000 — $550,000

Literature Laurence Aberhart et al., Bill Hammond Jingle Jangle Morning (Christchurch: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waiwhetū, 2007),144.

Notes A copy of Laurence Aberhart et al., Bill Hammond Jingle Jangle Morning (Christchurch: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waiwhetū, 2007) signed by the artist is included.

Provenance Acquired from Brooke/Gifford Gallery, Christchurch, 1999.

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Exhibitions Melting Moments, Brooke/Gifford Gallery, Christchurch, 1999; Jingle Jangle Morning, toured nationally, 2007–2008 (Christchurch Art Gallery July–October 2007, City Gallery Wellington November 2007 – February 2008).

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32 Bill Hammond

Waiting for Buller Bar 1993 acrylic on canvas signed W D Hammond and dated 1993 in brushpoint lower right; inscribed Waiting for Buller Bar in brushpoint upper right 1400 x 1000mm

Exhibitions Recent Paintings, Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, 1993; Jingle Jangle Morning, toured nationally, 2007–2008 (Christchurch Art Gallery July – October 2007, City Gallery Wellington November 2007 – February 2008).

est $150,000 — $250,000

Literature Laurence Aberhart et al., Bill Hammond Jingle Jangle Morning (Christchurch: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, 2007), 90; Jill Trevelyan, Peter McLeavey: The Life and Times of a New Zealand Art Dealer (Wellington: Te Papa Press, 2013), 338.

Provenance Acquired from Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, 1996.

Notes A copy of Laurence Aberhart et al., Bill Hammond Jingle Jangle Morning (Christchurch: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, 2007) signed by the artist is included.

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Jill Trevelyan, Peter McLeavey: The Life and Times of a New Zealand Art Dealer (Wellington: Te Papa Press, 2013), 338–339.

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Bill Hammond’s Waiting for Buller Bar, Richard Killeen's Be What You Are and Tony de Lautour's Panorama in the collector’s home.

Bill Hammond’s Melting Moments II in the collector’s home.

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Séraphine Pick’s Burning the Furniture at the collector’s home.

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Séraphine Pick’s Burning the Furniture, in the exhibition Séraphine Pick: Tell Me More, at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, 2009.

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Brendon Wilkinson’s Half Asleep She Climbed Up From Beneath The Canopy, in the exhibitions Decade at Aratoi Museum of Art and History, at Aratoi Wairarapa Museum of Art and History, Masterton, 2010: and Hexon Cusp.

Decade at Te Tuhi, Pakuranga, 2010.

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Linde Ivimey's St Hippolytus and Tim Maguire's untitled at Martin Browne Contemporary,

Joe Sheehan’s The Quick and the Dead at Tim Melville Gallery, 2013

Shane Cotton’s Convertibles in the collector’s home.

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Matt Hunt’s The Eternal Nightmare of Hades at Peter McLeavey Gallery, 2009.

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Bill Hammond’s Companions of Misery in the exhibition Jingle Jangle Morning at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, 2007.

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33 Bill Hammond

Companions of Misery 1990 acrylic on aluminium signed W D Hammond, dated 1990 and inscribed Companions of Misery in brushpoint lower edge 415 x 490mm est $35,000 — $55,000

Literature Laurence Aberhart et al., Bill Hammond Jingle Jangle Morning (Christchurch: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, 2007), 84.

Notes A copy of Laurence Aberhart et al., Bill Hammond Jingle Jangle Morning (Christchurch: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, 2007) signed by the artist is included.

Provenance Acquired from Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, 1996.

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Exhibitions Recent Paintings, Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, 1996.

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34 John Ward Knox

(Pieta 1) 2010 oil on cotton 650 x 650mm

35 John Ward Knox

(Pieta 2) 2010 oil on cotton 650 x 650mm

est $5,000 — $8,000

est $5,000 — $8,000

Provenance Acquired from Robert Heald Gallery, Wellington, 2010.

Provenance Acquired from Robert Heald Gallery, Wellington, 2010.

Exhibitions The Space Between Two Things, Robert Heald Gallery, Wellington, 2010.

Exhibitions The Space Between Two Things, Robert Heald Gallery, Wellington, 2010.

Literature David Cross, ‘John Ward Knox at Heald’, Eyecontact, 14 September 2010.

Literature David Cross, ‘John Ward Knox at Heald’, Eyecontact, 14 September 2010.

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36 Roger Mortimer

MCXXIXMMCMV 2000 acrylic on canvas 2000 x 1600mm

Exhibitions Dilemma Hill, Pātaka Art + Museum, Wellington, 2017, Gus Fisher Gallery, Auckland, 2017.

est $16,000 — $24,000 Provenance Acquired from Ivan Anthony, Auckland, 2000.

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Literature Linda Tyler, Roger Mortimer: Dilemma Hill, (Porirua City: Pātaka Art + Museum, 2017), 25 (not pictured).

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Brent Harris – Towards the Unknown Essay by VICTORIA MUNN

An innovative, accomplished print maker, Brent Harris demonstrates both his interest in organic forms, clear planes, and blocks of colour, and the way his refined forms and imagery engage with complex themes and heavy emotions. Though he embraces connections with other artists, and draws upon a considerable body of art historical references, much of Harris’ work is powerfully personal, contributing to an impressive oeuvre that seeks to explore the human condition. In his intuitive approach, incorporation of the surreal and unconscious, and fluid imagery, Harris’ printmaking, and his practice more generally, embraces the unknown.

When Harris commenced his studies at the Victorian College of the Arts in 1982, the college campus opportunely shared its grounds with the National Gallery of Victoria.

Harris made great use of the collection in the gallery’s Prints and Drawings Department, including its selection of Edvard Munch prints. He was much enamoured by the psychological issues explored by Munch in works such as Towards the forest II (1915, Lot 38), which depicts two figures embracing, heading towards an enigmatic forest.

The impact of Munch’s woodcut on Harris is made clear in Harris’ work, To the forest. The organic forms found within Munch’s print, the sky seemingly dripping down in between the treetops of the forest, are echoed in Harris’ shapes. Harris has flipped the forms 90 degrees, and added in curved protrusions, either pointing upwards (black) or melting downwards (white), depending on the viewer’s interpretation. Rather than Munch’s blue sky, though, Harris’ palette is achromatic. He wonders if his continual use of black and white may stem from his relationship to New Zealand (Harris was born and raised in Palmerston North), and the role of the achromatic colours in our national visual identity.

Harris’ Swamp series (Lot 37) also takes inspiration from Towards the forest II. In works such as Swamp no:6 and Swamp no:4, the forms, thinner and more elongated than those found in Munch’s skyline, extend into one another.

Like two hands with intertwined fingers, without the rest of Munch’s forest setting, the eye struggles to associate one colour with positive or negative space, rather flipping between the two. In Swamp no:2, Harris plays with morphing these forms into bodies. A simple line turns a molten form into a pair of legs. Rather than teetering on the verge of figuration and abstraction, Harris simultaneously embraces both.

The Swamp series demonstrates the benefits of working in series, especially within printmaking. Harris is able to take his ideas further, explore a different direction, in each Webb's

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subsequent work. His compositions are not meticulously planned before execution, nor bound by limitations dictated by perspective, scale or logic. Harris embraces his intuition and employs his subconscious to generate imagery, allowing the finished composition to develop pictorially through his artistic process. The presence of a printing press in his studio surely offers Harris a greater freedom in his process, printing and then adapting his composition as he works.

As well as adapting Munch’s imagery, Harris was also influenced by his printmaking processes. Towards the forest II has been created with Munch’s innovative jigsaw woodcut printing technique; cutting up his wood block into individual shapes that would fit together like a puzzle. These individual pieces could be inked in different colours before being reassembled and passed through the printing press.

Grotesquerie (no.11) (Lot 39) exemplifies Harris’ adoption of Munch’s unique woodcut process: he, too, has cut his single piece of ply into individual shapes, inked them individually, reassembled them, and run it through the press. Such a technique enables the artist to use colour to create different forms within a print, without requiring a separate block for each colour. For the Grotesquerie series, Harris also adopted the automatic drawing process employed by Surrealists such as Miró and Salvador Dalí, which he encountered during his 1993 residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris.

Automatism sees artists push aside conscious thought, and enable their artistic process to be driven by material from the unconscious mind. What results in the Grotesquerie series, is haunting imagery which, Harris soon realised, was familial.

Harris has spoken about his upbringing with an abusive father. Certainly, the series is deeply personal and was surely a confronting process for the artist. In Grotesquerie (le regarder), we find the silhouette of a figure, isolated in the composition and perhaps looking towards the ground, and a face in profile, molten forms dripping from its nose which seem to sprout legs. Grotesquerie confronts us with a biomorphic form which partly resembles the human face—we can identify lips, nostrils, an eye, a neck—while also appearing as a nightmarish monster, with protruding horns or ears. This undefinable form, and that of the woman in Grotesquerie (no.11), reappear consistently in Harris’ Grotesquerie series, which encompasses drawings, prints and paintings, and, which he continued to explore for eight years (2001–2009).

1 https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/work/25016/ if you want to illustrate the Munch

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37 Brent Harris

Swamp no: 1 – 7 2000 aquatint and intaglio print on paper signed BH, dated 00 and inscribed Swamp No1 11/20 in graphite lower edge; signed BH, dated 00 and inscribed Swamp No2 11/20 in graphite lower edge; signed BH, dated 00 and inscribed Swamp No3 11/20 in graphite lower edge; signed BH, dated 00 and inscribed Swamp No4 11/20 in graphite lower edge; signed BH, dated 00 and inscribed Swamp No5 11/20 in graphite lower edge; signed BH, dated 00 and inscribed Swamp No6 11/20 in graphite lower edge; signed BH, dated 00 and inscribed Swamp No7 11/20 in graphite lower edge 293 x 595mm (each panel) est $10,000 — $20,000 Webb's

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Provenance Acquired from Robert Heald Gallery, Wellington.

Literature Lara Strongman with Robert Leonard and Justin Paton, Towards The Swamp, Brent Harris (Christchurch: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, 2019) Collections Another from the edition held in the collection of the Christchurch Art Gallery, Christchurch; Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Auckland; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.

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39 Brent Harris

Grotesquerie; Grotesquerie

(no.11); Grotesquerie (le regarder) 2002 woodblock print on paper, artist’s proof signed BH, dated 02 and inscribed ARTIST’S PROOF (LEFT OF TRIPTYCH) GROTESQUERIE in graphite lower edge; signed BH, dated 02 and inscribed ARTIST’S PROOF (CENTRE OF TRIPTYCH) GROTESQUERIE (NO 11) in graphite lower edge; signed BH, dated 02 and inscribed ARTIST’S PROOF (RIGHT OF TRIPTYCH) GROTESQUERIE (LE REGARDER) in graphite lower edge 635 x 500mm (each panel)

38 Brent Harris

To the Forest 1999 screenprint on paper 1142 x 1743mm est $8,000 — $12,000

est $8,500 — $12,500

Provenance Acquired from Robert Heald Gallery, Wellington.

Provenance Acquired from Robert Heald Gallery, Wellington.

Collections Another from the edition held in the collection of the Christchurch Art Gallery, Christchurch; Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.

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Collections Another from the edition held in the collection of Christchurch Art Gallery, Christchurch; The British Museum, London; Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.

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40 Francis Upritchard

Flock 2008 polymer clay and glass 590 x 285 x 285mm (widest points); 430 x 160 x 160mm (widest points); 445 x 180 x 180mm (widest points) est $15,000 — $25,000

Literature Charlotte Day, Lost & Found: An Archeology of the Present (Victoria: TarraWarra Museum of Art, 2008), 42.

Provenance Acquired 2008.

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Exhibitions Lost & Found: An Archeology of the Present, TarraWarra Museum of Art, Victoria, 2008.

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41 Graham Fletcher

Untitled (Sugar Loaf Waka) 2012 oil on canvas signed Graham Fletcher, dated 2012 and inscribed Untitled (Sugar Loaf Waka) in ink verso; Melanie Roger Gallery label affixed verso 1370 x 1370mm est $18,000 — $26,000 Provenance Acquired from Melanie Roger Gallery, Auckland, 2013.

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Exhibitions Sugar Loaf Mountain, Melanie Roger Gallery, Auckland, 2013.

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Séraphine Pick – Burning The Furniture Essay by DAVID MASKILL

In Burning the Furniture, Pick conjures forth a nightmarish domestic scene. Like some surrealist Christmas tree, the female protagonist decorates a stag’s head with strings of pearls while a taxidermized wolf howls to the heavens. On the coffee table, which appears to grow from a tree trunk, are scattered items of furniture, a ring, a painter’s wooden model and a dead bird. Sprouting from the pile are red lilies, which appear to morph into flames.

Séraphine Pick is one of New Zealand’s leading contemporary painters. She graduated from University of Canterbury’s Ilam School of Fine Arts in 1988, and quickly established herself as an artist of note. After a number of strong showings, she was awarded the Olivia Spencer Bower Award in 1994 and the Rita Angus Residency in 1995. She followed this up with the illustrious Frances Hodgkins Fellowship in 1999. Her work from this era is highly distinctive, filled with dream-like symbolism, and with an artistic vision that showed enormous potential. From this early promise, Pick has continued to build a distinguished career. Her unique and powerful paintings are highly regarded and held in high esteem by institutions and private collectors alike.

By the time Pick made Burning the Furniture (Lot 42) in 2007, she had largely abandoned the more emblematic style of her earlier works in which empty white cast-iron beds evoked childhood illness. Her monumental canvasses are now populated with adult humans. However, her works retain the atmosphere of surreal anxiety and there is a strange amalgam of adult human interaction and disturbing still-life.

Within Burning the Furniture, Pick conjures forth a nightmarish domestic scene. Like some surrealist Christmas tree, the female protagonist decorates a stag’s head with Webb's

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strings of pearls while a taxidermized wolf howls to the heavens. On the coffee table, which appears to grow from a tree trunk, are scattered items of furniture, a ring, a painter’s wooden model and a dead bird. Sprouting from the pile are red lilies, which appear to morph into flames. On the right, the male figure with a downcast expression is dressed in a flax piupiu and evening jacket and clutches a giant white cat.

What can it all mean? To answer that question is to plumb the subconscious depths of the painter’s mind. Pick is a mistress of the bizarre and the surreal. Often spoken of as the painterly equivalent of the literary genre of Magic Realism, Pick’s painting disturbs just as it invites the viewer into the painter’s intensely private world.

Pick clearly believed Burning the Furniture to be a key work as it was chosen for the cover of the catalogue of the retrospective exhibition of her work-to-date at the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū in 2009. It is unusual for a work from a private collection to be given such a prominent role, but this attests to its importance both for the artist and to the curatorial project. Whoever is successful in acquiring Burning the Furniture, therefore, can be confident that the art world has already given it its imprimatur and that it will remain a defining work in Pick’s career.

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42 Séraphine Pick

Burning The Furniture 2007 oil on linen signed Séraphine Pick and dated 2007 in brushpoint lower right 1855 x 2600mm est $150,000 — $200,000

Literature Felicity Milburn, Lara Stongman, et al., Séraphine Pick (Christchurch: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, 2009), cover & 153.

Notes A copy of Felicity Milburn, Lara Stongman, et al., Séraphine Pick (Christchurch: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, 2009) signed by the artist is included.

Provenance Acquired from Hamish McKay Gallery, Wellington, 2007.

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Exhibitions Burning the Furniture, Hamish McKay, Wellington, 2007; Séraphine Pick: Tell Me More, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, Christchurch, 2009.

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Robin White – The Land Beneath Her Feet Essay by NEIL TALBOT

Altogether, viewing this remarkable collection presents us with a rare glimpse into the breadth and depth of the career of one of New Zealand’s greats. The cross section of time presented here allows her significance and ingenuity to shine all the more. It is no overstatement to say that White stands on equal terms with the enduring legends of New Zealand modernism: Colin McCahon, Don Binney, Rita Angus and Toss Woollaston.

1 https://citygallery.org.nz/exhibitions/robin-white/

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This catalogue presents a broad range of works by Dame Robin White, including paintings, fibre works and screenprints. Collectively, they offer a unique and strong presentation of her work from across the decades. White’s art is embedded in the national visual lexicon to such an extent that it is hard to imagine it hasn’t always been there.

Classic examples of her work are held in every major public collection in the country. With their distinctively stylised presentations of the rolling hills and rustic architecture of our nation, her artworks seem woven into our national identity on a primary level. Given this, it’s important to keep in mind that White was a pioneering artist. She was integral to the development of the regionalist sensibilities of modern New Zealand art.

White’s landscape paintings of the 1970s often function as distilled commentaries on the nation’s civic and social climate of the time. In her unpopulated hinterlands nestled between foreshore and mountainous terrain, one can interpret an implicit criticism of modern New Zealand’s taming of the landscape through ongoing urban sprawl.

Untitled (Porirua Hills) (Lot 43) is an excellent example of this.

It shows a view across the shorelines of the Porirua Harbour, as seen from the suburb of Elsdon. Porirua was originally planned as a satellite city of Wellington in the 1940s, which was to consist mainly of state housing. However, industrial development in the region led to an accelerated growth in

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43 Robin White & Ruha Fifita

Ko e Hala Hangatonu 2014 natural dye and pigments on bark cloth signed R. White with R. Fifita, dated 2013 and inscribed KO E HALA HANGATONU DETAIL — LAMP in brushpoint verso 1790 x 910mm est $22,000 — $28,000 Provenance Acquired from Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington.

Exhibitions Ko e Hala Hangatonu: The Straight Path, Two Rooms in association with Peter McLeavey Gallery, Auckland, 2013.

Literature Jill Trevelyan, ‘The Path Followed: Robin White in collaboration with Ruha Fifita’, Art New Zealand 146, Winter 2013, 62.

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population. Untitled (Porirua Hills) appears as a doubleformat image where two separate compositions are layered, one on top of the other. However, those familiar with the topography of the area will recognise the two distinctive strips of land, Whitirea Park reserve in the foreground and the distinctive hill shoreline of Plimmerton behind. This work exemplifies White’s new image-making strategies, which positioned her, along with Don Binney, at the forefront of a second wave of New Zealand modern painting that emerged in the 1970s.

While Untitled (Porirua Hills) is an excellent showpiece, it demonstrates but one aspect of White’s artistic prowess.

In her 1998 work New Angels (Lot 45), White employs woven plant fibre as a basis for image making. At the time she produced the work, White was living on the Pacific island, Kirabati. Her home, studio and belongings were destroyed in a fire, so the artist made use of what was available to her— natural fibre. According to City Gallery Wellington, these works were made in collaboration with women from the Itoiningaina Catholic Women’s Training Centre. The gallery described White’s fibre works as, “a set of woven tablemats, featuring images of products available in the local shops, including fresh bread, New Angel tinned mackerel, and Instant Sunshine milk powder. The mats combine Christian imagery (bread and fish), ideas of community and hospitality, and Kiribati’s histories of contact and trade.” 1 It is remarkable that White produced such strong and distinctive work from the ashes of her home and studio.

Also presented in this body of work are a number of screenprints from White’s birdwatching series. These works bring together White’s distinctive, restrained hilly landscapes with native birds. It is perhaps obvious to draw a connection between these prints and Don Binney’s visual leitmotif of stylised birds over pared-back landscape. Nevertheless, the comparison demonstrates that two artists were both involved in a similar enquiry into the nature of what a distinct New Zealand iconography looked like. White’s screenprints were but one aspect of her visual search.

Altogether, viewing this remarkable collection presents us with a rare glimpse into the breadth and depth of the career of one of New Zealand’s greats. The cross-section of time presented here allows her significance and ingenuity to shine all the more. It is no overstatement to say that White stands on equal terms with the enduring legends of New Zealand modernism: Colin McCahon, Don Binney, Rita Angus, and Toss Woollaston. Her work presented here is testament to her abilities and the power of her artistic vision.

It will be celebrated for decades to come.

1 https://citygallery.org.nz/exhibitions/robin-white/

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44 Robin White

Untitled (Porirua Hills) 1970 oil on canvas signed R White and dated 70 in brushpoint upper right 920 x 620mm est $220,000 — $360,000 Provenance Acquired from Page Galleries, Wellington.

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45 Robin White

New Angels 1998 natural dye on woven pandanus fibre 424 x 310mm (each panel) est $25,000 — $35,000 Provenance Acquired from McLeavey Gallery, Wellington.

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Literature Jill Trevelyan, Peter McLeavey: The Life and Times of a New Zealand Art Dealer (Wellington: Te Papa Press, 2013), 369.

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46 Shane Cotton

Seventeen (Half Cast) 2010 screenprint and acrylic on paper signed Shane W Cotton, dated 2010 and inscribed SEVENTEEN/HALF CAST in brushpoint lower edge 1220 x 1220mm

47 Ans Westra

Whakarewarewa, Rotorua

1963. printed 2015 archival print on paper, 1/5 950 x 950mm

est $10,000 — $15,000 est $6,000 — $8,000 Provenance Acquired from Hamish McKay Gallery, Wellington, 2010.

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Provenance Acquired from {Suite} Gallery, Wellington.

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Linde Ivimey – St Hippolytus Essay by NEIL TALBOT Contemporary Australian sculptor Linde Ivimey’s 2005 work St Hippolytus (Lot 48) is a work of sculpture that is both fascinating and macabre. Her work is largely figurative, frequently depicting human–animal hybrids. Ivimey’s work often incorporates organic and manmade recycled materials.

St Hippolytus is constructed of a steel armature, fibre, fabric, cast pewter, chicken bones and sheep bones. The figure it presents is of a horse. The work has a distinctive, slightly morbid sensibility, accented by the bone pieces that make up the legs and mane. But this sits in contrast to the sheen of the pewter chainmail coat that covers most of its body.

This work is suggestive of a discourse of the complex relationship between humans, animals and the environment.

The contrasting elements of bone against metal speaks to our reliance on livestock and minerals extracted from the earth, and perhaps the sometimes-ruthless side to humanity.

Though, in a sense, all artwork is necessarily constructed of material drawn from the earth and life that inhabits it. A clue to the specific commentary of this work can be detected in its title.

Saint Hippolytus of Rome was an obscure secondthird-century Christian theologian. There appears to be some unclear or conflicting stories about this individual, though one particular tale purports that he was dragged to death by wild horses. This parallels the Ancient Greek myth of Hippolytus of Athens, who met the same fate. It should also be added that the name Hippolytus itself translates as ‘unleasher of horses.’ With this backstory, the macabre tone of the work is fitting. This horse figure could be read as both a blessed creature, and the cause of death of the saint.

One might well ask, what does this invite us to consider? Interpretation of art is inevitably subjective, though St Hippolytus confronts us with visceral matter, albeit carefully and skillfully crafted. One could readily find cause to reflect on the intertwining of life and death, the far reaches of history, or the complex and often exploitative relationship humans have with animals.

These reflections are perhaps one framing for the work. Another could be in the fascinating technical nature of its assemblage. The work combines human manufactured material—metal alloy and acrylic fibre—with animal matter.

It is intriguing that the bones the artist has selected are from chickens and sheep, rather than horses. This may be attributable to respective scale, though it appears to suggest that the artist is considering human relationships with animals we rely on for food and materials.

This work activates a complex set of interpretive possibilities. How one chooses to read it, or engage with the nuanced history it evokes, will in many ways be different for each individual. Regardless of personal readings, St Hippolytus is clearly engaging in a complex discourse. With this work and throughout her practice, Ivimey has eschewed the trappings of a slick, easily digestible aesthetic that some sculptural art falls into. It is both grittier and more compelling for this fact.

Linde Ivimey’s work is widely known and well regarded in Australia. She has featured in numerous exhibitions and publications over the past three decades. Her work is held in public institutions including the National Gallery of Australia and National Gallery of Victoria, along with important private collections in Australia and New Zealand.

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48 Linde Ivimey

St Hippolytus 2005 steel, string, cotton fibre, fabric, pewter and bone 750 x 850 x 250mm (widest points) est $10,000 — $20,000 Provenance Acquired from Martin Browne Contemporary, Sydney, 2005.

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Exhibitions Martin Browne Contemporary, Auckland Art Fair, Auckland, 2005.

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49 Don Binney

Manunui, Otakamiro 2010 screenprint on paper, artist’s proof signed Don Binney, dated 2010 and inscribed A/P Manunui, Otakamiro in graphite lower edge 750 x 560mm

50 Bill Hammond

untitled 2006 lithograph on paper, edition of 100 signed W D Hammond and dated 2006 in graphite lower right 570 x 420mm

est $12,000 — $18,000 est $7,000 — $14,000 Provenance Acquired from Diversion Gallery, Marlborough, 2010.

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Provenance Acquired from McCahon House Trust, 2006.

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51 Robin White

Tui 2011 screenprint on paper, edition 10/10 signed R White, dated 2011 and inscribed Tui 10/10 in graphite lower edge 280 x 190mm est $2,500 — $3,500

52 Robin White

Magpie 2011 screenprint on paper, edition 10/10 signed R White, dated 2011 and inscribed Magpie 10/10 in graphite lower edge 280 x 190mm est $2,500 — $3,500

53 Robin White

Keruru 2011 screenprint on paper, edition 10/10 signed R White, dated 2011 and inscribed Kereru 10/10 in graphite lower edge 280 x 190mm

54 Robin White

Piwakawaka 2011 screenprint on paper, edition 10/10 signed R White, dated 2011 and inscribed Piwakawaka 10/10 in graphite lower edge 280 x 190mm

est $2,500 — $3,500

est $2,500 — $3,500

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Provenance Lots 51–54 acquired from Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington.

Exhibitions Robin White: A Life in Prints, Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga O Waikato, Waikato, 2021.

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56 Laurie Steer

Those Thrashing Doves 2014 clay 600 x 310 x 560mm (widest points)

55 Chris Charteris

Force of Nature 2005 granite and steel 150 x 2500mm (dimensions variable)

est $3,000 — $6,000

est $6,500 — $10,000

Provenance Acquired from The Young, Wellington, 2014.

Provenance Acquired from FHE Galleries, Auckland, 2005.

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Exhibitions Fortified Position, The Young, Wellington, 2014.

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57 Colin McCahon

Fifteen Drawings for Charles Brasch 1952 lithograph on paper 275 x 207mm (each panel) est $8,000 — $16,000 115

58 Manos Nathan

Ipu Waiora 2008 ceramic 210 x 220 x 400mm (widest points) est $2,000 — $3,000 Provenance Acquired from Sanderson Gallery, 2008.

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59 Tanya Ashken

Whale Form 1988 bronze, 12/12 signed T.Ashken, and inscribed 12/12 with incision lower edge 325 x 260 x 190mm (widest points) est $5,000 — $8,000 Provenance Acquired from FE29 Gallery, Dunedin.

Literature Cameron Drawbridge (editor), Tanya Ashken, Jeweller, Silversmith, Sculptor (Wellington: Cameron Drawbridge, 2016), 123.

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60 Joe Sheehan

1 LB pounamu 75 x 75 x 15mm (widest points) est $4,000 — $7,000 Provenance Acquired from Tim Melville Gallery, Auckland, 2016.

61 Liz Maw

Aura; Lady Kathryn and I; Deepa

2002; 2011; 2004 giclée print on paper, 9/10 signed E Maw, dated 2002 and inscribed ‘Aura’ 9/10 in graphite lower edge; signed E Maw, dated 2011 and inscribed “Lady Kathryn and I” 9/10 in graphite lower edge; signed E Maw, dated 2004 and inscribed ‘Deepa’ 9/10 in graphite lower edge 730 x 600mm; 810 x 600mm; 715 x 600mm est $6,000 — $9,000 Provenance Acquired from Ivan Anthony, Auckland.

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62 Emily Hartley-Skudder

Vanitas with King, Skull and Trumpet 2013–14 oil on cotton signed Emily Hartley-Skudder, dated 2013–14 and inscribed Vanitas with King, Skull and Trumpet in graphite verso 560 x 840mm est $3,500 — $5,500

est $9,000 — $15,000 Provenance Acquired from Hamish McKay Gallery, Wellington, 1999.

Exhibitions Revisionist Paintings, Hamish McKay, Wellington, 1999; Tony de Lautour Revisionist Paintings, Waikato Museum of Art and History Te Whare Taonga o Waikato, Hamilton, City Gallery Wellington, Wellington, and Govett Brewster, New Plymouth, 2002.

Provenance Acquired from {Suite} Gallery, Wellington, 2014.

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63 Tony de Lautour

Panaroma 1999 oil on board signed Tony de Lautour, dated 1999 and inscribed Panorama in graphite verso 430 x 1460mm

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64 Brendon Wilkinson

untitled 2015 watercolour on paper signed Brendon Wilkinson and dated 2015 in graphite verso 1110 x 830mm est $7,000 — $12,000 Provenance Acquired from Robert Heald Gallery, Wellington, 2015.

Exhibitions Heavy Liquid, Robert Heald Gallery, Wellington, 2015.

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66 Terry Stringer

Our Home is Our Childhood 2006 bronze, edition of 3 1600 x 330 x 300mm (widest points)

65 Warren Viscoe

Nature 2016 acrylic on wood 800 x 300 x 200mm

est $15,000 — $20,000

est $7,000 — $14,000

Provenance Acquired from Webbs, Auckland, 2006.

Provenance Acquired from Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, 2016.

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Exhibitions A Life In Sculpture, Webb’s, Auckland, 2006.

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Laith McGregor – The Passage of Time Essay by SAMANTHA TAYLOR

When considering Laith McGregor’s practice, the flexible nature of portraiture readily comes to mind. In the three works presented in this catalogue, Moon (2012, Lot 69), Heart (2014, Lot 67), and Jakeman (2014, Lot 68), McGregor deftly demonstrates that portraiture is far from a static artform.

This is particularly evident in Moon, which is drawn directly onto a ubiquitous blue tarpaulin and features a figure with a smooth felt-tip beard evolving into a backdrop that forms the outline of the figure’s turban. Jakeman and Heart are more conventional, at least in terms of being drawn in graphite on paper, but the images they convey are far from traditional.

In Jakeman, the artist presents us with a beautifully rendered image of a young man in a cap. The riot of text and cartoonish imagery around the figure brings to mind the kind of defacing of magazines or school annuals that is popular among adolescents everywhere. Heart, by comparison, is quieter and more contemplative in its pictorial diruption.

Nevertheless, the young woman’s face is intersected by a kaleidoscopic array of geometric forms and patterns. Both works are carefully and exquisitely drawn.

After studying a mix of fine art, visual art and screen production in his home country Australia, McGregor now splits his time between Australia and Bali. He has exhibited widely throughout Australia and globally, and it was his unique, intricate biro drawings that initially garnered public interest. McGregor still uses blue biro and other similarly humble materials, including felt tip and pencil on paper. The grand scale and sleek ‘high art’ presentation of McGregor’s work contrasts with his use of traditionally ‘low art’ materials, encouraging a discourse around such definitions.

McGregor’s approach to drawing evokes thoughts of the intuitive doodles made in textbook margins or upon school desks. His works are seemingly organic, despite their obvious repetitive and intense labour. The organic nature of the drawing and the figures, patterned faces also hold a reference to the mark making often found in the art of tattoo, with repeated lines and geometric forms. In fact, in the video work Maturing (2007), McGregor takes to his own face with a pen and draws himself a faux, tattoo-like inky beard.

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While his references, materials, and visual appraoaches may contrast with traditional ideas of what is considered valuable within fine art, McGregor’s commitment to such arduous handmade works recall a sense of value placed upon traditional art-making. The physical labour and time evident in his drawings are something that was greatly admired in conventional painting, but perhaps an attribute we see less of in contemporary art. With technology and new methods of painting, photography and digital media, the way artists make their work has become more mysterious to the viewer.

With an expansion of methodologies and technologies, we don’t always know the process and may not fully understand the labour that goes into an artwork. In contrast, by using materials that we are all familiar with, McGregor allows the viewer to understand and appreciate the time and concentration his drawings must take. In a digital age, the physical action of creating drawings purely by hand, and the time this process takes, become an important element of McGregor’s work, offering a counter to a fast-paced society of mass-produced consumption.

Another obvious relationship with time is McGregor’s choice of content. People are always temporal, subject to the passage of time. Moon portrays an older, weathered man, with the circle cut-out on the figure’s forehead a possible reference to Hinduism and McGregor’s time spent in Bali, whereas Jakeman and Heart show younger faces, perhaps contemporary Australians. Despite visible differences in age, style and background, all the figures in McGregor’s drawings are connected. Many of his works contain an element of humour, featuring silly and over-exaggerated elements; take, for instance, the cartoonish nature of Jakeman.

This passage of time is implied in McGregor’s subject matter but also in the tools he uses to create his drawings.

The concentration and effort required is clear in the delicately intertwined dark and light pencil sections in Heart and Jakeman, and the careful felt-tip lines in Moon leave no space for mistakes. While the references behind McGregor’s works are compelling, it is ultimately the craftsmanship visible in his drawings that animates his work.

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68 Laith McGregor

Jakeman 2014 graphite on paper 460 x 360mm est $2,500 — $3,500

67 Laith McGregor

Heart 2014 graphite on paper 460 x 360mm

Provenance Acquired from Station Gallery, Brisbane, 2014.

est $2,500 — $3,500

Literature Laith McGregor, S-O-M-E-O-N-E (Melbourne: Perimeter Editions, c2014).

Provenance Acquired from Ryan Renshaw Gallery, Brisbane, 2014.

Exhibitions Heady, Station Gallery, New South Wales, 24 May – 14 June 2014.

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69 Laith McGregor

Moon 2012 ink on tarpaulin 2400 x 1750mm est $5,000 — $8,000 Provenance Acquired from Paul Nache, Gisborne, 2014.

Exhibitions Mind’s Eye, Paul Nache, Gisborne, 6 June–28 June 2014.

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Webb’s reserves the right to refuse any bid, withdraw any lot from sale,

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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 18.5% 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

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.

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)

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

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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.

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

5.7.

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

Webb's

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.

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.

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.

2021

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Index of Artists A

N

Ashken, Tanya

116–117

B Binney, Don Bush, Kushana

112 55

C Cairns, Mitch Charteris, Chris Cotton, Shane

68–69 114-115 76–77, 90,109

D

Maguire, Tim

75–76

P Pardington, Fiona 78–79 Pick, Séraphine 87, 88,

102–103 R

118

S

101

Sheehan, Joe Steer, Laurie Stringer, Terry

F Fletcher, Graham G

42-43

56–59, 90 114–115 119

U 73

Upritchard, Francis

H

V

Hammond, Bill 80–86,

92–93, 112 Harris, Brent 96–99 Hartley-Skudder, Emily 118 Hemer, André 44, 72–73 Hunt, Matt 66–67, 91

Viscoe, Warren

I Ivimey, Linde

116

Robinson, Peter

de Lautour, Tony

George, Darryn

Nathan, Manos

M

90, 110–111

K Killeen, Richard 42, 45–47

100

119

W Walker, Jake 54 Walters, Gordon 48 Ward Knox, John 94 Westra, Ans 109 White, Robin 42, 104–108,

113 Wilkinson, Brendon 70–71,

89, 118 Woollaston, Toss 54

M Maguire, Tim 74–75 Maw, Liz 60–65, 117 McCahon, Colin 115 McGregor, Laith 120–122 McLeod, Andrew 49–53 Mortimer, Roger 95

Webb's

October

128

Absentee Bid Form

Auctions Private Sales Valuations +64 9 529 5600 auction@webbs.co.nz 33a Normanby Rd Mount Eden Auckland, 1024 New Zealand

In order to register to bid with Webb’s please complete this form and scan or email to auction@webbs.co.nz

webbs.co.nz Name

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(Office Use Only)

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Auction # & Title

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(Please Print Auction & Title Here)

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1

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(In Order of Preference)

Lot Number (in order)

Catalogue Description

Maximum Bid Not including buyer’s premium or GST

I authorise Webb’s to register bids on a per lot basis up to the maximum price I have indicated for each lot.

I will not hold Webb’s responsible for any errors that occur.

I understand that if my bid is successful, the purchase price will be the sum of my final bid plus the buyer’s premium of 18.5% of the final bid price plus any GST payable on the buyers premium, as indicated in the catalogue. GST will be charged on the buyer’s premium.

I have read and accepted Webb’s terms and conditions as printed in the catalogue and online at www.webbs.co.nz. Bids will not be processed unless this form is signed.

Signature

Webb's

Date

2021

THE ART OF REVEALING NATURE

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY

Entries Invited Webb’s presents a bespoke auction of artworks by key artists from The Group.

W.A. Sutton, Homage to Frances Hodgkins, 1951.

Artist Bill Sutton, then a young lecturer at the art school, registered his protest at the rejection of Pleasure Garden by painting a large composite portrait of Hodgkins’s supporters The Group around the work.

Operating from 1927 through to 1977, The Group was an independent affiliation of artists who cooperated and collaborated in Christchurch. We are seeking consignments of quality art works from artists affiliated with this collective, such as Olivia Spencer-Bower, Toss Woollaston, R N Field, Rata Lovell-Smith, Louise Henderson, Rita Angus, Leo Bensemann, Tony Fomison, Colin McCahon, Doris Lusk, Douglas MacDiarmid, Evelyn Page and W H Allen. This auction presents an excellent opportunity to showcase works by these important artists within a curated context. Works from this period will be paired with a selection of works by contemporary painters who demonstrate the lineage of this movement through their present practice. To find out more about this opportunity please contact one of our team.

Contact Carey Young, Specialist carey@webbs.co.nz 021 368 348

Auctions Private Sales Valuations webbs.co.nz

David Maskill, Art Consultant david@webbs.co.nz 027 256 0900

33a Normanby Rd Mount Eden Auckland, 1024

Experience the Gallery’s collection from the perspective of our place in Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, the Pacific Ocean.

Ani O’Neill ‘etu iti (detail) 2006. Kikau (coconut midrib), feathers, raffia, shells, beads, sequins, videotape, recycled plastic, nylon yarn, wire.

Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, purchased 2018

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