Works of Art, November 2022

0650

Auction Catalogue November 2022 Contemporary, Modern and Historical Art

Tony Fomison What shall we tell them now?

21.11.22 Works of Art

UNLIKE ANYTHING SEEN BEFORE, NEW ZEALAND’S MOST LUXURIOUS PENTHOUSE HAS JUST BEEN RELEASED. 09 379 0001

T R E N Z S E AT E R AWARD WINNING INTERIOR DESIGN

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THE ART OF BLACK GRACE 1/5

An architectural, digital and immersive dance experience in Karanga Plaza, Wynyard Quarter.

Exclusive corporate sessions available. Bring your team and clients for the most unique show of 2022.

Created by Neil Ieremia, ONZM

Email admin@blackgrace.co.nz for more information.

Coming 20 Nov — 10 Dec

@blackgracedanceco blackgrace.co.nz ticketmaster.co.nz

C RA F TED L EGAL ADV ICE FOR PE ACE OF MIN D.

Asset protection.

Do you need a trust?

The protection of assets that we have all worked so hard to acquire is an important consideration for most people.

Trusts are invaluable asset protection mechanisms, which allow a person to hold property and assets on behalf of another for the good of the beneficiaries.

However, not everyone needs a trust, so ensuring other forms of asset structuring including your will and enduring powers of attorney are up to date is important.

Contact Tammy McLeod for specialist asset structuring and planning advice.

DAV EN PORTSL AW.CO. N Z

0 9 883 32 89

Coming soon Register your interest at shellybaytaikuru.co.nz

Lighting and Objects

Ponsonby, Auckland

goodform.co.nz

Console Table by Charlotte Honcke, Stool by Welling Ludvig and Table Lamp

15 Williamson Ave,

by Svend Aage Holm-Sorensen for Warm Nordic / Rug by Martin Poppelwell for Dilana / Waste Basket by Saito Wood / Cup by Gidon Bing

Designer Furniture,

DESIGN HIGHLIGHT

Leda Armchair-Sculpture © Salvador Dalí, Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí, Barcelona Depicted in Dali’s painting “Femme à Tête de Roses (1935)” this furniture sculpture was recreated as a three dimensional piece, remaining faithful to every detail in Dalí’s painting. Dalí affirmed: “A chair can be used even to sit on, but only on one condition: That we sit uncomfortably.” We can indeed sit on the Leda, but due to the fact that it has only three high heeled legs and that the chair, being made of solid brass, is heavy, it is more a work of art than a functional piece of furniture. Available to order at Matisse, POA. Auckland 99 The Strand, Parnell +64 9 302 2284 Christchurch 27 Papanui Rd, Merivale +64 3 366 0623 Queenstown 179a Glenda Drive +64 21 246 9980

THE

NEW

i7

THE FIRST-EVER FULLY ELECTRIC BMW i7. bmw.co.nz

Tatamu Table, designed in New Zealand. cittadesign.com • @citta

regaldrycleaners.co.nz

Come and believe what you see When you stand here, you will realise why this position is so special.

Private, gated, and spacious. The Reserve occupies a north-facing peninsula, with ridges and valleys rolling down to a marine reserve. This is Auckland on another level.

The canvas has been set with space for privacy, security, and urban services.

With over half of the 29 lots already sold, The Reserve delivers a lifestyle that’s simply unrepeatable. Secluded and surrounded by nature, at the very fringe of Auckland, yet less than half an hour from downtown.

This is a place that will inspire you to create a statement, a place that can be your legacy.

GATED | PRIVATE | WATERFRONT

Mike Hotchin +64 27 493 0224 mike.hotchin@bayleys.co.nz BAYLEYS REAL ESTATE LTD, LONG BAY. LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008.

THERESERVE.ESTATE

REFINED LIVING

V I S I T O U R PA R N E L L S H O W R O O M ! refinedliving.nz

09 930 6268

59 - 61 The Strand, Parnell

USM

Auckland 39 Nugent Street Auckland, 1023 +64 9 379 9680 auckland@ecc.co.nz

+

Wellington 61 Thorndon Quay Wellington, 6011 +64 4 473 3456 wellington@ecc.co.nz Christchurch 145 Victoria Street Christchurch, 8013 +64 3 353 0586 christchurch@ecc.co.nz ecc.co.nz

ECC

Colophon

Publishing Details printer Crucial Colour 24 Fairfax Avenue Penrose Auckland 1061

Edition of 6,000 Offset printed, 156 pages 120gsm Laser Uncoated 150gsm Matt Art

Freely distributed to subscribers or available at select public art spaces and hospitality venues.

Publishing Contacts head office Paul Evans Managing Director paul@webbs.co.nz +64 21 866 000

Christine Kearney General Manager christine@webbs.co.nz +64 27 929 5604

advertising + pr

creative direction

Holly Hart Jenkins Advertising Manager holly@webbs.co.nz +64 27 557 5925

Olivia Woodgate Head of Creative design@webbs.co.nz +64 9 529 5604

Harry Goldie Design & Marketing Coordinator marketing@webbs.co.nz +64 9 529 5604

Art Department auckland

wellington

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

Adrienne (AD) Schierning Head of Art ad@webbs.co.nz +64 27 929 5609

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

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

Mark Hutchins-Pond Specialist, Art mark@webbs.co.nz +64 4 555 6001

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

Connie Dwyer Registrar, Art connie@webbs.co.nz +64 9 529 5609

Hannah Crichton Registrar, Art registrar@webbs.co.nz +64 9 529 5609

Olivia Taylor Editor & Copywriter editor@webbs.co.nz +64 9 529 5600

Karen Rigby Business Manager karen@webbs.co.nz +64 22 344 5610

Jo Bragg Administrator, Art art@webbs.co.nz +64 9 529 5609

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Contents

Journal 30 Foreword

46

Programme 48 Plates 49

Webb's

Terms & Conditions

152

Index of Artists

155

Absentee Bid Form

156

2022

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Stallion of the Streets: The 1968 Ferrari 330 GTC

1968 Ferrari 330 GTC est $750,000 — $850,000

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The harmonic combination of superlative p e r fo r m a n c e , p e e rl e s s s t y l i n g a n d uncompromising engineering excellence characterise the Ferrari marque. Cars that bear the prancing horse badge hold the mystique of a brand that remains one of the most desired in the world — all of which is incarnate in the 1968 Ferrari 330 GTC. The legacy of Ferrari’s racing prowess was channelled in the 300 GTC released at Geneva Motor Show in 1966. Civilised for public asphalt, the model was touted by many as the best road car Ferrari ever built. It was an amalgamation of Ferrari’s top features at the time, including the previous 275 GTB chassis and the 3967cc (242-I-cid) engine from 330 GT 2+2. The two-seater coupe was designed

by Pininfarina, in which front styling from the 400 Superamerica was sculpted with the 275 GTS rear to create a handsome, aerodynamic sports car.

Unlike many Ferrari’s, the 330 GTC was quiet. This allowed for the ease of urban use and the luxurious addition of a radio. Air conditioning was also offered, both inclusions reflecting the increasing refinement of the GTs. About 600 330 GTC coupes were built through to 1968 before it was replaced by the 365 GTC that was manufactured into the 1970s.

Cast in gun-metal grey with a black interior and magnesium wheels, this fully-restored example in left-hand drive is exquisite. These cars are incredibly scarce today, especially with the factory stock standard 5-speed manual gearbox.

Webb’s is pleased to present a 1968 Ferrari 330 GTC in the Collectors’ Cars, Motorcycles & Automobilia auction on Sunday 27 November at 2pm. The sale will be held at the Due Drop Events Centre, Manukau, Auckland. For further information about the car or the sale, please contact our specialist team.

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1968 Ferrari 330 GTC (details)

Caolán McAleer Head of Collectors’ Cars caolan@webbs.co.nz +64 27 929 5603 Ian Nott Consultant, Collectors’ Cars ian@webbs.co.nz +64 21 610 911

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Elegant Rivals: Cristal & Dom Pérignon

When it comes to the best Champagne vintage, the name Dom Pérignon comes to mind. There are many outstanding factors that deem this brand an imagination mainstay, however, there is another competitor to consider, the Louis Roederer Cristal. Both have long histories and unique wine-making methods that hold them in the top tier of global Champagne brands.

The name Dom Pérignon originally belonged to a monk who was regarded by many as the founding father of Champagne production. He was a pioneer. He was the first to introduce the blending of wines, the use of a cork in Champagne bottling and a more resistant glass for the bottles. For many, he was considered to be the one who developed the ‘champenoise’ method by mastering and monitoring a natural bubble trapped in each.

The Dom Pérignon Champagne we know today is owned by Moët & Chandon and was first released in the mid-1930s as a special cuvée in the monk's honour. As a branding strategy Moët & Chandon separated this higher-tier bottle from their other products by naming the 1921 vintage the ‘Dom Pérignon’. This saw immediate success when a flurry of the elite rushed to acquire the bottles.

The house is known for only producing vintages meaning they retain a reputation of only producing the best cuvées, Bruts (Blanc) and Rosés. Each release is an unparalleled blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from seventeen different Grands Crus and aged for a minimum of seven years. Dom Pérignon bottles are kept in cellars during this time and are only released when the Chef de Caves believes they have reached a new stage of degustation. Different elevations or plenitudes

are determined from this process which is defined by a stratum of complexity. The wine has a distinct reductive quality that is crisp and dry on the palate. Minerality is present with notes of toast, coffee, and spices. Brooding in dark glass and embellished with the crestshaped label of the house, the Dom is sultry and seductive.

Bright, luminous, and silky, the Cristal is Dom Pérignon’s obverse. It is the embodiment of Louis Roederer's Champagne principles. True to its roots and tradition, the flagship cuvée glistens with opulence. The gold accents and anti-UV cellophane are striking. The packaging is used to protect the wine, which is made from 45 plots in 7 grand crus in the Champagne region and a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. The Cristal was originally created for the Russian Tsar by Louis Roederer in 1876.

It was designed to quench the monarch’s thirst and assassination paranoia. The Tsar asked specifically for a clear bottle with a flat bottom so he could detect anything lethal inside.

Cristal is still presented in this bottle style and sourced from the estate’s oldest vines.

Owing its loyalty to the soil, the Cristal has a chalk base, feeding the viticultural quality by allowing the excess water to drain. The resulting grapes are of perfect balance and maturity.

These are coupled with a continuous stream of fine bubbles, building to a delicate crescendo of fragrant citrus fruits with lightly roasted almonds and tangy overtones. Luxurious, with a summer's hue, the Cristal is perfect for this holiday season.

Explore these exquisite Champagnes and more at The Cellar open from 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday, 33a Normanby Road.

Rémy Jaboulet Head of Champagne & Retail remy@webbs.co.nz +64 22 539 7613

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Circular Economies: The Estate at Webb's The Estate has become a mainstay of the auction calendar, offering a widely diverse range of items at prices to suit all budgets. Mid-century and contemporary furniture, antiques, artworks, posters and more are all available from The Estate on a fortnightly basis. These auctions have proven to be widely popular since their introduction in March. Sustainability is central to The Estate, with buyers and sellers engaging in a trade that runs on recycling and repurposing used items.

Sustainability is increasingly important as the world sees growing awareness of the impacts of climate change.

There are many aspects to creating a sustainable global economy, and some of the brightest minds in the world are focussed on that. Though one straightforward principle is to ensure that manufactured products are used on an ongoing basis, rather than discarded after a brief period.

This ensures that the benefits derived from the resources and emissions involved in making a product are maximised.

For many people, this consideration is increasingly important in purchasing decisions.

The Estate deals in designer furniture and home décor, tasteful items that enhance home and office environments.

Many of these items have decades of use behind them, meaning that their environmental footprint is minimal compared to newly manufactured goods. Purchasing used furniture and goods is a more eco-friendly option than buying new, regardless of how sustainably the new option has been produced. Such purchases extend the lifespan of an item, and make the most of the environmental footprint that it has already created. By purchasing goods through The Estate, buyers are giving those items a new lease on life.

The Estate is offered each fortnight, meaning there are always opportunities to pick up sustainable treasures for your home or office — sometimes, at amazing prices. The Estate auctions close on Tuesdays, with viewing open on the Friday, Saturday, and Monday beforehand. If you are looking to buy or sell quality home décor and design goods with minimal environmental impact, get in touch with the specialist team at Webb’s.

An Early Garth Chester Chair est $6,000 — $8,000 price realised $3,585

An Early New Zealand Majolica est $60 — $100 price realised $179.25

An Elegant White USM Haller Storage Unit, Made In Switzerland est $2,000 — $3,000 price realised $6,572.50

Cameron Millar Specialist, Decorative Arts cameron@webbs.co.nz +64 27 222 9104 Karen Dunsmore Administrator, The Estate theestate@webbs.co.nz +64 27 929 5603

White Perpetual Flip Calendar Wall Clock est $80 — $120 price realised $501.90

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Webb's Makes History with the Bank of New Zealand Art Collection With the Bank of New Zealand Art Collection, Webb’s made auction history. Total sales across Part I, Part II, and Part III of the collection realised more than $15.3 million, making the Bank of New Zealand Art Collection the highest value single vendor art collection ever sold at auction in New Zealand.

This incredible result came on the back of two eradefining live auctions: Part I on 18 September and Part II on 27 September, followed by the online Part III, which closed on 3 October. Part I set a flurry of price records, including the highest price for an artwork ever achieved at auction in New Zealand. That honour belonged to Colin McCahon’s extraordinary 1982 work, Is there anything of which one can say look this is new?, which sold for $2.45 million. Tony Fomison’s The Fugitive realised the second highest price of the auction at $1.86 million, completely eclipsing the previous record for a work by Fomison — $516,500, set by Webb’s in late 2020.

In total, all-time price records were set for 14 artists and the auction was a white glove sale, with all 50 lots selling on the day. The marathon evening sale of Part II followed a similar pattern to the incredibly successful Part I. More than 150 lots were on offer, and they were met with vigorously competitive bidding. Many of the artworks realised prices that considerably exceeded their pre-auction estimates, in some cases, 3-4 times the high estimate.

The highest price from Part II was achieved for Ian Scott’s Asymmetrical Lattice No 2, which sold for $73,455.

Other standouts included Dick Frizzell’s Look, which found a buyer at $48,970, and a magnificent suite of five paintings by Joanna Margaret Paul — all of which sold for well over their high estimates. Colin McCahon’s 1957 lithograph set, Van Gogh – Poems by John Caselberg Plates I-V sold for $45,900 setting a record price for print works by McCahon in the process.

Part III presented a selection of paintings, prints, works on paper, and ceramic objects. Buyer interest remained very strong, and the items were snapped up by keen-eyed collectors who were looking to secure a work from this famous collection.

Total sales came to $162,000 — well above the upper end of the estimated range for Part III. This cemented the single-vendor record, already set during the Part II live auction.

With this phenomenally successful BNZ campaign, Webb’s has raised the bar for art auctions in New Zealand once again. We are leading and defining the market for New Zealand art, and we have unparalleled client reach. If you are considering bringing your cultural assets to market, get in touch with our team of specialists.

We would love to hear from you.

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Highlights

2

1

3

1 Colin McCahon Is there anything of which one can say look this is new?

1982 est $1,500,000 – $2,000,000 price realised $2,448,500 new artist record

4

5

2 Milan Mrkusich

Golden Centre with Two Elements 1965–72 est $180,000 – $320,000 price realised $226,450

3 Tony Fomison

Icon by Fra Angelico No.1 c1970 est $100,000 – $200,000 price realised $226,450

4 Brent Wong Town Boundary 1969 est $120,000 – $220,000 price realised $483,550

6

7

5 Ralph Hotere Towards Aramoana (Black Window) 1981-82 est $150,000 – $250,000 price realised $330,500 new artist record

6 Tony Fomison Christ in the Desert: Crossing the Pass 1982 est $70,000 – $140,000 price realised $250,950

7 Gordon Walters Makora 1979 est $600,000 – $800,000 price realised $722,300

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8 Bill Hammond

The Lay of the Land my Son 1985 est $80,000 – $160,000 price realised $244,850

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9 Gordon Walters Onepu 1981–82 est $350,000 – $550,000 price realised $440,700

10 Colin McCahon Grey Sky, Red Earth c1969 est $80,000 – $120,000 price realised $257,000

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11

11 Allen Maddox untitled 1977 est $80,000 – $160,000 price realised $281,550 new artist record

12 Milan Mrkusich Painting 61 No 8 1961 est $70,000 – $140,000 price realised 183,600

13 Michael Smither Sarah Cleaning Knives and Forks 1969 est $120,000 – $220,000 price realised $177,500

12

13

14 Tony Fomison The Fugitive 1982–83 est $600,000 – $900,000 price realised $1,866,950 new artist record

15 Evelyn Page Girl at a Coffee Bar 1971 est $200,000 – $400,000 price realised $299,900 new artist record

14

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16

17

16 Theo Schoon Basic Arawa Pattern and Bird Motif 1957 est $220,000 – $320,000 price realised $299,900

17 A. Lois White Design c1944 est $40,000 – $70,000 price realised $226,450 new artist record

18

19

18 Colin McCahon O Let Us Weep 1969 est $800,000 – $1,600,000 price realised $948,750

19 Philip Clairmont Kidney Table 1979 est $200,000 – $400,000 price realised $281,550

20 Robin White

Glenda at Tahakopa 1978 est $250,000 – $300,000 price realised $416,200

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21 Colin McCahon Kauri 1953 est $350,000 – $550,000 price realised $710,000

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22 Colin McCahon Small Bush Covered Hillside 1966 est $60,000 – $90,000 price realised $208,100

23 Toss Woollaston Taramakau 1965 est $65,000 – $95,000 price realised $165,250

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The Local Specialists: Webb's Team in Wellington

Our Wellington operation is up and running and looking great. With a stunning showroom and compelling schedule of exhibitions, Webb’s Wellington team has already created waves. Recently, two outstanding individuals have come on board in important leadership roles in the capital: Karen Rigby and Mark Hutchins-Pond.

Karen has joined us as the Business Manager of our Wellington premises. Prior to joining us, Karen was the General Manager of Partridge Jewellers, and an instrumental part of their team for over 20 years. Her experience in management, customer experience, marketing, events and operations is exemplary. Her managerial and commercial acumen is an asset to Webb’s, and provides key expertise to our Wellington operation.

Mark joins us as an Art Specialist. He comes with over 25 years of experience, studying, writing, presenting, critiquing, and championing the best contemporary art in the country. Mark had his own dealer gallery, Mark Hutchins Gallery, from 2004 to 2013. He held the role of Lead Curator, Contemporary Art, at the Pātaka Art+Museum – an institution he worked with for nine and a half years. Mark’s depth of professional experience in the art industry is invaluable.

We are thrilled to have Karen and Mark on the team, and we are sure that our clients will appreciate the amazing knowledge and skills they bring to Webb’s. The pair will lead our Wellington operation as it continues to flourish.

In addition to this brilliant duo, Webb’s specialists from across the business frequently visit the capital from Auckland. Webb’s has specialist departments in Art, Decorative Arts & Asian Art, Fine Wine & Whiskies, Jewellery, Watches & Luxury Accessories, and Collectors’ Cars, Motorcycles & Automobilia. If you are considering bringing your collectibles to market, get in touch with us today. We would love to hear from you.

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Mark Hutchins-Pond Specialist, Art mark@webbs.co.nz +64 22 095 5610 Karen Rigby Business Manager karen@webbs.co.nz +64 4 555 6001

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BNZ Multiples: A Limited Release of Premium Quality Screenprints

Following the sensational success of the Bank of New Zealand Art Collection auctions, we are thrilled to announce BNZ Multiples. This set of six screenprint reproductions of original paintings from the Bank of New Zealand Art Collection is available to purchase now from Webb’s Boutique.

BNZ Multiples has been produced in association with artists’ estates in an edition limited to 500 copies. These high-quality collectible prints will make for excellent gifts or collectors’ pieces. They have been printed on 100% archival cotton, Fabriano Artistico 300 gsm paper by specialist screenprinters. The results are magnificent.

The artworks included in BNZ Multiples are Orchid

by Rita Angus, Design by A. Lois White, Basic Arawa Pattern and Bird Motif by Theo Schoon, Girl at a Coffee Bar by Evelyn Page, Kaisei Maru by Charles Tole, and The Pink Terraces by Charles Blomfield. Each print has been produced with multi-layer screen stencils, on 750 x 560mm paper. The prints are individually numbered and blind embossed with artist's estate details. BNZ Multiples beautifully commemorates the historically significant Bank of New Zealand Art Collection auctions.

This sumptuous set of six high-quality screenprints is available for $1,850 including GST. Shipping is an additional $30 including GST. Acquire yours through the Webb's Boutique today.

Available to Purchase Now

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Evolution of an Icon: Louis Vuitton

From humble beginnings, Louis Vuitton, the founder of one of the longest-standing luxury brands in the world famously walked over 450kms from his rural town to Paris to establish his career.

The bags that Vuitton created in the 1850s were developed to support the increasing growth of the travel market. Amid industrialisation, transport was evolving rapidly, encouraging demand for durable, sturdy luggage pieces. The empire was built on craftsmanship, ingenuity and versatility sustained throughout rapidly changing trends.

Today, Louis Vuitton bags set the global standard for opulence and style.

Among many popular designs, the Alma, Keepall, Speedy, Twist, Capucine, Coussin, Neverfull, and Horizon open a world of Vuitton’s extensive repertoire. The brand has innovated since its conception. Always staying a step ahead, they have asserted and reasserted benchmarks of fashion, all while maintaining their legacy.

Homage to their founder and their history is present in the signature LV monogram with quatrefoils and flowers that adorn so many of their pieces.

Unmistakable, the monogram is a global icon.

The brand’s ability to evolve while maintaining unwavering quality means Louis Vuitton will obtain its position as a luxury status symbol. Webb’s Fine Jewels, Watches and Luxury Accessories department offers the familiarity and trustworthy products of Louis Vuitton in our live, online and buy now sales.

Recent sales of Louis Vuitton bags sold at auction have exceeded their estimates, demonstrating the desirability for coveted pieces.

Monograms continue to be popular. A monogram canvas Pegase 45 piece of rolling luggage realised a price $3,405.75, the Monogram Neverfull MM Bag sold for $3,286.25 and a Monogram Pallas Raisin BB Bag achieved $2,270.50.

Many new consignments have arrived for our forthcoming auctions. Highlights include, Louis Vuitton Azteque Epi Petite Malle Bag with an estimate of $5,400 – $5,800. This bag is a modern interpretation of the historical Louis Vuitton Trianon Trunk. Featuring a black and white epi leather Webb's

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exterior with multicolour Aztec designs. Limited edition from 2015, this bag has push-lock fastening for the folder-over top, making it a secure shoulder bag perfect for your next international trip.

Standout pieces from the turn of the millennium will feature in our next sales as Y2K fashion resurges worldwide. Gen Z appreciation of the past is influencing these trends, causing a spike in popularity via social media channels. From 1999, the Louis Vuitton vintage Monogram Sirius 55 Suitcase is a soft-sided suitcase, presented in coated canvas monogram exterior with a Vuittonite-lined interior. Elastic garment straps hold the luggage contents securely. It is set at the estimate of $1,300 – $1,600. This will be offered alongside Louis Vuitton Taiga Kendall Travel Bag produced in 2000. With a similar estimate of $1,200 – $1,600, this bag is crafted from dark green durable Taiga leather with double leather top handles and a broad canvas shoulder strap.

Look out for these pieces and more at our upcoming Fine Jewels, Watches and Luxury Accessories auctions. For further information about these pieces, please contact our specialist team. We would love to hear from you.

Christine Power Head of Fine Jewels, Watches & Luxury Accessories AJP (GIA) christinep@webbs.co.nz +64 27 929 5607 Jess Mackenzie Specialist, Fine Jewels, Watches & Luxury Accessories AJP (GIA) jess@webbs.co.nz +64 22 096 5610​​​​​​​

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Louis Vuitton Alzer Trunks Sold in The Luxury Edition, June 2022 Lot 502, Louis Vuitton Monogram Alzer Trunk 65, price realised $5,106.25 Lot 503, Louis Vuitton Monogram Alzer Trunk 75, price realised $5,643.75 Lot 504, Louis Vuitton Monogram Alzer Trunk 80, price realised $5,912.50

Foreword 2022 has been a historic year for the art market in Aotearoa.

It has seen an unprecedented level of market interest, even eclipsing the astonishing activity of 2020 and 2021. This is in no small part down to the sale of the Bank of New Zealand Art Collection. This whirlwind set of auctions saw Webb’s create countless records, and it was exhilarating to be a part of. I’m delighted with the results. I’m also thrilled with the tremendous efforts of the team at Webb’s, and with our wonderful clientele whose support made the Bank of New Zealand Art Collection historically successful.

One might think that this would be a hard act to follow.

Yet, this Works of Art catalogue entirely holds its own. It is one of the best we have ever produced, and features an exquisitely rich selection of incredible artworks by the nation’s finest and brightest artists. From such a brilliant line up, it’s hard to single out individual highlights, though there are a number of key themes that do stand out.

This catalogue features a remarkable depth of work by Ralph Hotere, including several major works. A staff favourite is Pathway to the Sea, an incredible 1980 corrugated iron work.

This is one of Hotere’s historically significant aluminium smelter protest works, and it is, simply, a masterpiece.

We have an exquisite suite of works by Louise Henderson available in Works of Art. There are four paintings

by Henderson altogether, and they present rich evidence of Henderson’s superb ability to walk the line between abstraction and representation with unrivalled finesse. These works are discussed in an excellent essay by art historian Victoria Munn, who has extensive knowledge of Henderson’s distinguished practice.

Tony Fomison is one of New Zealand’s greatest artists. At Webb’s, we have been championing Fomison’s work for many years, and we have recently seen his work reach the kind of market status it rightly deserves. In September, Webb’s reset the market for Fomison when his showstopping work The Fugitive achieved a record breaking $1.86m. There is a sensational line-up of the artist’s work in this catalogue, though the jewel in the crown is unquestionably What shall we tell them now?, a stunning jester painting from 1976.

I am personally thrilled by the inclusion of two magnificent oil paintings by Adele Younghusband. A suite of her print works were highly admired in the Bank of New Zealand Art Collection, and it’s a privilege to present two incredible examples of her work again. Spring Cleaning is a powerful painting from 1941, and is among the finest examples of her work ever to come to market. It is rare to see works of this calibre by the artist come to market, and an honour to present two paintings by Younghusband in this catalogue.

On the whole, this is a remarkable catalogue of works that I am proud to bring to auction. Webb’s is leading the market for art in New Zealand into new territory. We are committed to seeing the finest art in Aotearoa continue to rise in stature, and to be afforded more prominence in public discourse. Our efforts in this regard are tireless, and more and more New Zealanders are waking up to the extraordinary richness of this nation's art.

Yet, as we see it, there is much more to come. The future for the New Zealand art market looks very bright indeed.

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Members of the Auckland Art Department at Webb's in Auckland, left to right: Jo Bragg, Charles Ninow, Tasha Jenkins, Adrienne (AD) Schierning, Julian McKinnon and Charles Tongue.

Members of the Art Department at Webb's in Wellington, left to right: Mark Hutchins-Pond, Charles Ninow, Adrienne (AD) Schierning.

The editorial team working on the Bank of New Zealand Art Collection campaign, left to right: Charles Ninow, Paul Evans, Olivia Woodgate, Hamish Coney, Julian McKinnon and Robert Leonard.

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

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Ralph Hotere Aramoana – Pathway to the Sea 1980 enamel on corrugated iron and wood 2430 × 820mm (widest points) est

$150,000 — $250,000

Programme

Wellington Preview Evening Wednesday 9 November

6pm — 8pm

Wellington Viewing Thursday 10 — Friday 11 November

10am — 5pm

Saturday 12 November

11am — 3pm

Auckland Preview Evening Tuesday 15 November

6pm — 8pm

Auckland Viewing Wednesday 16 — Friday 18 November

10am — 5pm

Saturday 19 — Sunday 20 November

10am — 4pm

Auckland Viewing on Request Monday 21 November auckland 33a Normanby Rd Mount Eden Auckland 1024

10am — 5pm

Auckland Auction Monday 21 November

6.30pm

wellington 23 Marion Street Te Aro Wellington 6011

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Plates

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1

Bill Hammond Limbo Bay II 2001 lithograph on paper, 40/48 signed W D Hammond, dated 2001 and inscribed Limbo Bay II, 40/48 in graphite lower edge 530 × 730mm est

$10,000 — $15,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Theo Schoon untitled gouache on paper 735 × 485mm

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Theo Schoon untitled gouache on paper 650 × 385mm

est

est

$15,000 — $25,000

provenance Private collection, Hawke's Bay. Passed by bequest, 2014; Private collection. Acquired directly from the artist, Auckland, c1940s.

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$12,000 — $18,000

provenance Private collection, Hawke's Bay. Passed by bequest, 2014; Private collection. Acquired directly from the artist, Auckland, c1940s.

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Robin White Mere and Siulolovao, Otago Peninsula 1978 screenprint on paper, artist's proof signed ROBIN WHITE, dated '75, and inscribed MERE AND SIULOLOVAO, OTAGO PENINSULA, A/P in graphite lower left 662 × 338mm est

$6,000 — $10,000

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provenance Private collection, Hawke's Bay; Private collection, passed by bequest, 2014. literature Alister Taylor, Robin White: New Zealand Painter, (Martinborough: Alister Taylor, 1981), 69; Sarah Farrar, Jill Trevelyan and Nina Tonga (editors), Robin White: Something is Happening Here, (Wellington: Te Papa Press, 2022), 115.

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Gordon Walters Kura 1982 screenprint on paper, 54/150 signed Gordon Walters, dated 1982 and inscribed Kura 54/150 in graphite lower edge 600 × 490mm est

$15,000 — $25,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Pat Hanly Jinger Girl 1976 watercolour and ink on paper signed Hanly and dated 76 in graphite lower edge; inscribed Jinger Girl 76 in ink upper left 550 × 540mm est

$12,000 — $18,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland, c1977. exhibitions Hanly Drawing Exhibition: Private Collection and Jinger Girl Suite, Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland, 1977.

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Pat Hanly painted Jinger Girl, an ink and watercolour work, in 1976. The painting depicts a nude woman seated on a couch, and is from a wider series of works known as the Jinger Girl Suite. By Hanly’s standards, Jinger Girl is restrained, both in terms of paint application and palette. It is quieter and more studied than the vibrant, lavishly colourful paintings he is widely known for. Yet, even in its considered composition, one can detect Hanly’s vitality and expressiveness. There is energy to the brushstrokes, exuberance to the washy background, and a determined artistic vision behind the execution of the work.

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ceramic 210 × 140 × 55mm (widest points)

Theo Schoon Kumara God c1950s

est

ceramic impressed makers-mark on base 280 × 150mm × 150mm (widest points) est

$6,000 — $10,000

provenance Private collection, Northland.

Acquired directly from the artist, c1960s.

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Tony Fomison Winking Cat c1980s

November

$3,000 — $6,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Gifted

by Barry Brickell; Collection of Barry Brickell, Coromandel. note This work was made at Barry Brickell's Driving Creek Railway & Potteries, Coromandel.

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Louise Henderson untitled 1974 oil on canvas signed Louise Henderson and dated '74 in graphite lower right 460 × 460mm est

$15,000 — $25,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Colin McCahon Small Landscape 1964 oil on board signed McCahon and dated '64 in brushpoint lower right; signed McCahon and dated May June / 1964 in ink verso 295 × 245mm est

$55,000 — $85,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Passed by bequest, 2014; Collection of Jonathan Mane-Wheoki, Auckland. Acquired directly from the artist, Auckland, 1964. exhibitions 1964 Colin McCahon: Small Landscapes and Waterfalls, Ikon Fine Arts, Auckland, 14 September 1964 – 25 September 1964. note Colin McCahon Database (www.mccahon.co.nz) number: cm001246

“One thing I took from McCahon’s beliefs was that New Zealand artists should see the mental and visual landscape of their country not through the frames of reference passed to us by British schools of painting but with eyes, minds and skills grown in a unique, much cherished homeland. McCahon was the closest thing I had encountered to a holy prophet.”1

1

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J ohn Coley is an artist and the former director of Robert McDougall Art Gallery in Christchurch. Quote from McCahon House, https://mccahonhouse.org.nz/.

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Peter Robinson Dirt Cheap c1996 acrylic and oilstick on canvasboard 350 × 450mm est

$10,000 — $16,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Karl Maughan untitled 2008 oil on canvas signed KM and dated 2008 in brushpoint verso 760 × 760mm est

$22,000 — $32,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Karl Maughan Otaki 2013 oil on canvas signed KM, dated 2013 and inscribed Otaki in ink verso 400 × 600mm est

$10,000 — $15,000

provenance Private collection, Wellington.

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Gretchen Albrecht Spring Balance Pohutukawa 2002 acrylic on canvas signed Albrecht, dated '02, and inscribed Spring Balance Pohutukawa in brushpoint verso 980 × 1500mm (widest points) est

$30,000 — $45,000

provenance Private collection, Wellington. Acquired from Mark Hutchins Gallery, Wellington, 2005.

Spring Balance Pohutukawa is an excellent example from the artist’s Pohutukawa series from the late 1990s and early 2000s. This body of work was commented on extensively by art historian Luke Smyth in his comprehensive book Gretchen Albrecht: Between Gesture and Geometry. Smyth discussed the works in the context of Illuminations — a 2002 exhibition at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki.

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“Progressing through the exhibition's rooms, visitors could trace the evolution of the hemispheres and ovals, savouring their formal range and richness and absorbing their many layers of significance. Those who were especially attentive could also observe a shift in Albrecht's practice that her most recent paintings made apparent.

Prior to the late 1990s, each new group of works had introduced new forms or subject matter. From the late 1990s onward, however, this was no longer the case. Heralding this transition were the Pohutukawas, which used variants of the thin bars from the Claritas series to engage with nature, a long-standing theme of her practice. […]

It is not that these new paintings were not innovative – the Pohutukawas featured novel colour harmonies and the hemispheres were her largest works to date – but rather that their innovative qualities stood out against a backdrop of concerns that were already well established.” 1 Albrecht is one of New Zealand’s foremost practitioners of colour-field abstract painting. Spring Balance Pohutukawa is a stunning work that showcases the artist’s unique painting techniques and her innovative oval support structures.

1

uke Smyth, Gretchen Albrecht: L Between Gesture and Geometry (Auckland: Massey University Press, 2019). Page 229.

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Michael Parekōwhai Turk Lane 2001 C-type print, edition of 8 1550 × 1250mm est

$25,000 — $35,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Peter Stichbury Ron Clearwater 2009 acrylic on linen signed PETER STICHBURY, dated 2009, and inscribed RON CLEARWATER in brushpoint verso 1210 × 900mm est

$55,000 — $75,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Aquired privately, 2015; Private collection, Wellington.

Acquired from Starkwhite, Auckland, 2009. exhibitions 10 Years and Counting, Temple Gallery, Dunedin, 2009.

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Charles Frederick Goldie Tamati Pehiriri Te Ratawa, A Chief of Ngapuhi conté on paper signed CFG in conté lower right 255 × 190mm est

“Goldie is New Zealand's 'Old Master'. Museums and individual owners will continue to treasure his works, while his stature as the country's paramount academic painter of the early twentieth century will undoubtedly be re-evaluated by successive generations.”1 Webb's

2022

$25,000 — $35,000

provenance Private collection, Wellington. Acquired from Devereux and Cully, Auckland. exhibitions Goldie – The Exhibition, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, 1997.

1

oger Blackley, Goldie (Auckland: Auckland R Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, 1997). Page 2.

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Shane Cotton Study 2014 acrylic on paper signed Shane Cotton, dated 2014 and inscribed (STUDY) in graphite lower right 760 × 560mm est

$12,000 — $18,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown.

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Judy Millar untitled 2003 acrylic on aluminium signed Millar and dated 2003 in ink verso 1020 × 800mm est

$14,000 — $18,000

Milan Mrkusich Four Circles Dark 1977 acrylic on paper 600 × 415mm est

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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$10,000 — $20,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

2022

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Robert Ellis City, Cloud & River 1964 oil on canvas signed Robert Ellis and dated '64 in brushpoint lower right 900 × 600mm est

$25,000 — $35,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Robert Ellis City With Blue Clouds 1964 oil on board signed Robert Ellis and dated '64 in brushpoint lower left 700 × 900mm est

$25,000 — $35,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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“Symbolist painting is always pretty suspect I think, but I was looking at associations of imagery which were pretty well known. There were all kinds of references for them. I was reading a lot of New Zealand history at the time and was fascinated by the Pai Marie and Ratana movements. They used symbols taken from the landscape, the physical aspects of the landscape, and I tried to do the same in my urban way.”

1

obert Ellis quoted in Contemporary New Zealand Painters: Volume 1 A-M by R Marti Friedlander, Jim and Mary Barr. Published by Alister Taylor, 1980.

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Bill Hammond untitled 2006 lithograph on paper, 22/100 signed W D Hammond and dated 2006 in graphite lower right 590 × 430mm

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Reuben Paterson untitled 2002 glitter on canvas signed Reuben Paterson and dated 2002 in ink verso 600 × 600mm

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$10,000 — $15,000

provenance Private collection.

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$8,000 — $12,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

November

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25 Laurence Aberhart

The Prisoners Dream (View #1, #2, #3, and #4) 2000 gelatin silver print signed L. Aberhart, dated 2000 and inscribed The Prisoners Dream in ink lower edge (each panel) 170 × 250mm (each panel) est

$10,000 — $15,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Paul Hartigan Litmus 2010 argon tube light, Perspex signed Hartigan, dated 2010 and inscribed litmus in paint marker verso est

$8,000 — $16,000

provenance Paul Hartigan Collection, Auckland.

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Paul Hartigan Tarawera 2014 flourescent tube light 1200 × 510 × 100mm est

$8,500 — $15,500

provenance Paul Hartigan Collection, Auckland.

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Brent Wong Hills – Clouds 1983 acrylic on board signed Brent Wong, dated 1983 and inscribed Hills – Clouds in brushpoint verso 495 × 634mm est

$35,000 — $45,000

provenance Private collection, Wellington. Acquired from Brooke Gifford Gallery, Christchurch, 1989.

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“Brent Wong’s work has variously been described as surrealistic, realist and visionary. While surrealism and realism may be attributed to certain phases of his work, the artist believes that there is a high level of symbolic content in most of his paintings, reflecting autobiographical material. Over the past twenty years his interest in the meditative nature of the static image has deepened.”1

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Brent Wong Hill – Clouds 1985 acrylic on board signed Brent Wong, dated 1985 and inscribed Hill – Clouds in brushpoint verso 425 × 596mm est

$30,000 — $40,000

provenance Private collection, Wellington. Acquired from Janne Land Gallery, Wellington, 1985.

Stark landscapes devoid of human habitation; rolling hills and open skies with unique cloud formations; eerily empty scenes, surreal or perhaps hyperreal – these are some of the qualities of Brent Wong’s landscape paintings.

Wong became known in the late 1960s for his distinctive ‘monolith’ paintings.

These striking images presented a repeating combination of elements: stark, dry landscapes, seemingly abandoned buildings, and complex

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geometric structures floating in the sky.

These paintings were widely acclaimed, though they comprise a relatively short period of his artistic production. From the 1980s onwards, his practice has featured more conventional landscape paintings – austere rolling hills, though without the buildings or sci-fi monoliths.

According to writer and curator Robert Leonard, Wong’s paintings exemplify British theorist Mark Fisher's aesthetic categories of the weird and the eerie. “For Fisher, the weird is when things appear where they shouldn't, upsetting our epistemological categories, our basic understanding of reality.

The eerie is more to do with absences, and is typified by depopulated landscapes. The monoliths are out of place; they are weird. But his depopulated landscapes are also eerie.

Why are there no people? What happened?

Where have they gone?” 2 This 1983 work is simply titled Hill – Clouds, and it possesses exactly the eerie quality Leonard and Fisher speak of. In an inverse echo of the famous 1950 quote by physicist Enrico Fermi, one may well ask, ‘where has everybody gone?' 3

Quote from the artist’s website.

Robert Leonard, Twilight Zone, in The Bank of New Zealand Art Collection, edited by Hamish Coney, Julian McKinnon, and Robert Leonard (Auckland: Webb’s, 2022), 105-112. Page 109.

3 In a discussion about the possibility of extra-terrestrial life with a group of physicists over lunch, Enrico Fermi famously exclaimed “But where is everybody?” (or words to that effect).

Henceforth, his name was attributed to the Fermi paradox –the lack of clear evidence of extraterrestrial life despite numerous high estimates for its existence. Essentially, given the scale of the universe, life is likely to exist plentifully. Yet, if that were so, ‘someone from somewhere must have come calling by now.’

1 2

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Heather Straka The Honey Trap 12 2016 oil on cotton on board signed Heather Straka, dated 2016 and inscribed The Honey Trap 12 in ink verso 630 × 480mm (widest points) est

$18,000 — $25,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Fiona Pardington Andrew's Huia Pair 2019 archival inkjet print on Hahnemühle paper, 9/10 signed Fiona Pardington in ink verso 1090 × 1588mm est

$40,000 — $60,000

provenance Private collection.

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“Though I do not entirely denounce nonrepresentational work, I do feel that for western man it has an element of escape, of intellectual withdrawal. My life is now on the fringe of the two worlds and I want to express this duality. The inspired intuition from which I poured out my paintings seems to move towards new aspects more related to life, in which I try to overcome the dehumanizing tendencies in contemporary painting.”1

1

Louise Henderson quoted in Anne Kirker, New Zealand Women Artists (Auckland: Reed Methuen Publishers, 1986), page 143.

Opposite page: Portrait of Louise Henderson by Marti Friedlander, 1972. Image appears courtesy of the Gerrard and Marti Friedlander Charitable Foundation.

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Louise Henderson is one of New Zealand’s most important artists. Born in France in 1902, she migrated to New Zealand in her early twenties, and settled at first in Christchurch. There, she became acquainted with Rita Angus, and involved for a time with The Group. Subsequently, she lived in Wellington, then Auckland, before travelling and studying abroad extensively in the 1950s. This time was highly formative for the artist, strongly influencing her artistic development.

Henderson continued to travel, teach and make art throughout her life, and her art continuously evolved.

In recent years, public and institutional recognition of Henderson’s work has grown. This culminated in the first major survey exhibition of her work Louise Henderson: From Life, which showed at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki in 2019 and Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū in 2020. That these exhibitions took place 25 years after the artist’s death indicates that Henderson and her work have been historically underrecognised.

Henderson’s work occupies a fascinating locus of influences — European modernism, cubism, abstraction, and mid-century New Zealand regionalist painting. Her paintings often blur the distinction between abstraction and representation, allowing the viewer multiple possible readings. Over the course of her life, she created an extraordinarily rich body of work, which is only just starting to reach the level of public appreciation that it warrants.

This catalogue presents a fascinating selection of Henderson’s work. Four paintings in total have dates of production that range from the 1960s through to the mid-1980s. Each of the four operates in the liminal space between abstraction and representation, allowing readings of layered foliage or of skilfully composed colour fields. Perhaps the outlier here is Birds in Trees, painted in 1984. This work, as the title suggests, is more pictorially directive than the others, presenting figures of birds and foliage. Yet, even this work has areas that could easily be read as abstract. These paintings are accompanied in this catalogue by an insightful essay by art historian Victoria Munn.

The inclusion of such a body of work by Henderson in Works of Art is an exciting occurrence for Webb’s and for the art market. New Zealand collectors are increasingly aware of the singular quality of the artist’s work, and demand for her paintings is steadily increasing.

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Louise Henderson untitled c1960s oil on board signed Louise Henderson in ink upper left 630 × 800mm est

$25,000 — $35,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from New Vision Galleries, Auckland, c1968.

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It is of little surprise that the works produced

by Louise Henderson through the 1970s were focused on depicting nature. The decade prior, Henderson had identified the natural environment as rich fodder for an artist, especially within Aotearoa, writing to New Vision director Kees Hos, “I want to paint in New Zealand, like hell, the bush, the peoples, and must come back even for a time to do so.” 1 Then, the 1968 addition to her studio at the Henderson home on Gillies Avenue, designed by Group architect James Hackshaw, provided Henderson with an immediate view of the surrounding bush that must have been impossible to ignore. Reflecting upon her career in 1984, Henderson herself acknowledged her 1970s focus on New Zealand bush as essentially predestined, explaining “my studio was in the bush in Gillies Avenue — so beautiful, the trees! What else could I do but paint the bush?” 2 With floor to ceiling windows, the studio supplied Henderson with a subject that never grew old, constantly revealing something new to observe, or capture in paint. Vulnerable to the elements, with

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Louise Henderson untitled 1973 oil on board signed Louise Henderson and dated '73 in graphite verso 760 × 1000mm est

$25,000 — $35,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from New Vision Galleries, Auckland, c1970s. exhibitions Louise Henderson: Polynesian Series, New Vision Galleries, Auckland, 1970-1974.

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plants growing, leaves falling, light shifting across the day, and colours changing in response, the bush is never static but constantly in flux. And, instead of offering a ground-level outlook, the elevation of the Hackshaw studio positioned Henderson among the trees, which undoubtedly impacted her depiction of the bush. Rather than a neat, external viewpoint of the bush with a logically balanced composition and carefully considered perspective, in this painting from 1973, Henderson places her viewer amongst nature: the cropped composition and forms pushed up to the picture plane create the sense that we are completely enclosed. The foreground shapes, with bright and dark greens and blacks, evoke the density that has often been cited as a particularity of the lush New Zealand bush, and the smaller speckled daubs of lighter paint in the upper corners of the painting create a sense of receding space, the passages of white suggesting light filtering through. Henderson's interest here is not in individual forms, or visual description of specific plant species, but

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Louise Henderson Birds in Trees 1984 oil on canvasboard signed HENDERSON and dated '84 in brushpoint lower right 1200 × 500mm est

$40,000 — $80,000

provenance Private collection, Dunedin.

Acquired from New Zealand & Foreign Paintings, Webb's, Auckland, 21 September 2000, Lot 1167.

rather in capturing the sense of being surrounded by rich, dense New Zealand bush. When Henderson's watercolour Tropical Auckland III was awarded first place in the 1972 National Bank Art Awards, the judges praised Henderson as “...a painter who has lived with, experienced, looked at and felt deeply her environment.” 3 The work is likely a later example of the 'Bush' paintings Henderson produced and exhibited in the early-mid 70s, many of which were exhibited at the New Vision Gallery. The composition distinguishes itself from the earlier works in the complexity of composition, suggestion of spatial recession, and lack of the hazy aqua-green background that unites earlier 'Bush' works. Although the other abstract work featured within this catalogue deviates from the green-dominated colour palette, the compositional similarities of the two works are clear. An abundance of forms with overlapping planes, the sense the composition continues beyond the picture plane, and the immediacy and pulsing quality of the work all echo the visual characteristics of Henderson's bush paintings. Both works also demonstrate Henderson's engagement with cubist principles and negotiation of abstraction. Whereas in the abstracted bush scene Henderson keeps one foot in representation, the earlier work moves further towards complete abstraction, lacking any identifiably representational forms or a suggestive title.

The Gillies Ave studio surroundings were not the only section of bush Henderson was drawn to, and the 'Bush' paintings of the early 1970s were not the only instance where Henderson turned to natural forms as her subject matter. Indeed, upon her arrival and settlement in Ōtautahi, Christchurch, she would drive around the Canterbury high country in search of landscapes to paint. In Tāmaki Makaurau, she had access to the Waitakere Ranges on the West Coast, and, across her decades-long career painting in New

Zealand, was drawn to depict the New Zealand environment in Urewera, Hokianga and Coromandel. Although she rendered a variety of subject matters across her decades-long career, Henderson's interest in capturing her natural surroundings appears regularly in her oeuvre. Birds in Trees of 1984 demonstrates a continuing interest in rendering the bush, in this instance treetops occupied by birds. Here, the rich green foliage is interspersed with birds, whose forms blend in with those of the trees they occupy. As well as drawing upon a subject that had occupied Henderson the decade prior, Birds in Trees also acts as a precursor to the series that has been described as Henderson's “late-career tour de force” 4 , that is The Twelve Months series she produced in 1987: twelve canvases, each 2.5 metres high.

Henderson is widely acknowledged for her skill as a colourist, a quality on display in these works. In the two untitled works, Henderson's paint application utilises boldness of colour and opacity to distinguish the foreground forms from those paler, translucent forms of the work's peripheries. Her bold inclusion of heavy black in the foreground conveys the density of the bush but does not weigh the painting down, carefully balanced by the lighter upper quadrants of the painting. In Birds in Trees, Henderson chooses not to focus on spatial recession, pushing the entire composition up to the picture plane, like a close-up photograph.

Her manipulation of colour, though, is just as impressive; the nuances in the green tones overlapping create a density layer of bush. Passages of browns and pale oranges evoke the tonal variety of ageing leaves, and the birds' predominantly blue and orange colouring helps the viewer to spot them among the trees. On the bottom of the composition, the blocks of ochre help us to discern the branches holding the birds aloft, just as the Hackshaw studio held Henderson up among the trees.

Louise Henderson, letter to Kees Hos, 30 July 1966. New Vision Gallery files, Hector Library, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

2 Louise Henderson in an audio interview with art historian Anne Kirker, 10 December 1984.

Alexander Turnbull Library, OHInt-0627/13.

3 Notes in Louise Henderson scrapbook, 150.

4 Felicity Milburn, 'I Follow Unruly Nature,' in Louise Henderson: From Life, eds. Felicity Milburn, Lara Strongman, Julia Waite (Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki; Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, 2019), 141.

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Stanley Palmer untitled 2018 oil on canvas signed S PALMER and dated 18 in brushpoint lower right 1430 × 700mm est

$30,000 — $40,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Russell Clark Canoes – Guadalcanal 1944 watercolour on paper signed Russell Clark in brushpoint lower right 390 × 440mm est

$16,000 — $20,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Important Paintings and Contemporary Art, Webb's, Auckland, 28 November 2013, lot 78.

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Philip Clairmont Portrait of Rachel 1980 watercolour, ink, and pastel on paper signed P Clairmont in ink lower edge 640 × 710mm est

$8,000 — $16,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Fine New Zealand Paintings & Foreign Paintings, Webb's, Auckland, 26 June 2001, lot 33.

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Andrew McLeod I Love You Landscape 2006 oil on linen signed Andrew McLeod and dated '06 in brushpoint lower right 900 × 1250mm est

$38,000 — $44,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

Andrew McLeod’s paintings often reference the history of art, especially renaissance era religious painting or Victorian portraiture.

In other works, he engages more with pop culture and contemporary illustration. I Love You Landscape, a 2006 oil painting on linen, fits into the latter category. Cartoonish houses and trees and a hairpin-shaped rainbow, are set against a childlike sky and rolling hills.

A skilfully rendered nude woman is posed in the lower right of the image, the life-like detail and depth in stark contrast to nurseryrhyme elements of the backdrop.

I Love You Landscape presents a strange but satisfying collision of visual ideas. On the one hand it is faux-naïve, particularly in the depiction of the cartoonish trees. Although this categorisation doesn’t hold; McLeod is a prodigiously talented representational painter, and that is wholly evident in the craft underlying the nude. In the contrasting approaches to paint cohabiting this painting, one might detect a post-modernist sensibility.

Although that reading serves little better than the other. One could even reach for ‘postinternet’ in continuing the search through unsatisfying labels.

What this points to is that McLeod is an artist who defies genres. His imagemaking is both highly idiosyncratic and deeply sophisticated. It is informed by an encyclopaedic understanding of Western art history, a refined awareness of internet culture, and a consummate skill with paint.

Given the strength of his output, and his already prolific career-output, it is easy to forget that McLeod is still only in his midforties. I Love You Landscape offers a timely reminder that the future is very bright for the artist and his work.

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Peter Robinson untitled c1993 oil and bitumen on canvasboard 650 × 610mm est

$18,000 — $22,000

provenance Private collection, Wellington.

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Fiona Pardington Andrew's Albino Kiwi III 2021 archival inkjet print on Hahemühle paper, 9/10 signed Fiona Pardington in ink verso 980 × 1460mm est

$40,000 — $60,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

Fiona Pardington (Kāi Tahu, Kati Mamoe, Ngāti Kahungunu, Clan Cameron) is one of New Zealand’s most esteemed photographers. Known for her exquisite images of hei tiki, still lifes and ornithological specimens, Pardington imbues her works with a power and sensitivity. This catalogue contains two exquisite works

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by the master photographer, Andrew’s Huia Pair, and Andrew’s Albino Kiwi III from 2019 and 2021 respectively.

As the title suggests, Andrew’s Huia Pair depicts two Huia – exquisitely beautiful birds. Colonisation and the resulting introduction of foreign predators, loss of habitat and an appetite for mounted specimens by overseas collectors and museums spelt the end of the huia – the last confirmed sighting was in 1907.

Pardington’s huia photographs treat the subject with pathos and respect. In this work, the two birds are photographed side by side, allowing us to see their full beauty. One can almost imagine them resurrected and returning to the forest.

Viewing Andrew’s Huia Pair is revealing of the poignant nature of the Huia. It, perhaps more than any other extinct species, encapsulates the staggering devastation of Aotearoa’s native flora and fauna.

Andrew’s Albino Kiwi III is a stunning work depicting a rare white kiwi in

profile. Each individual feather is clearly articulated in silvery tones, giving the work a heightened sense of intimacy akin to peering through a microscope, or witnessing a spectral visitation close at hand. Pure white kiwis, sometimes mistakenly described as albino, enjoy a peculiar status in Aotearoa. The increase in white kiwi numbers is a direct result of twentieth century conservation efforts that have seen small breeding populations expressing recessive white feather characteristics.

The s e t wo works to gether demonstrate Pardington’s mastery of the medium, yet are also steeped in photography’s histories, its strategies, and its possibilities.

1

Rayner, Matt. White kiwi, French poodles, and the problem of a world in pieces. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira. First published: 23 May 2016. Updated: 12 November 2019.

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Karl Maughan Grahams Beach 2021 oil on canvas signed KM, dated 2021, and inscribed Grahams Beach in brushpoint verso 990 × 1300mm est

$30,000 — $60,000 42

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Gow Langsford, Auckland.

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Max Gimblett Guide 2000 acrylic, clay and gold leaf on board inscribed Guide in ink verso 750 × 1800mm (widest points) est

est

$25,000 — $35,000

provenance Private collection, Central Otago.

Acquired from Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown, 2010.

$35,000 — $55,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

exhibitions Perfect Mirror, Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown, 2010.

literature Wystan Curnow and John Yau, Max Gimblett (Auckland: Craig Potton Publishing in association with Gow Langsford Gallery, 2002), 117.

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Max Gimblett Where Drawing and Painting Meet 2010 acrylic, gold leaf and silver leaf on canvas signed Max Gimblett, dated 2010 and inscribed Where Drawing and Painting Meet in brushpoint verso 635 × 635mm (widest points)

literature Alexandra Munroe, Max Gimblett (Milan: Charta, 2013), 99.

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44 Michael Smither

A Hill with Road from Middle-March to Dunedin 1969 oil on board signed M Smither and dated '69 in brushpoint lower left 400 × 670mm est

$80,000 — $120,000

provenance Private collection, Wellington. Acquired from Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, 1971.

In 1969, Michael Smither moved with his family to Patearoa in Central Otago. There, he entered a highly productive phase of his career, creating a substantial body of paintings of the stark landscape. According to writer Trish Gribben, this was a powerfully formative time for the artist. Gribben states, “The landscape in its vastness and simplicity, pared to the bones, led to powerful shifts in the artist’s vision.”1 In 1970, the artist moved to Dunedin to take up the Frances Hodgkins Fellowship at the University of Otago.

Smither’s work from this period is striking in its austerity, particularly when compared to the verdant colourful depictions of Taranaki he created in the years immediately prior. Hills in hues of gold and brown dominate many of his 1969/70 compositions, with little if any reference to human presence. Even his family portraits from this time are minimalistic in their content. The artist acknowledged the profound influence that the Central Otago landscape exerted on his work, “Most of my early compositions had been about seeing from inside things; I was inside the confines of the bush or the park, looking out. In Central I felt the reverse – I was the outsider, looking in, or looking at the land. My feelings for the environment and our destruction of it also intensified there.”2 Smither painted A Hill with Road from Middle-March to Dunedin (sic) in 1969. This painting is among the most elemental of Smither’s Otago works, presenting the viewer with a pared back landscape of rolling golden hills, unblemished by any sign of human habitation. The undulating hills of the painting are distinctively Smither’s, with a characteristic stylised, almost cartoonish appearance.

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2

Trish Gribben, Michael Smither: Painter (Auckland: Ron Sang Publications, 2004). Page 95.

Ibid.

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Milan Mrkusich Painting, Dark Grey 1968 acrylic on canvas signed Milan Mrkusich, dated 1968 and inscribed Painting Dark Grey in brushpoint verso 460 × 460mm est

$20,000 — $30,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Gordon Walters untitled acrylic on canvas 620 × 500mm est

$35,000 — $55,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Tom Kreisler Two Esoteric Low Pressure Systems 1983 acrylic and dye on canvas 1575 × 1275mm est

$50,000 — $70,000

provenance Paul Hartigan Collection, Auckland.

Previously on long-term loan to GovettBrewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth. exhibitions Tom Kreisler, Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth, 2007; Adam Art Gallery, Wellington, 2008; Artspace Aotearoa, Auckland, 2008; Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Dunedin, 2009. literature Aaron Kreisler, comma dot dogma (Wellington: Umbrella, 2007), 70.

Meteorological charts make for unlikely painting subject matter, though Tom Kreisler often revelled in the unlikely. His work is full of idiosyncratic humour, word plays, visual puns, and playful caricatures. From the 1960s through to his death in 2002, Kreisler produced a rich body of artwork. His painting style is notable for its illustrative qualities, frequent incorporation of text into the work, and highly effective use of thin paint washes.

Kreisler is an artist who is highly-regarded by art professionals, though not especially wellknown to the public. His mirthful, cartoonish subject matter speaks to a different set of artistic interests and concerns to that of his contemporaries — many of whom were deeply engaged in themes of New Zealand identity with its locked-in sense of end-of-the-earth isolation.

Kreisler, conversely, created art that was both serious and funny. Writer Andrew Paul Wood noted this in a 2015 review of filmmaker Shirley Horrock’s Kreisler biographical documentary

Tom Who?. Wood stated, “Artistically he stands out for his, as the Italians say, sprezzatura — a contrived lightness of touch that conceals its careful artifice, and his refusal to indulge treating a Victorian-Romantic-derived tradition of landscape painting as the basis of some kind of therapy, as was the accepted norm in New Zealand art.”1 This point of difference may well be connected to his background. Born in Argentina in 1938, Kreisler moved to New Zealand in his early teens. He studied at Ilam under Bill Sutton and Rudolf Gopas, and showed his work at Barry Lett Gallery throughout the 1960s and 70s. He worked stints as a copywriter – experience that shows in the punchy use of text in his artwork. From the late 1960s, he and his family were based in Taranaki. After the death of his mother in Mexico in 1977, Kreisler moved with his wife and children to that country. They remained there for two years, before returning to New Zealand.

Kreisler subtly worked this autobiographical material into Two Esoteric Low Pressure Systems, a significant work from 1983. The painting has been prepared in Kreisler’s characteristic colour washes, overlaid with black lines that depict a meteorological chart. The chart is complete with outlines of New Zealand and the east coast of Tasmania and mainland Australia, with isobars depicting two low pressure systems in the Tasman Sea. Rectangular margins include latitude and longitude coordinates of the South Pacific. Yet, a developing front in the lower left of the image forms a precis of the west coast of Mexico, while a wash of red paint appears to depict the land mass of that country through to the east coast.

The location of Mexico City is noted with ‘MEX. d.f.’ (an abbreviation for the federal district of Mexico City). This appears to be a nod towards Kreisler’s connection with the Latin American country he and his family called home for two years. As for ‘ghost toast’ painted in the upper right corner, that’s harder to pin down to autobiography.

But it is funny.

1

Tom Kreisler with his paintings Two Esoteric Low Pressure Systems (1983) and Night Weather (1984), 1984.

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ndrew Paul Wood, review of Tom Who? (film by Shirley A Horrocks). Published on eyecontactmagazine.com, 21 September 2015.

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Bill Hammond Six Placemakers 1998 acrylic on canvas signed W. D. Hammond, dated 1998 and inscribed Six Placemakers in brushpoint upper right 500 × 350mm est

$120,000 — $180,000

provenance Private collection, West Coast, South Island.

Acquired by bequest, 2021; Private collection, Canterbury. Gifted by the artist, 1998.

During his lifetime, Bill Hammond grew to be one of New Zealand’s most well-known and widely celebrated artists. Since his death early last year, his star has only risen further.

Within his remarkable painting practice, the key theme is, without a doubt, his distinctive birds. Resting, flying, observing, engaged in esoteric rituals, these anthropomorphic creatures are Hammond’s signature motif. The creatures began appearing in his work in the early 1990s, when he was already a highly accomplished and reputable artist. They became central to his work in the following decades.

Hammond painted Six Placemakers in the late 1990s — his most acclaimed period of production. The palette is comprised of a rich and appealing green, with notes of grey and gold.

With masterfully executed washes, Hammond has created a compelling sense of atmospheric depth. Six bird figures sit and stand astride branches. The figures appear alert, yet they remain poised, calm. As is so often the case with Hammond’s work, the painting’s compositional balance is superb. Each of the figures has individual characteristics, and occupies its own space within the picture plane. Yet, together, they create a seamless unified image. This is an integral aspect of Hammond’s mastery. What he makes look so natural and straightforward takes an extraordinary level of skill.

Much has already been written about Hammond, though his work will continue to provide material for rich discourse. His effortless compositional balance and boundless imaginative flair combine to create stunning and unique paintings that hold an important place in the artistic lexicon of Aotearoa.

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“Paradox is at the heart of Ralph Hotere’s practice. The art’s silence is full of meanings, its darkness is, persistently, a kind of illumination.”1

I an Wedde, Ralph Hotere: Black Light, edited by Cilla McQueen, Priscilla Pitts, Mary Trewby, John Walsh and Ian Wedde. Wellington: Te Papa Press, and Dunedin: Dunedin Public Art Gallery, 2000. Page viii.

2 Hotere’s collaborations with poets comprise a key aspect of his career output. As well as Wedde and Manhire, he also collaborated with the poets Cilla McQueen and Hone Tuwhare.

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Opposite page: Ralph Hotere contact sheet by Marti Friedlander, 1984. Image appears courtesy of the Gerrard and Marti Friedlander Charitable Foundation.

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Ralph Hotere’s contribution to New Zealand art is both obvious and opaque.

He is highly visible in the visual art lexicon of this country as a pioneering artist of great stature. Yet, his notable reticence when it came to discussing his work has ensured that he has remained enigmatic, in spite of the broad swathe of publications addressing his art.

While the artist’s own words about his practice are scarce, his works are often layered with text. This creates a range of contextual readings of the work.

For example, a major work in this catalogue is Pathway to the Sea. The use of text in this 1980 painting is sparing, though it evokes Hotere’s involvement with the Aramoana protest and his collaboration with the poet Ian Wedde. The work features text that contextualises the painting in relation to Hotere’s life and practice, and in relation to the work of Wedde. Similar could be said of Black Painting IX from Malady A Poem by Bill Manhire, which is another excellent example of Hotere’s work included in Works of Art. This painting is one of a series Hotere produced that was inspired by a short pattern poem by Bill Manhire. It is beautifully evocative, and speaks directly to the work of Manhire.

Hotere’s paintings are often constrained, employing a modest range of painterly elements. His palette is frequently dominated by black, creating paintings that are night-dark and poised, filled with interpretive possibility. Yet, while his works can be sparsely composed, they convey sophistication and gravitas. At his best, Hotere created artworks of searing power, works that can stop a viewer in their tracks.

Just what distinguishes merely good painting from the exceptional is difficult to define. One can refer to technique, and while that plays a part, truly great painting has qualities that go beyond technical excellence. Hotere consistently demonstrated an ability to produce work that had a strong and distinctive aesthetic, which also countenances meaningful reflections on the human condition. This ability, along with the depth and strength of his sustained output over decades, is what has made him an important figure in New Zealand art.

This catalogue features a rare depth of work by Hotere, including paintings drawings and prints. From this selection, one can grasp the truth in the statement

by Ian Wedde that the silence of Hotere’s work is full of meanings, its darkness a kind of illumination.

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49 Ralph Hotere

Black Painting IX from Malady A Poem by Bill Manhire 1970 acrylic on canvas signed Hotere, dated '70, and inscribed BLACK PAINTING IX from MALADY a poem by BILL MANHIRE/DUNEDIN in brushpoint verso 1780 × 710mm est

$80,000 — $160,000

provenance Private collection, Hawke's Bay. Acquired from Canterbury Gallery, 1992. exhibitions Ralph Hotere: A survey, 1963-73, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Dunedin, 1974. literature Stephen Stratford (ed.), Hotere (Auckland: Ron Sang Publications, 2008), 59.

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An important facet of Ralph Hotere’s artistic practice was his collaboration with a number of notable New Zealand poets. Hotere created collaborative works with Hone Tuwhare, Ian Wedde, Cilla McQueen, and Bill Manhire, incorporating aspects of their poetry into his artworks. Black Painting IX from Malady A Poem by Bill Manhire from 1970 is one a series Hotere produced that was inspired by a short pattern poem by Manhire.

The artist and the poet created a collaborative publication, which experimented with different configurations of Manhire’s four-word poem (in full: Melody; malady; my lady). These textual configurations were visually rhythmic, creating numerous unique images from the simple textual elements.

A 2017 University of Otago blog post discussed this publication, stating, “At the advent of the collaboration, Manhire described the “Malady” project as “a little book that played design games with four different words”. Having only four words, the poem could be assumed at the surface to be minimalistic, but the word play in “Malady” gets exponentially more complex in its combinations and permutations. The repetition in the poem is striking: “malady… melody…my lady”. Slight changes in sound are not only indicative of the different dictionary definitions, but a contrast between the words’ denotations and connotations.”

The painting itself is exquisitely restrained.

It features just two compositional elements, a thin red line and the word ‘Melody’, repeated 15 times in grey lettering against a crisp black background. The effect is striking, and amply demonstrates Hotere’s mastery of minimalist image making. Other examples of works from this series are held by major public institutions, including the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puha o Waiwhetū, and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

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Ralph Hotere Aramoana – Pathway to the Sea 1980 enamel on corrugated iron and wood inscribed PATHWAY TO THE SEA/TO IAN WEDDE in enamel lower edge 2430 × 820mm (widest points) est

$150,000 — $250,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired directly from the artist, c1970s–1980s. exhibitions Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland, 1980. literature Stephen Stratford (ed.), Hotere (Auckland: Ron Sang Publications, 2008), 173; Cilla McQueen, Priscilla Pitts, Mary Trewby, John Walsh, and Ian Wedde (ed.), Ralph Hotere: Black Light (Wellington: Te Papa Press, 2000), 42; Gregory O'Brien, Hotere: Out the Black Window (Wellington: Godwit Publishing LTD in association with City Gallery Wellington, 1997), 11.

In the 1970s, New Zealand was subject to several major economic shocks. Most notably, this included the United Kingdom joining the European Economic Community in 1973, and the global oil crisis that began in the same year. For New Zealand, highly reliant on imported oil and on the UK as its largest export market, the effects were severe. Prime Minister Robert Muldoon and his government responded with ‘Think Big’, an economic strategy based on vast overseas borrowing to fund major industrial projects. Along with substantial development of synthetic fuel production, Think Big came to include significant expansion of the country’s aluminium smelting capacity.

From the mid-seventies, local interest groups were eager to see the construction of an aluminium smelter on the Otago Peninsula, near Aramoana. The government, already committed to Think Big, were in favour of this proposal. Against this backdrop, environmental protestors opposed to the smelter banded together to form the ‘Save Aramoana Campaign’.

Ralph Hotere, who lived in Aramoana, became a prominent member. He produced a substantial body of artwork themed on the campaign and his personal opposition to the proposed smelter. This body of work is among the strongest and most notable of his storied career.

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Pathway to the Sea, 1980, is a key example of Hotere’s Aramoana paintings.

The work is rendered in enamel on corrugated iron, with splatters and thick runs of paint across the metal surface.

Timber supports add to the work’s utilitarian aesthetic. The word ‘Aramoana’ is painted in stencilled lettering across the iron surface, referencing both the protest movement and the location of the artist’s home. Additional lettering runs along the timber at the base of the painting, stating the work’s title, ‘Pathway to the Sea’, an English translation of Aramoana. As is often the case with the best of Hotere’s work, this painting captures his political interests, his exploration of materials, and his mastery of paint all at once. Adding further nuance, the painting acknowledges the work of acclaimed New Zealand poet, Ian Wedde.

Hotere’s collaborative work with notable New Zealand poets was the subject of Gregory O’Brien’s 1997 book, Hotere: Out the Black Window.1 O’Brien states, “Hotere’s paintings, like the collages of Robert Motherwell, use ‘the flotsam of everyday life… to pass us through abstraction and back to common experience.’ The works, you could say, speak a vernacular, and here it’s worth noting that the four main poets with whom Hotere has collaborated – Ian Wedde, Cilla McQueen, Bill Manhire and Hone Tūwhare – all have an ear for the spoken and written vernacular, for a poetic diction that is constantly being broken down by everyday speech.”2 In keeping with O’Brien’s assessment, Pathway to the Sea employs everyday materials to create a work of esoteric abstraction, while the use of language and reference to place and protest bring the painting back to more widely familiar themes.

The work speaks directly to Wedde’s 1975 poem, also titled Pathway to the Sea, which presents an elaborate critique of the proposed smelter. Hotere and Wedde were friends, and both were involved in the Save Aramoana Campaign. In Pathway to the Sea, Hotere explicitly refers to their connection, with the words ‘To Ian Wedde’ inscribed at the base of the work. In this simple statement, Hotere’s painting acknowledges the interests he shared with the poet, and speaks to the profound environmental concerns that were espoused by Wedde, and also central to much of Hotere’s artistic output.

Writer Vincent O’Sullivan authored an essay titled Sketching the Artist, which was included in a comprehensive 2008 visual catalogue, simply titled Hotere.3 In this text, O’Sullivan described the

relational nature of Hotere’s Aramoana works: “The sweeping view from his [Hotere’s] studio took in the harbour’s stretch towards the Heads, and the long tapering of Aramoana at their northern end. There was now the proposal that an aluminium smelter be built there. Anger at this intended wrecking of the landscape fed into the Aramoana paintings.”4 Hotere’s inclusion of his personal environment extended beyond subject matter, and into his choice of materials.

“Hotere’s home and studio in themselves defied any easy separation of artist, c ra f t s m a n , h o m e d e c o ra to r a n d improvising handyman. Again, there was the sense of startling novelty when he took sheets of commercial corrugated iron as his new medium, a fresh pushing of boundaries,” O’Sullivan stated. 5 Materially, Pathway to the Sea sits within this boundary-pushing modality, comprised of corrugated iron, timber, and splattered paint. Yet, for all of the building-site roughness of these elements, Hotere has created a work that hums with sophistication.

This alchemical inventiveness is a key part of what has made Hotere great.

In the context of Hotere’s oeuvre, Pathway to the Sea is a significant work.

It captures his central involvement in the protest against the smelter, employs key materials associated with his work, and directly acknowledges the work of Wedde. It is a work of elemental power, yet also of poetic refinement – a work of darkness that contains light.

regory O’Brien, Hotere: Out the Black Window.

G Auckland: Godwit Publishing, 1997.

Ibid., 14.

3 Vincent O’Sullivan, ‘Sketching the Artist’. In Hotere, 306-319. Auckland: Ron Sang Publications, 2008.

4 Ibid., 317.

5 Ibid.

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“The darkness contains light. It is seeded by light, not bright, more like dust scuffed across matt black.

The pane tilts, colours flash through it. Hold it still; limitless shades of indigo hover between blue and violet.

Light slides through keys as sound does, as language does between its shells of resonance. Chimes and harmonies create a metalanguage, music among strings.”6

Cilla McQueen, ‘Dark Mattter: Ralph Hotere and Language’. In Ralph Hotere: Black Light, pp. 38-47.

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Ralph Hotere Baby Iron 1983 enamel on stainless steel and board; sash-window frame signed Hotere and dated '83 in brushpoint lower left edge 1050 × 750mm est

$250,000 — $350,000

provenance Private collection, Melbourne. Previously on long-term loan to Whangārei Art Museum.

Acquired from Fine New Zealand Paintings, Webb's, Auckland, 9 November 2003, lot 34.

Ralph Hotere’s art is notable for its use of repurposed industrial materials — corrugated iron, sash window frames, rough-hewn timber, and stainless steel among other things. From such coarse matter, he was a master of creating artworks of delicacy and lightness.

Hotere created Baby Iron in 1983.

This stunning work is comprised of stainless steel and enamel painted board set within a window frame. These are some of the artist’s signature materials, and he has combined them to seamless effect. The burnished surface of the iron resembles expressive brush strokes.

The top of the artwork is painted in contrasting styles, neatly enumerated letters and numbers painted over in gesturally lavish white paint. An ‘X’ has been scoured into the paint, with ‘Easter ‘83’ neatly lettered above.

Through this combination of elements, Hotere has created a compelling artwork that demonstrates why he is considered one of New Zealand’s most important artists. It is distinctive, immediately recognisable as the master painter’s work, and highly resolved.

Baby Iron is a reminder of Hotere’s inventive brilliance and his enduring significance to New Zealand art history.

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Ian Wedde, Trouble Spots: Where is Ralph Hotere? In Ralph Hotere: Black Light, edited by Cilla McQueen, Priscilla Pitts, Mary Trewby, John Walsh and Ian Wedde (Wellington: Te Papa Press, and Dunedin: Dunedin Public Art Gallery, 2000), 49-60. 59.

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“The elsewhere of beauty in Ralph Hotere’s work is only as much of a trouble spot as you want to make it. There is, at last, a place of rest here: the work is beautiful, we know what we mean by that, and all sorts of people have said so, including people who don’t know much about the work, except that they like what they see.”1 106

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Towards Aramoana/Drawing for a BLACK WINDOW 1981 acrylic and pastel on paper signed Hotere, dated '81, and inscribed Towards Aramoana/Drawing for a BLACK WINDOW in ink lower edge 776 × 556mm est

$16,000 — $25,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired directly from the artist, c1980s.

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53 Ralph Hotere

Drawing for Ian Wedde’s ‘Pathway to the Sea’ 1975 ink and watercolour on paper signed Hotere, dated '75, and inscribed Drawing for Ian Wedde's Pathway to the Sea in ink lower edge 579 × 770mm est

$20,000 — $30,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired directly from the artist, c1970s–1980s. notes Other works from the Pathway to the Sea series were exhibited at Barry Lett Galleries in Auckland in 1977.

54 Ralph Hotere

Drawing for Ian Wedde’s ‘Pathway to the Sea’ 1975 ink and watercolour on paper signed Hotere, dated '75, and inscribed Drawing for Ian Wedde's Pathway to the Sea in ink lower edge 580 × 770mm est

$20,000 — $30,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired directly from the artist, c1970s–1980s. notes Other works from the Pathway to the Sea series were exhibited at Barry Lett Galleries in Auckland in 1977.

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Philip Clairmont Self Portrait 1975 oil on board signed Clairmont, dated 1975 and inscribed Self PORTRAIT in ink upper right 300 × 300mm est

$30,000 — $40,000

provenance Private collection, Queenstown.

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Ian Scott Lattice No. 53 1978 acrylic on canvas signed Ian Scott and dated Sept. 1978 and inscribed Lattice No. 53 in ink verso 1730 × 1730mm est

$60,000 — $80,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. exhibitions Ian Scott Paintings: 1968-1982, Lopdell Gallery, Waitākere, 26 September – 27 October 1991. literature Michael Dunn, Ian Scott Paintings: 1968-1982 (Waitākere: Lopdell Gallery, 1991), 13.

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“From their ground of darkness, Fomison’s paintings dream melancholically of a primitive body: a primordial, at times foetal figure, its limbs typically attenuated, male (almost always), naked, alone or isolated, vulnerable, unadorned and unmarked by any artifact or sign.

This figure is located in either a prison or a maze, or inhabits a landscape which is primitive, as barren of any cultural topography, as itself. It seeks an unlikely shelter in the grim enclosures of this place or is paranoically pursued through it – though by what or whom is not pictured – or it floats or languishes in a liminal state between some obscure oblivion and the uncertain rescue of an uncertain law or social symbolic.”

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eter Brunt, Framing Identity, in Fomison: What shall P we tell them? edited by Ian Wedde (Wellington: City Gallery, Wellington, 1994), pp 63-74. Page 67.

Opposite page: Portrait of Tony Fomison

by Shirley Grace, 1989. Image appears courtesy of the estate of Shirley Grace.

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Tony Fomison’s art seems to sit somewhere outside of time. This is true of both its style and subject matter. The characteristic dark palette, mythopoeic content, and direct, unadorned approach to painting seems unlike the work of any of the artist’s contemporaries – perhaps unlike the work of any other artist anywhere. Seemingly unconcerned with fashion or prevailing tendencies, Fomison pursued a unique vision of what painting could be.

Fomison’s paintings are deeply steeped in narrative. Some of it is biblical, some of it drawn from Māori and Pacific myths and legends, and some of it, seemingly, is made up. This, combined with his distinctive paint work, makes for potent images that access primordial dimensions of the psyche. From an artistic perspective, there is much to admire in his paintings. Though there is also an edgy undercurrent of dark and foreboding restlessness.

This catalogue features a significant selection of Fomison’s work. Though modestly sized, The Beggar at the Gate captures the essence of Fomison’s potent image making, while Winking Cat is a small ceramic work that demonstrates another aspect of his artistic practice. Korako Te Rangatira (about Aramoana) and Near Wairewa Pa, Banks Peninsula, Spring Time are two works from the first half of the 1980s that both acknowledge his engagement with tangata whenua. Yet, it is What shall we tell them now? that particularly stands out.

This 1976 painting depicts a moody looking jester, and is a companion piece to What shall we tell them?, a painting from the same year which lent its title to the 1994 retrospective of Fomison’s work at City Gallery Wellington, and adorns the cover of the publication from that exhibition. This work showcases Fomison at his brooding best.

In recent years, Fomison’s work has risen in public esteem – a consequence of the undeniable quality of the work and the singular vision of the artist who created it.

Webb’s has had the privilege of bringing a significant number of Fomison’s paintings to market, and these works have been met with insatiable demand and achieved remarkable outcomes. We are the undisputed market leaders for Fomison. It is our pleasure to continue this tradition, and present this stunning selection of Fomison’s art.

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Tony Fomison The Beggar at the Gate 1977 oil on jute on board signed Fomison, dated Sept-Oct 1977, and inscribed The Beggar at the Gate in brushpoint lower edge 390 × 355mm est

$50,000 — $80,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

Acquired directly from the artist, c1977. exhibitions Fomison – A Survey, Dowse Art Gallery, Lower Hutt, October 1979. literature Ian Wedde (ed.), Fomison: What Shall We Tell Them?, (Wellington: City Gallery Wellington, 1994), 172.

Tony Fomison’s distinctive artworks often feature mythical subject matter, shadowy figures, and a muted palette. The Beggar at the Gate, painted in 1977, is in keeping with this tendency. The work is painted in dark, earthy tones on jute, with the coarse weave of the fabric support adding visceral character.

It depicts a figure in the shadows, gazing up at a luminous white opening — likely the titular beggar and gate. Although the painting is modestly sized, the figure is rendered minute, dwarfed by the dark expanse of the surface.

This work likely references the biblical tale, from the Gospel of Luke, of the beggar Lazarus at the gate of the rich man (not to be confused with Lazurus of Bethany from the Gospel of John). Luke 16:20-21 describes the beggar “covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.”

Perhaps then, this figure gazes at the white expanse with hunger. Fomison’s exquisitely neat signature and the title are rendered in brushpoint on the right. In effortless fashion, The Beggar at the Gate captures all of the elements which have made Fomison an artist of enduring importance.

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Tony Fomison Korako Te Rangatira (about Aramoana) 1981 oil on jute on board signed Fomison and dated 1981 in graphite verso est

$70,000 — $90,000

provenance Private collection, London. Acquired from Janne Land Gallery, Wellington, c1982. exhibitions Tony Fomison: New Paintings, Janne Land Gallery, Wellington, 2 March – 19 March 1982. literature Ian Wedde (ed.), Fomison: What Shall We Tell Them?, (Wellington: City Gallery Wellington, 1994), 167.

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The vendor of this work has provided the following notes on its provenance and context: “In the 1980s, in Janne Land Gallery in Wellington, I saw Tony Fomison’s paintings – and Tony Fomison – for the first time.

I stared and stared at this painting, transfixed by the bleak, stoic face, there against the sky in the empty, rolling space. When I was introduced to Tony I asked him if the chief was mourning the loss of his land but Tony said ‘No. He is mourning the loss of his tribe which was decimated by a measles epidemic.’ Yet, on the back of the work there is a label which reads KORAKO TE RANGATIRA (about Aramoana).

Korako, a Ngāi Tahu chief from the hapu Ngāi Tuahuriri and Ngāti Huirapa, signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. And Aramoana? A very small coastal settlement north of Dunedin where, since 1974, the tiny population had been loudly opposing government plans to allow an aluminium smelter to be built there. Local Māori leaders said they would not consent to the destruction of their history, which lay there, buried in the land. In 1980, still fighting, the inhabitants of Aramoana declared it a republic: they issued their own flag, and passports, and stamps. Performers and artists contributed their work to the (ultimately successful) ‘Save Aramoana’ campaign. Ralph Hotere was one of them. It seems perhaps that Tony Fomison was another.”

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Near Wairewa Pa, Banks Peninsula, Spring Time 1984 oil on canvasboard signed Fomison and inscribed Underpainted 19.9.84 Christchurch/ Near Wairewa Pa, Banks Peninsula, Spring Time in ink verso 300 × 400mm est

$70,000 — $90,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. literature Ian Wedde (ed.), Fomison: What Shall We Tell Them?, (Wellington: City Gallery Wellington, 1994), 169.

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In his essay Tracing Tony Fomison1 , writer Ian Wedde discusses early influences on the artist Tony Fomison. Wedde states, “during the fifties, Fomison established close relations with Māori people on Banks Peninsula, in the vicintity of Lake Warewa… this contact resulted in [a] photo essay assembled between 1958 and 1962, when Fomison was aged between nineteen and twenty-three.”2 This album provided material that the artist would return to and paint from decades later. It is likely that Fomison drew on this photographic source when he painted Near Wairewa Pa, Banks Peninsula, Spring Time in 1984.

In a configuration that the artist often repeated, the painting sets a small figure against an imposing landscape.

The figure appears in the lower left of the image, and appears to depict a whitehaired Māori figure holding a spring lamb. The apparent shepherd is dwarfed by the rolling hillside behind them. The paintwork of the hillside presents a viewer with a convincing likeness, yet with little definition of detail, almost as if in soft-focus. This quasi-cinematic effect

is a technique that Fomison completely mastered, and it appears in many of his most famous works, including Garden of Eden Aotearoa, 1980-81, and The Fugitive, 1982-83. Painted later than these two masterpieces, Near Wairewa Pa, Banks Peninsula, Spring Time is a mature work by the highly distinguished artist, created at a time when he had realised the full extent of his abilities as a painter.

Ian Wedde, ‘Tracing Tony Fomison’. In Fomison: What shall we tell them? (Wellington: City Gallery Wellington, 1994), 9-39.

2 Ibid, 16.

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Tony Fomison What shall we tell them now?

1976 oil on canvas on board signed T Fomison and dated 1976 in brushpoint upper right; inscribed What shall we tell them now? in brushpoint upper left 480 × 765mm est

$350,000 — $550,000

provenance Private collection, Wellington. exhibitions What Shall We Tell Them?, City Gallery, Wellington, 1994. literature Ian Wedde (ed.), Fomison: What Shall We Tell Them?, (Wellington: City Gallery Wellington, 1994), 176.

In the history of New Zealand art, Tony Fomison stands out as peerless. He was notably engaged with fellow artists Philip Clairmont and Allen Maddox, though his work bears almost no relationship to theirs.

The world he created in his paintings is dark, mysterious and brooding. His key output was produced from the 1960s through to the 1980s, yet it has no apparent relationship to the prevailing modernist and post-modernist artistic discourses of the times. His image making practice explores the psyche, including its darker aspects. His works speak to mythology, themes of psychological isolation, and the fragile nature of the human condition.

This can give his paintings a feel of illat-ease edginess, which is an important part of their appeal.

When it comes to the paintwork, Fomison is in a class of his own. He created a way of working paint that is both meticulous and coarse. His paintings are highly finessed, yet they activate the variegated nature of their materials – the weave of canvas or jute as integral to the work as the paint applied to it. This way of working gives the paintings texture, and a specificity that has no obvious parallels in New Zealand painting. Fomison’s imagery often has a cinematic sensibility – close-up portraits with film noir lighting, rolling landscapes in panoramic widescreen, horror themes, figures presented in dramatic, narrativeladen settings and compositions. Yet, if

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his work was cinematic, it would defy genre categorisation. It would belong to its own, auteur-specific avenue of filmmaking.

Fomison painted What shall we tell them now? in 1976. The painting presents the viewer with a jester in close-up, in a centred composition. A muted palette of ochre and black creates a characteristic cinematic sensibility, with dark shadows under the jester’s eyebrows and around their chin. The dark background enhances this effect, setting up a striking contrast with the light on the jester’s face. To return to painting terminology, this pronounced chiaroscuro is used to excellent effect.

The gaze of the jester is averted, perhaps contemplative. His expression seems downcast, though perhaps there is mirth in his eyes. The coarse weave of the jute support is evident, along with the artist’s characteristic brushwork, which is neither expressive nor restrained – rather, it is in some place of its own between the two. What shall we tell them now? is excellently demonstrative of Fomison’s unique stylistic and technical inventiveness.

Jesters are a recurrent theme in the artist’s work, appearing in numerous paintings, drawings and prints. Historically, jesters held a unique place in the feudal social order. Appointed to the courts of royals and aristocrats, their role was to tell stories, sing, recite poetry and so on.

They had a unique license to mock and tell uncomfortable truths as well as to entertain. In her 1991 thesis on Fomison, art historian and curator Lara Strongman discussed the jester theme in his work.

“The Fool, as a symbol of truth telling, and, like a Tarot Hangman, standing for death, is recurrent in Fomison's work from the mid-seventies onwards […].

This jester is the Fool of Shakespeare -the all-seeing, all-knowing, untouched and untouchable clown with the ear and confidence of the king, his political advisor and fortune teller.”1 “For Fomison, the role of the Fool and the painter merged in shared functions as soothsayers and tellers of unpalatable truths. He frequently depicted the Fool character as the largest and most powerful figure within the composition, the painting’s other figures like dwarf puppets controlled by the master,”2 Strongman stated. The jester in What shall we tell them now? is the sole figure. Yet, his power is palpable, even amplified by the absence of other subjects. His expression suggests that

this jester is comfortable in his role, more soothsayer than idle entertainer.

Fomison created a companion piece to this work, titled What shall we tell them?. This painting, also from 1976, depicts another jester – though in a warmer palette and with a jollier appearance. What shall we tell them? provided the title for the Tony Fomison retrospective, curated by Ian Wedde, held at City Gallery, Wellington in 1994.

It also graced the cover of the exhibition publication. The two paintings mirror one another in more ways than their titles. Both compositions are dominated by the jester figure, both have averted gazes. Each appears to possess secret knowledge. Though the contrasting palettes present a key distinction. The jester in What shall we tell them now? is shadowy, the tone of his expression, like the palette, colder. What truth or untruth is it that this jester is weighing up telling? One can only wonder.

Fomison produced his finest work from the mid-1970s through to the mid1980s. He died in 1990, at the relatively young age of fifty. By then, he had accomplished more than many artists who have lived considerably longer. What shall we tell them now? is a major work from the most important period of the artist’s life. It captures the most notable features of his storied artmaking, and presents an image that is at once both captivating and confounding.

Lara Strongman, Tony Fomison: An Artist’s Life (Christchurch: University of Canterbury, 1991), 105.

2 Ibid., 105-106.

3 Ibid., 6.

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“Fomison was a person of great idiosyncrasy: he was an artist who, in his rejection of the codes of contemporary art-making in favour of the pursuit of a singular vision, can only be regarded as an eccentric. Fomison may thus be related to other maverick practitioners in the European art historical tradition, such as Goya, Pinkham Ryder, and Bacon. It is irrelevant to examine his output in terms of general contemporary artistic theory: the idiosyncratic nature of his work necessitates a similarly idiographic approach. It is appropriate, therefore, to view Fomison's work in the context from which it is formed, that of the single-minded vision of the artist.”3 Webb's

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“The sheets of paper were all spread out on the floor in a row and I simply walked along the line with the brush in my hand using it to create, as it were, a continuous image. I think this method gave me the feeling of spontaneity I was after. In this way they were all closely linked together, almost like one continuous work about fortyfive feet long. I then considered them all carefully. For at this stage I had only the main compositional lines down, and got rid of a number I thought would not come off. Later they were worked over individually. I spent about a month working on them making alterations and corrections.”1

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Colin McCahon Northland 1959 ink on paper signed McCahon, dated April '59 and inscribed Northland in ink lower left 630 × 510mm est

$50,000 — $70,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

Colin McCahon as quoted in Peter Simpson’s text Colin McCahon: There is Only One Direction (Auckland: Auckland University Press, 2019), 284.

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Adele Younghusband Spring Cleaning 1941 oil on card signed Adele Younghusband and dated 1941 in brushpoint lower right; inscribed Spring Cleaning, 1941 by Adele Younghusband, 94 Firth St Hamilton E in graphite verso 600 × 700mm est

$50,000 — $60,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Waikato Society of Arts, Hamilton, 1971.

First a photographer, Adele Younghusband worked increasingly as both a painter and a printmaker, and was active as a founder member of art societies in Whangārei and Hamilton. In 1937, she visited Australia where she studied with George Bell, who was familiar with recent art from working and travelling in the United Kingdom and Europe. After this sojourn, she became known as a modernist, called ‘a New Zealand surrealist’ by Arthur Hipwell in Art in New Zealand in 1941, and was one of the Phoenix Group of ‘progressive painters’ in the 1950s.

Younghusband painted Spring Cleaning in 1941. At this time, World War II was raging, and New Zealand was fully mobilised for the war effort. The painting shows a group of women labouring at chores. Although the setting is domestic, this was a fact of life at the time across industrial, agricultural, and commercial settings. The vast majority of ablebodied men were conscripts or volunteers in the armed forces, and it was mostly women that laboured to hold the economy together.

The dynamic composition of the work brilliantly demonstrates Younghusband’s skill, with the action poses of the women striking a note of ‘Socialist Realism’ – the official art of the Soviet Union in the 1930s and 1940s that valorised working people. There is a planar, decorative quality in Younghusband’s work, which is reminiscent of art deco. Yet this is not stylisation for the sake of ornament.

The harmonious composition of interlaced figures charmingly captures the unison of their labours. The use of muted colours and stylised figures perhaps speaks to the mood

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of the time. Spring Cleaning is a work that speaks to a social and political context of wartime New Zealand, and showcases the artist’s exceptional abilities as a painter.

Younghusband’s work is relatively rare, though held in high esteem by art historians and collectors alike. It is a rarity to see two significant oil paintings come to auction at once, though this catalogue enjoys that distinction with the inclusion of a beautiful still life. Younghusband frequently painted still life works throughout her career, and this untitled oil painting is as fine an example as one will see. Though its subject matter is less weighty than Spring Cleaning, it is another excellent example of the artist's work.

The colours, studied brushwork, and detailed likeness of the floral subject show sensitivity and attentiveness.

Younghusband continued to produce work through the 1950s and 1960s. Although she had solo exhibitions in Sydney, Auckland and Hamilton, including a retrospective of her work in the latter city in 1963, Younghusband was seldom on view thereafter. Her formalised naturalism probably seemed conservative when compared with the post-war New Zealand avant-garde. Yet, she was part of a generation of artists, particularly women, that made an important contribution, neatly summed up

by Nicola Green when, in Art New Zealand in 1999, she called her a ‘transitional modernist’.

Younghusband’s work has more recently received renewed attention, with travelling exhibitions in 1998 and 2008, curated by Scott Pothan of Whangārei Art Museum, which holds a significant collection of her works.

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“If the record of painting in New Zealand art history continues to maintain that Modernism was the true beginning of modern art in New Zealand, or rather style in art, which is how we understand it now, then these artists of the thirties and forties are vital.

Pitched as Modernism's other, the interwar period is revealing for what Modernism defined itself against. However, the demarcation of camps are not as clear cut as this definition seeks to be; Adele Younghusband can be included along with May Smith as bridging the development between the social realists and the beginning of modernism. In understanding this transitional modernist period we understand more about New Zealand twentiethcentury art and the beginning of a contemporary modern culture. It is no longer enough to see these artists in terms of what they were not, rather, it is time to value them for what they are.”1 Webb's

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Adele Younghusband Still Life oil on card signed A Younghusband in brushpoint lower right 420 × 350mm est

$25,000 — $35,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Traditional & Contemporary Art, International Art Centre, Auckland, 31 October 1995, lot 173.

1

icola Green, ‘Adele Younghusband: A Transitional N Modernist’, Art New Zealand 91, Winter 1999, 79.

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Bill Sutton Landscape Synthesis 1980 oil on canvas signed W. A. Sutton and dated 1980 in brushpoint lower left 810 × 1730mm est

$65,000 — $85,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Important Works of Art, Webb's, Auckland, 1 December 2009, lot 26.

The distinctive ochre-coloured landscapes of W. A. Sutton are synonymous with Canterbury's dry, arid summers. Inspired by the landforms, geological structures, seasonal changes, weather and cloud patterns, his paintings often feature sky blue and earthy ochre. The varying moods of the Canterbury landscape, where the artist was born and trained, and where he lived his whole life, became a vital touchstone for him, inspiring numerous series of paintings over the course of his lengthy career.

Initially working in a pseudo-impressionist manner, following in the footsteps of his tutors at the Canterbury College School of Art, Sutton produced one-off representational landscapes.

After a near-two-year study period in London and exposure to Cézanne and other international artists, his real breakthrough came with Dry September, painted in 1949 on his return to New Zealand. This work, with its dramatic perspective, bridge structure, riverbed and distant ochre hills, highlighted Sutton's new interest in compositional structure, Dry September and Sutton's now-iconic work Norwester in the Cemetery – both painted when the artist was in his early 30s – have to a great extent come to define his contribution to New Zealand art during this period.

Sutton, along with a number of his South Island contemporaries, including Doris Lusk and Olivia Spencer Bower, is often described as a 'regionalist' artist. This is clearly linked to the choices of painting subject matter that Sutton made early in his career, dominated by the

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Canterbury landscape. However, this positioning comes at the expense of work produced in the latter period of his career, when he began to engage more fully with the possibilities of modernism. As aspects of abstraction invigorated his approach and extended his thinking, he produced some highly original, lyrical and almost classical paintings, which reconfigure landscape in bold and striking ways. By 1960 Sutton found his previous figurative approach wanting, and he began experimenting with various forms of abstraction, while still relating his work to direct experience and observations of his environment.

He travelled constantly throughout Canterbury and into the foothills and the Port Hills region, recording his observations on the spot in pencil and with watercolours. Later, back in the studio, he distilled and reworked his findings, often onto expansive canvases that bridge the gap between pure, imaginative abstraction and traditional observational landscape painting.

In Landscape Synthesis, Sutton responded to abstraction, fragmenting the landscape as though it were shards of glass. The canvas is divided into horizontal strips that feature colours that one might see in the Canterbury Plains – though the image is disrupted, splintered, and reimagined as an abstract composition. It is an excellent example of Sutton's late-career, considered investigations of the intersection between modernist methodology and traditional, sincerely felt appreciation for the possibilities of landscape. He produced an intriguing body of work that remains vital and refreshing to this day.

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Toss Woollaston untitled oil on board signed Woollaston in brushpoint lower right 522 × 900mm est

$50,000 — $70,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Toss Woollaston Taramakau 1963 oil on board signed Toss Woollaston and dated 1963 in brushpoint lower right 800 × 1200mm est

$65,000 — $95,000

provenance Private collection, Wellington. literature Jill Trevelyan, Peter McLeavey: The Life and Times of a New Zealand Art Dealer (Wellington: Te Papa Press, 2013), 51.

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“Those who say there’s no mileage left in landscape had better meditate before these works and ponder the wisdom of their ways.

In a sense, though, Woollaston isn’t painting landscapes… it’s as though he’s painting the energy inherent in what used to be called ‘creation’ — the turbulence and vitality of it, as well as its massive calm.”1 128

Toss Woollaston’s paintings energetically depict landscape environments, often places he lived in the South Island. His paintwork is distinctively gestural, featuring expressive brushwork and thick layers of paint. Woollaston is widely considered to be one of the key pioneers of New Zealand modernist painting. Indeed, esteemed art dealer Peter McLeavey engaged with the artist prior to entering the art business. These early interactions with Woollaston were formative for both men, and McLeavey initially built his art dealership on the work of Woollaston, Colin McCahon, and Don Binney.

Taramakau from 1963 is exemplary of Woollaston’s practice, featuring his characteristic expressive painting style.

The painting is titled after the Taramakau River on the west coast of the South Island – a subject that the artist painted many times. The river meets the sea near to Greymouth, a town Woollaston long called home, and locations from that region feature prominently in his career output.

This painting features a gestural application of lush oil paint, which the artist has worked with palpable vigour.

In areas, the paint has been scraped and scumbled, adding to the sense of energy

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and movement in the work. The blue, grey, and white at the top of the picture plane create an impression of a precipitous sky, while the yellows and ochres create an impression of a valley, with a white and blue river flowing through it. This suggestion of landscape just holds together, almost breaking down into expressive abstraction.

This ‘almost abstraction’ is a recurrent theme within the artist’s work. Art writer and curator Gerald Barnett stated, “Woollaston’s large paintings are the result of exhaustive procedure. He makes numerous drawings and watercolours directly from his subject, which may range from near-abstract to the descriptive. He works on a large painting in the studio in short improvisational bursts, and form emerges through the process of painting as much as from the subject itself. His late landscapes are often extensively reworked, and take many months to complete.”1 Barnett went on to liken Woollaston’s work to the water lily paintings of the French Impressionist maestro, Claude Monet. “These ambitious paintings of the 1970s transmute the familiar New Zealand landscape into a painted ‘floating world’ that invokes Monet’s late water lily paintings, which had so impressed Woollaston.”2 While Monet is

a key touchstone and important influence on the artist, Woollaston’s paintings are from a different century, and an entirely different geographical environment. They capture the essence of New Zealand’s south, an elemental environment, prone to extreme weather.

Taramakau is one of Woollaston’s most prized paintings, and has been tightly held in a private collection for many years.

It featured in Jill Trevelyan’s book Peter McLeavey: The life and times of a New Zealand art dealer3, demonstrating the significance of the work and the importance of McLeavey’s working relationship with Woollaston. It is rich with the painterly qualities that have made the artist an important figure in New Zealand art history.

Ian Wedde, quoted from Christopher Johnstone, Landscape Paintings of New Zealand (Auckland: Godwit/Random House, 2013), page 182.

2 Ibid.

3 Jill Trevelyan, Peter McLeavey: The life and times of a New Zealand art dealer (Wellingon: Te Papa Press, 2013). An image of Taramakau appears on page 51.

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67 Melvin Day

Entrance to Wellington Harbour, from above Breaker Bay 1994 oil on canvas signed Day and dated 94 in brushpoint lower right 920 × 1520mm est

$45,000 — $65,000

provenance Private collection, Wellington.

Melvin Day is an artist whose abilities are far greater than his relative lack of profile would suggest. He is an important New Zealand modernist painter, who produced a rich body of work of exceptional quality. As a young man, Day served as an army and air force draftsman during the latter stages of the Second World War. He later trained as an art historian at London’s Courtauld Institute of Art. Back on these fair shores, he held roles as the Director of the National Art Gallery (now Te Papa Tongarewa), and as government art historian.

Writer and curator Gregory O’Brien discussed Day’s painterly preoccupation with Wellington and its surrounds in his 2019 book Melvin Day: Artist. O’Brien states, “From the late 1960s until his death in 2016, Melvin day lived hardly 50 metres from Seatoun Beach, near the mouth of Wellington Harbour...The view from

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the front of his house was unimpeded — down the street, across Marine Parade, and over the adjacent wharf to the harbour, Eastbourne hills, and the Orongorongo ranges beyond. This outlook would become the subject of numerous paintings during his final five decades.”

Throughout his life, Day was acutely aware of the histories of both place and people and would extensively research his chosen locations from both Māori and Pākehā perspectives.

With his background at the Courtauld Institute, O’Brien suggested that the history of Western art underpinned all of Day’s work, stating, “it is not by accident that that the hills of Wellington Harbour have much in common with folds of drapery in a Renaissance painting as they do with the landforms themselves.”

In a review of Day’s 1984 exhibition at Wellington City Art Gallery, Ian Wedde highlighted the historical echoes in Day’s works, as well as a richness of art historical references, observing that his Wellington Harbour paintings are like another structural template upon the lovely blues of Piero (della Francesca) and paler earth tones familiar from Day’s ‘readings’ of fresco.

Despite being solidly grounded in specific locations – many within easy walking distance of his studio, including this view from the walking track above Breaker Bay, painted in 1994 – O’Brien perceives Day’s landscapes to be “characterised by a reaching out towards other points in time and space — referencing his own life experience as well as broader currents in human history and thought”.

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Ralph Hotere Port Chalmers 1984 enamel on burnished steel; sash-window frame signed Hotere, dated '84, and inscribed Port Chalmers in brushpoint lower left 975 × 810mm est

$80,000 — $120,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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“I’m not a critic. I’m a photographer.

I’m also in love with paint, and there’s so much about Bill Hammond’s paintings that never seems to be discussed. Hammond ‘takes on’ things: how to paint the look of old black linoleum, patterned concrete block walls, the twists and interweavings of plaited hemp rope, the quilting on mattresses, latticework, certain makes and colours of paint; how to use a particular shade of what I think of as Renaissance blue and, just when you have got used to that, a limpid, aqueous green; how paint will appear when its painted on different materials; how thinly paint can be applied before it becomes uncontrollable and how to control uncontrollable paint.”1

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Bill Hammond Ancestral K 2005 acrylic on canvas signed W D hammond, dated 2005 and inscribed ANCESTRAL K in brushpoint lower left 600 × 600mm est

$100,000 — $160,000

provenance Private collection, Queenstown.

Laurence Aberhart, Welcome to Bill’s Bar, in Bill Hammond: Jingle Jangle Morning.

(Christchurch: Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, 2007), 15.

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Milan Mrkusich Emblem I (Water Fire) 1963 oil on canvas inscribed Emblem I (Water Fire) and dated 1963 in brushpoint verso 1600 × 1170mm est

$120,000 — $180,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

As a discipline, abstract painting has many different modalities. Though a general distinction can be made between abstract works that make use of expressive, gestural paint and works of tightly controlled geometry. Key examples of these two approaches from the art historical ‘canon’ can be seen in the work of Jackson Pollock and Piet Mondrian respectively.

A standout feature of Milan Mrkusich’s work is that he mastered both such approaches.

Throughout his body of work, one can see both geometric precision and expressive audacity.

Some of his paintings combine both.

Emblem I (Water Fire) is a work that demonstrates Mrkusich’s expressive painting at its finest. This 1963 oil painting features a palette of red, blue, and white, applied with vigorously gestural brushstrokes. The painting features two conical shapes, one blue the other red, which meet in the middle of the image.

A band of horizontal brush marks running through the centre could lead one to interpret this as a work of landscape – perhaps a volcanic eruption reflected in a body of water. Yet, any such pictorial direction is highly unlikely to have featured in the artist’s decision-making process. Mrkusich was altogether disinterested in representations of landscape, and The Arts Foundation even attributes him with this zinger of a quote, “You want a landscape? Take a drive in the country.”1 The title of the work does reference water and fire, and its straightforward to link this to the artist’s colour choices.

Even suggesting water and fire is uncharacteristically directive of viewer interpretation for Mrkusich, whose primary intention was to create paintings that did not engage any external points of reference. Writers Alan Wright and Edward Hanfling spoke to this in their substantive 2009 biography, Mrkusich: The Art of Transformation, stating, “Mrkusich has never been a purveyor of explicit issues and messages. He does not see art as a form of literal communication, and he never gets his painting tangled up with politics. Paintings that endure do so because they keep on offering new experiences to the viewer – because they can never, finally, be explained.”2 Emblem I (Water Fire) is a work that can provide endless new experiences to a viewer.

For admirers of abstract painting, it provides an exquisite balance of elements that are both recognisable and mysterious.

1

2

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he Arts Foundation “Milan Mrkusich” 9/03/2021, T https://www.thearts.co.nz/artists/milan-mrkusich.

Alan Wright and Edward Hanfling, Mrkusich: The Art of Transformation (Auckland: Auckland University Press, 2009), 9.

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71

Gordon Walters Waikanae c1968 acrylic on canvasboard 900 × 1210mm est

$250,000 — $350,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

Acquired from Petar Vuletic. exhibitions New Paintings and Drawings, New Vision Galleries, Auckland, May 27 – June 8 1968.

Gordon Walters was one of the first New Zealanders to pursue abstraction, creating distinctive geometric paintings from the early 1950s onward. He is best known for his koru works, which combined the well-known Māori motif with principles of hard-edged, Western abstract art. These distinctive paintings, prints and drawings, which he started producing in earnest in the 1960s, have been widely celebrated in New Zealand for decades. But, for all their noteworthiness, Walters’ koru works were only one facet of his artistic practice.

Walters’ early influences included surrealist painters Yves Tanguy and Salvador Dali, and some of his exploratory drawings of the early 1940s employed the free-associative methods of surrealism.

Though it was his friendship with Theo Schoon that provided enduring influence on his work. Walters met the Dutch émigré in 1941, and through him was introduced to key ideas of European modernism. It was Schoon that guided Walters through his definitive encounter with Māori rock art in 1946 in South Canterbury, taking him to numerous sites in the region. 1 Drawings Walters made then provided the impetus for much of his future work.

Yet, as much as Schoon’s influence was vital and informative, the artistic path Walters pursued was of his own making.

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As a mode of painting, geometric abstraction originated in Europe in the early twentieth century. Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian were among its earliest protagonists, creating artworks based on geometric relationships rather than underlying references to nature. It was Mondrian in particular that captured the attention of Walters when he visited Amsterdam in 1950.2 The Dutch master’s rigorously composed linear matrices proved highly influential on the young New Zealand artist, who had based himself in London for a year, travelling to other European centres to take in the continent’s art.

Walters left Europe and settled for a time in Melbourne. There he began his own explorations of colour, tone, and geometry, creating some of his earliest explorations of synthetic abstraction – painting of and about painting. He returned to New Zealand in 1953 and continued to develop his unique approach to art making. Yet, the cultural climate was not receptive to abstract art – some regarded it as foreign, with no relevance to New Zealand’s cultural discourse. Consequently, Walters did not hold a solo exhibition of his work between 1949 and 1966. Instead, he continued to develop his art in private, producing numerous paintings and studies that were not exhibited until much later.3 Ultimately, this approach was fruitful. According to art historian Michael Dunn, Walters’ exhibition in 1966 at New Vision gallery was, “an artistic triumph and vindication of the long years of preparation that went into its creation.” 4 Another show followed at the same venue in 1968, presenting a body of work that asserted Walters distinctive style. Together, these two exhibitions were definitive, featuring many of the artist’s most famous works, and firmly establishing him as a painter of national significance.

Waikanae, which features in this catalogue, was shown at New Vision Gallery in 1968. It demonstrates the precision, accomplishment, and graphic sensibility of Walters’ work – though it does not rely on the koru motif to achieve this. Instead, the refined abstract image sets up a dynamic visual contrast in its geometric elements.

The composition is comprised of two evenly sized and symmetrically spaced diamond shapes, painted in a dark grey tone, almost black. They are set against a light grey background. Thick blue contours sit over the diamonds, introducing a nonsymmetrical element to the work. All three colours are solid, with no tonal variations.

The blue lines are equally weighted, but their differentiated configuration sets up a dynamic dissonance within the work.

If the image was purely symmetrical, it would become static. Instead, it pops.

This dynamic interaction of elements is a central feature of Walters’ work. As curator Julia Waite notes, “Walters' interest in Mondrian during the 1950s resulted in the production of a series of geometric paintings which use interlocking rectangles engaged in horizontal and vertical interplay.

In order to achieve dynamic equilibrium, which relied on establishing a tension between 'unequal but equivalent parts', Mondrian avoided symmetry. Asymmetry was a vital element in Walters' painting too.”5 This set up of visual tension can be read in many of the artist’s works — in Waikanae, it is palpable. This use of dynamic contrast is part of what ensures that Walters’ work remains compelling and vital today.

Walters has proven to be highly influential figure in New Zealand art, his work shaping narratives around identity, abstraction, and what it means to be an artist in this country. This is a point picked up on by curator and writer Lucy Hammonds, “Walters' influence on contemporary New Zealand art has been significant; his formal approach and processes of abstraction, reduction and repetition being examined and reconsidered by subsequent generations of artists. In the case of artists such as Killeen, Scott and Heaphy, the influence of Walters’ work came through their individual connection to the artist. In the wider field of New Zealand abstraction, Walters is considered a pioneer, providing a history lesson and example of what abstract art can be in this country.”6 Key works from Gordon Walters’ most important shows are a rarity. Waikanae has been held in a private collection for decades. Coming to light, this work has presented another view of the remarkable work of one of the nation’s most important artists.

ichael Dunn, Gordon Walters M (Auckland City Art Gallery, 1983), 10.

2 Ibid., 12.

3 Ibid., 18.

4 Ibid., 18.

5 Julia Waite, New Networks and a Paper Museum. In, Gordon Walters: New Vision (Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and Dunedin Public Art Gallery, 2017), 45.

6 Lucy Hammonds, Gordon Walters: An Expanding Horizon. In, Gordon Walters: New Vision (Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and Dunedin Public Art Gallery, 2017), 32.

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Jeffrey Harris Family Portrait c1974 oil on board signed Jeffrey Harris in brushpoint lower right 1395 × 1395mm est

$65,000 — $85,000

provenance Private collection, Wellington. Acquired from Fine New Zealand Paintings, Webb's, Auckland, 19 March 2002, lot 44.

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Reagan Lee Hong Yi 弘一 oil on canvas signed Reagan Lee, dated 2022 and inscribed 南凤 in brushpoint lower right 1210 × 900mm est

$100,000 — $120,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

Reagan Lee is a New Zealand based artist of Chinese origin. He is well known in China for his expressive portraits and fusion of Western and Eastern artistic traditions. Lee graduated from the Printmaking School of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in 1990, and migrated to Seychelles the following year. There, he became the personal painter of President James Alix Michel. He lived in Seychelles for nearly ten years, before moving to Europe and finally settling in New Zealand. Throughout his career, he has sought to reconcile traditional Chinese art practices with the global concerns he has encountered while immersed in other cultures. Lee's practice was celebrated with a major exhibition at Guangdong Museum of Art, China, in 2012.

Reagan Lee是一位居住在新西兰的华 裔艺术家，凭借富有表现力的肖像画作以及对 东西方艺术形式的融合享誉中国。Lee1990年 毕业于中央美术学院版画学院，次年移居塞舌 尔。在那里，他成为了塞舌尔总统詹姆斯·阿利 克斯·米歇尔（James Alix Michel）的私人画家。 他在塞舌尔生活了近十年后移居欧洲，最后定 居于新西兰。纵观他的整个职业生涯，Reagan Lee始终致力于将中国传统艺术实践与其在 不同文化中遇到的全球问题相融合。2012年， 中国广东美术馆举办了一场大型展览展出Lee 的精美画作。 Lee created this striking work of contemporary portraiture this year. It is a skilfully rendered, expressive painting with a restrained palette – mostly of blues, greens, and greys. The work is a portrait of Hong Yi,

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a Chinese artistic polymath. Yi was an artist, composer, poet, teacher, and scholar. Born in Tianjin in 1880, Yi moved to Shanghai in his late teens. There, he joined the Shanghai Painting and Calligraphy Association and a scholarly society. In 1905 he moved to Tokyo to study, specialising in Western art, art history, and music. He then returned to China and took up teaching. In his mid 30s, Yi became a Buddhist monk, and from then on focussed his artistic pursuits on calligraphy until his death in 1942. He remains an important figure in contemporary Chinese artistic culture.

Lee在今年创作了这幅引人注目的当代 肖像画作品，巧妙运用渲染手法且富有表现力， 用色相当内敛——以蓝色、绿色和灰色为主。这 是一幅中国艺术博学家弘一（Hong Yi）的肖像 画。弘一（李叔同）作为一名杰出的艺术家、作曲 家、诗人、教师和学者，1880年生于天津，十几 岁时移居上海。1905年，他前往东京学习，主修 西方艺术、艺术史和音乐。毕业后回国从事教学 工作，三十多岁时皈依佛门，此后他的艺术追求 主要集中于书法创作，直至1942年去世。他在 中国当代艺术文化史上有着举足轻重的地位。 As a scholar of Western art, Yi is an ideal painting subject for Lee, who has focused his artistic practice on cross-cultural synthesis.

Already considered an important artist within China, Lee’s work is increasingly significant to New Zealand collectors. 对专注于跨文化综合艺术创作的Lee而 言，研究西方艺术的弘一无疑是一位十分理想 描绘对象。如今Lee亦被视为重要的中国艺术 家之一，获得越来越多新西兰收藏家的关注。 140

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74

Bill Hammond Tales of Gotham City – Ian Wedde 1990 oil on canvas signed W D Hammond in brushpoint lower right 1000 × 700mm est

$100,000 — $120,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

Tales of Gotham City, refers to the title of a book of poetry published by Ian Wedde in 1984. Familiar to us through a diet of Batman and Robin, it seems a great leap to suggest we have anything in common with that crime ridden sprawling metropolis, peopled by cartoon criminals and men in tights. Irony has always been a strong point in New Zealand literature, and Ian Wedde is one of the best at wielding it.

His book is said “to propose new uses for the elements of irony and affectionate parody.” It characterizes a darker vision. No wonder, then, that Bill Hammond feels an affinity with the author and has dedicated a painting to him.

They share many interests; Wedde has made a study of Pacific Whaling which has continued to inform his writing, while Hammond famously took a trip to the Auckland Islands to study the bird life, which spawned an entire movement of painting.

As a collaboration of minds, they both create works hinged on irony and dark visions.

The painting itself goes hand in hand with the conventions and moods of film noir, including melancholy, bleakness, disillusionment, disenchantment, pessimism, ambiguity, moral corruption, evil, guilt, desperation and paranoia.

The storylines featured hard boiled anti-heroes, down and outs, cops and detectives whose lives are forever altered by encounters with amoral, promiscuous but always beautiful women. Hammond's men are certainly hard bitten, they loom out of the shadows, they flex their muscles, and they rattle their cages. The women sit alone and coiffed at tables, or lead men through merry chases through darkened streets, and we are unsure of who is more at risk. Traditionally the characters in such a film, struggle valiantly only to fail. In this composition the city abuts a turbulent black body of water which plummets over the side of the picture plane. A series of vertiginous vignettes occur throughout while we are subjected to what Justin Paton has described as an “architectural panic attack”.

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Garth Tapper Show Day c1986 oil on board signed Garth Tapper in brushpoint lower right; inscribed Show Day in ink verso 650 × 990mm est

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Webb's, Auckland, 21 May 2013, lot 19.

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Michael Smither untitled 1964 oil on board 700 × 1050mm est

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$45,000 — $75,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Fine New Zealand Paintings, Webb's, Auckland, 24 March 1995, lot 43.

Bill Hammond I'm a Believer 1986 oil on board signed W Hammond, dated 1986 and inscribed I'M A BELIEVER in brushpoint upper edge 440 × 920mm est

literature Trish Gribben, Michael Smither Painter (Auckland: Ron Sang, 2004), 39.

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$16,000 — $25,000

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$35,000 — $50,000

provenance Private collection, Wellington.

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Stanley Palmer untitled 2001 oil on canvas signed S. Palmer and dated '01 in brushpoint lower right 750 × 1360mm est

$18,000 — $26,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Toss Woollaston untitled 1961 watercolour on paper signed Woollaston and dated 1961 in brushpoint lower right 350 × 520mm est

$5,000 — $8,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Nigel Brown Maungawhau 1989 oil on board signed N Brown and dated 1989 in brushpoint lower right; inscribed Maungawhau in brushpoint upper right 580 × 680mm est

$4,000 — $6,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from Webb's, Auckland, 27 May 2014, lot 43.

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Peter McIntyre Early Morning Rome watercolour on paper signed Peter McIntyre in ink lower right 530 × 750mm est

$12,000 — $20,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Rohan Wealleans First Contact Negative Flashback 2011 acrylic and pins on board 700 × 500mm

John Reynolds Difficult Signs #5 2015 paint marker and acrylic on canvas signed REYNOLDS, dated 2015 and inscribed 100x1400/paint marker and acrylic on canvas in paint marker verso 1400 × 1000mm

est

est

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$4,000 — $6,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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$8,000 — $14,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland.

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Rudolf Gopas Cyclic Events oil on board signed Gopas and dated 71 brushpoint lower left; inscribed Cyclic Events/1971/A tribute to Himalayan Art/Solar Cycles – Life Cycles Rudi Gopas in ink verso 995 x 1160mm est

$12,000 — $16,000

provenance Private collection, Queenstown.

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Ralph Hotere Aramoana 1989 oil and pastel on paper signed Hotere and dated '89 in ink lower edge; inscribed Aramoana in pastel upper edge 350 × 580mm est

$18,000 — $25,000

provenance Private collection, Wellington. Acquired from Ferner Galleries, Auckland.

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Ralph Hotere For Bill Manhire – Pine 1973 watercolour and lithograph on paper signed Hotere, dated '73, and inscribed For Bill Manhire – Pine in graphite lower left 690 × 500mm

87

est

est

$12,000 — $18,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from International Art Centre, Important & Rare including the Dr Allan Godfrey Collection, Auckland, 2016, lot 67.

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Ralph Hotere Pine No. 12 – Discovered in Throats 1974 lithograph on paper signed Hotere, dated '74, and inscribed Pine No. 12 – Discovered in Throats in graphite lower left 540 × 400mm $10,000 — $14,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. Acquired from International Art Centre, An Auckland Collection of Contemporary Art with Modern & Contemporary Art, Auckland, 2018, lot 143.

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88

Ralph Hotere Round Midnight 'November' 2000 lithograph on paper, 13/24 signed Hotere, dated 2000, and inscribed Round Midnight 'NOVEMBER', 13/14 in graphite lower edge 556 × 776mm est

$7,000 — $10,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. exhibitions Ralph Hotere 'Round Midnight', Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui, 22 May — 15 August 2021.

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Ralph Hotere Round Midnight 'December' 2000 lithograph on paper, 13/24 signed Hotere, dated 2000 and inscribed Round Midnight 'DECEMBER' 13/14 in graphite lower edge 557 × 776mm est

$7,000 — $10,000

provenance Private collection, Auckland. exhibitions Ralph Hotere 'Round Midnight', Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui, 22 May — 15 August 2021.

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Terms and Conditions The terms and conditions of sale listed here contain the policies of Webb’s (Webb Fine Art). They are the terms on which Webb’s (Webb Fine Art) and the Seller contract with the Buyer. They may be amended by printed Saleroom Notices or oral announcements made before and during the sale. By bidding at auction you agree to be bound by these terms.

1.

Background to the Terms used in these Conditions The conditions that are listed below contain terms that are used regularly and may need explanation. They are as follows: “the Buyer” means the person with the highest bid accepted by the Auctioneer. “the Lot” means any item depicted within the sale for auction and in particular the item or items described against any lot number in the catalogue. “the Hammer price” means the amount of the highest bid accepted by the auctioneer in relation to a lot. “the Buyer’s Premium” means the charge payable by the Buyer to the auction house as a percentage of the hammer price. “the Reserve” means the lowest amount at which Webb’s has agreed with the Seller that the lot can be sold.

“Forgery” means an item constituting an imitation originally conceived and executed as a whole, with a fraudulent intention to deceive as to authorship, origin, age, period, culture or source, where the correct description as to such matters is not reflected by the description in the catalogue.

Accordingly, no lot shall be capable of being a forgery by reason of any damage or restoration work of any kind (Including re-painting). “the insured value” means the amount that Webb’s in its absolute discretion from time to time shall consider the value for which a lot should be covered for insurance (whether or not insurance is arranged by Webb’s).

All values expressed in Webb’s catalogues (in any format) are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD$). All bids, “hammer price”, “reserves”, “Buyers Premium” and other expressions of value are understood by all parties to be in New Zealand Dollars (NZD$) unless otherwise specified.

2.

Webb’s Auctions as Agent

Except as otherwise stated, Webb’s acts as agent for the Seller.

The contract for the sale of the property is therefore made between the Seller and the Buyer.

3.

Before the Sale

3.1.

Examination of Property Prospective Buyers are strongly advised to examine in person any property in which they are interested before the Auction takes place. Neither Webb’s nor the Seller provides any guarantee in relation to the nature of the property apart from the Limited warranty in the paragraph below.

The property is otherwise sold “AS IS” 3.2.

Catalogue and Other Descriptions All statements by Webb’s in the catalogue entry for the property or in the condition report, or made orally or in writing elsewhere, are statements of opinion and are not to be relied upon as statements of fact. Such statements do not constitute a representation, warranty or assumption of liability by Webb’s of any kind. References in the catalogue entry to the condition

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report to damage or restoration are for guidance only and should be evaluated by personal inspection by the bidder or a knowledgeable representative. The absence of such a reference does not imply that an item is free from defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others. Estimates of the selling price should not be relied on as a statement that this is the price at which the item will sell or its value for any other purpose. Neither Webb’s nor The Seller is responsible for any errors or omissions in the catalogue or any supplemental material.

Images are measured height by width (sight size). Illustrations are provided only as a guide and should not be relied upon as a true representation of colour or condition. Images are not shown at a standard scale. Mention is rarely made of frames (which may be provided as supplementary images on the website) which do not form part of the lot as described in the printed catalogue.

An item bought “on Extension” must be paid for in full before it will be released to the purchaser or his/ her agreed expertising committee or specialist. Payments received for such items will be held “in trust” for up to 90 days or earlier, if the issue of authenticity has been resolved more quickly. Extensions must be requested before the auction.

Foreign buyers should note that all transactions are in New Zealand Dollars so there may be a small exchange rate risk. The costs associated with acquiring a good opinion or certificate will be carried by the purchaser. If the item turns out to be forged or otherwise incorrectly described, all reasonable costs will be borne by the vendor.

3.3.

Buyers Responsibility All property is sold “as is” without representation or warranty of any kind

by Webb’s or the Seller. Buyers are responsible for satisfying themselves concerning the condition of the property and the matters referred to in the catalogue by requesting a condition report.

No lot to be rejected if, subsequent to the sale, it has been immersed in liquid or treated by any other process unless the Auctioneer’s permission to subject the lot to such immersion or treatment has first been obtained in writing.

4.

At the Sale

4.1.

Refusal of Admission Webb’s reserves the right at our complete discretion to refuse admission to the auction premises or participation in any auction and to reject any bid.

4.2.

Registration Before Bidding Any prospective new buyer must complete and sign a registration form and provide photo identification before bidding. Webb’s may request bank, trade or other financial references to substantiate this registration.

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4.3.

Bidding as a Principal When making a bid, a bidder is accepting personal liability to pay the purchase price including the buyer’s premium and all applicable taxes, plus all other applicable charges, unless it has been explicitly agreed in writing with Webb’s before the commencement of the sale that the bidder is acting as agent on behalf of an identified third party acceptable to Webb’s and that Webb’s will only look to the principal for payment.

4.4.

International Registrations All International clients not known to Webb’s will be required to scan or fax through an accredited form of photo identification and pay a deposit at our discretion in cleared funds into Webb’s account at least 24 hours before the commencement of the auction. Bids will not be accepted without this deposit. Webb’s also reserves the right to request any additional forms of identification prior to registering an overseas bid.

This deposit can be made using a credit card, however the balance of any purchase price in excess of $5,000 cannot be charged to this card without prior arrangement.

This deposit is redeemable against any auction purchase and will be refunded in full if no purchases are made.

4.5.

Absentee Bids Webb’s will use reasonable efforts to execute written bids delivered to us AT LEAST 24 Hours before the sale for the convenience of those clients who are unable to attend the auction in person. If we receive identical written bids on a particular lot, and at the auction these are the highest bids on that lot, then the lot will be sold to the person whose written bid was received and accepted first.

Execution of written bids is a free service undertaken subject to other commitments at the time of the sale and we do not accept liability for failing to execute a written bid or for errors or omissions which may arise.

It is the bidder’s responsibility to check with Webb’s after the auction if they were successful. Unlimited or “Buy” bids will not be accepted.

4.6.

Telephone Bids Priority will be given to overseas and bidders from other regions.

Please refer to the catalogue for the Telephone Bids form. Arrangements for this service must be confirmed AT LEAST 24 HOURS PRIOR to the auction commencing. Webb’s accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any errors or failure to execute bids. In telephone bidding the buyer agrees to be bound by all terms and conditions listed here and accepts that Webb’s cannot be held responsible for any miscommunications in the process.

The success of telephone bidding cannot be guaranteed due to circumstances that are unforeseen.

Buyers should be aware of the risk and accept the consequences should contact be unsuccessful at the time of Auction. You must advise Webb’s of the lots in question, and you will be assumed to be a buyer at the minimum price of 75% of estimate (i.e. reserve) for all such lots. Webb’s will advise Telephone Bidders who have registered at least 24 hours before the auction of any relevant changes to descriptions, withdrawals, or any other sale room notices.

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4.7.

Online Bidding Webb’s offers an online bidding service. When bidding online the buyer agrees to be bound by all terms and conditions listed here by Webb’s.

Webb’s accepts no responsibility for any errors, failure to execute bids or any other miscommunications regarding this process. It is the online bidder’s responsibility to ensure the accuracy of the relevant information regarding bids, lot numbers and contact details. Webb’s does not charge for this service.

4.8.

Reserves Unless otherwise indicated, all lots are offered subject to a reserve, which is the confidential minimum price below which the Lot will not be sold.

The reserve will not exceed the low estimate printed in the catalogue.

The auctioneer may open the bidding on any Lot below the reserve by placing a bid on behalf of the Seller.

The auctioneer may continue to bid on behalf of seller up to the amount of the reserve, either by placing consecutive bids or by placing bids in response to other bidders.

4.9.

Auctioneers Discretion The Auctioneer has the right at his/ her absolute and sole discretion to refuse any bid, to advance the bidding in such a manner as he/she may decide, to withdraw or divide any lot, to combine any two or more lots and, in the case or error or dispute and whether during or after the sale, to determine the successful bidder, to continue the bidding, to cancel the sale or to reoffer and resell the item in dispute. If any dispute arises after the sale, then Webb’s sale record is conclusive.

4.10. Successful Bid and Passing of Risk Subject to the auctioneer’s discretion, the highest bidder accepted by the auctioneer will be the buyer and the striking of his hammer marks the acceptance of the highest bid and the conclusion of a contract for sale between the Seller and the Buyer.

Risk and responsibility for the lot (including frames or glass where relevant) passes immediately to the Buyer.

4.11. Indicative Bidding Steps, etc.

Webb’s reserves the right to refuse any bid, withdraw any lot from sale, to place a reserve on any lot and to advance the bidding according to the following indicative steps: Increment Dollar Range Amount $20 $0–$500 $50 $500–$1,000 $100 $1,000–$2,000 $200 $2,000–$5,000 $500 $5,000–$10,000 $1,000 $10,000–$20,000 $2,000 $20,000–$50,000 $5,000 $50,000 – $100,000 $10,000 $100,000–$200,000 $20,000 $200,000–$500,000 $50,000 $500,000–$1,000,000 Absentee bids must follow these increments and any bids that don’t follow the steps will be rounded up to the nearest acceptable bid.

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5.

After the Sale

5.1.

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 19.5% 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 made for this service.

All packing, shipping, insurance, postage & associated charges will be borne by the purchaser.

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)

5.6.1. to charge interest at such a rate as we shall reasonably decide.

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 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

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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 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

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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.

8.

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.

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.

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

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Index of Artists A

P

Aberhart, Laurence Albrecht, Gretchen

69 60

Palmer, Stanley Pardington, Fiona Parekōwhai, Michael Paterson, Reuben

147

R

B Brown, Nigel C Clairmont, Philip Clark, Russell Cotton, Shane

83, 110 83 64

D Day, Melvin

130

E Ellis, Robert

66-67

F 54, 114-119

G Gimblett, Max Goldie, Charles Frederick Gopas, Rudolf

88, 89 63 149

H

148 58, 86

S Schoon, Theo Scott, Ian Smither, Michael Stichbury, Peter Straka, Heather Sutton, Bill

51, 54 111 90-91, 144 62 74-75 126-127

T Tapper, Garth

Fomison, Tony

Hammond, Bill

Hanly, Pat Harris, Jeffrey Hartigan, Paul Henderson, Louise Hotere, Ralph

Reynolds, John Robinson, Peter

82, 146 75, 87 61 68

144-145

W Walters, Gordon Wealleans, Rohan White, Robin Wong, Brent Woollaston, Toss

52, 93, 136-137 148 52 72-73 128-129, 147

Y 50, 68, 96-97, 132-133, 142-143, 144-145 53 138-139 70-71 55, 78-79, 80-81 100-109, 131, 149-151

Younghusband, Adele

122-125

K Kreisler, Tom

94-95

L Lee, Reagan

140-141

M Maughan, Karl McCahon, Colin McIntyre, Peter McLeod, Andrew Millar, Judy Mrkusich, Milan

Webb's

2022

59, 88 56-57, 120-121 147 84-85 65 65, 92, 134-135

155

Absentee Bid Form

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Webb's

November

156

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