What's new in
Non-Fiction this month:
There are certain images, art objects and art styles that have embedded themselves in the consciousness of many New Zealanders – we may not know the artist but we know the work. They have, in effect, become an important part of the common visual currency of the country.
Author Oliver Stead has had the difficult task of not only selecting 40 of these iconic works but putting them into a context of New Zealand art history.
But what is it about these images that have insinuated them into our visual vocabulary?
This is more than just an art history book. In explaining why each of the 40 works was chosen, Oliver Stead takes us on a fascinating exploration through our changing cultural and social history, and how it impacts on our art, from pre-European contact through to the 21st century.
Many are visual demonstrations of political statements of the day such as Te Rauparaha’s emphatically signed Deed of Sale of Part of Cloudy Bay and Two Men of the 65th Regiment by Gustavus Ferdinand Von Tempsky. Some, like Sun Shall Not Burn Thee by Don Binney and Portrait of Betty Curnow by Rita Angus are exquisite examples of our most celebrated artists. Others, such as McCahon’s Victory over Death 2 have attained an almost celebrity-like fame which ensures their continued appearance in published media.
Art Icons of New Zealand is a fascinating exploration of art, culture and identity.
An introductory essay sets out the basis for the selection and then each artwork has a double page spread featuring a brief essay on the artist and the work depicted.
(The Big Idea Web)
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