Gift of British prints on show at gallery
The Graphica Britannica exhibition brings together for the first time a selection of 41 significant British prints spanning the first half of the 20th century, drawn from a gift to Christchurch by collector Sir Rex de Charembac Nan Kivell.
Nan Kivell (1898–1977) was born in Christchurch and settled in London after serving in the First World War. In 1931 he became Director of London’s Redfern Gallery, which specialised in contemporary art.
Nan Kivell was instrumental in engaging many contemporary British artists to also produce prints, their affordability enabling fine art to reach a wider audience.
In 1953 he gave large selections of prints to the public art galleries of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
At the time, however, prints were not highly regarded as a fine art medium so, with the consent of Nan Kivell, the 300 works were put into storage at Canterbury Museum.
Attitudes changed over time and by the early 1990s the Gallery had begun to establish its Works on Paper collection. The Museum generously offered the prints back, and the Nan Kivell gift now forms a major component of the Gallery’s international print collection.
“The Christchurch collection offers a diverse range of printmaking techniques, subject matter and styles covering one of the most significant periods in the history of the print in Britain,” say exhibition curator Peter Vangioni.
- Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waiwhetu is free to visit. On the corner of Worcester Boulevard and Montreal Street, it is open daily from 10am-5pm with a late night on Wednesdays until 9pm. Entry to the City Council car park underneath the Gallery is off Gloucester Street.
- More info, look online at www.christchurchartgallery.org.nz/
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