10 February, 1997 (Amended 2 April 1997)

ADVANCE SCHEDULE OF PUBLIC PROGRAMMES AND EXHIBITIONS AT THE ROBERT McDOUGALL ART GALLERY & ANNEX

Exhibitions:

Megan Jenkinson: Virtues

January 17, 1996-February 16, 1997

• Nationally touring exhibition. This recent work by Elam-trained Auckland photographer Megan Jenkinson, includes 40 pairs of cibachrome collage images exploring the tensions between past and present, virtue and vice.

Arthur Tress: Fantastic Voyage

February 14-April 13, 1997

• One of America’s most prodigious and diversified photographers, Tress displays a unique and constantly evolving style of photography.

Mua/Muri

February 21-March 23, 1997

• Combining traditional referencing with current issues, Mua/Muri (the former time/the time to come) is a selection of contemporary Maori art from the Gallery’s collection.

W.A Sutton

8 February-13 April, 1997

• A selection of work from this Canterbury artist in celebration of his 80th birthday and in recognition of Sutton’s contribution to New Zealand art and his ongoing support of the Gallery

Dragon and Phoenix:

The Textiles of Southeast Asia’s Chinese Communities

March 18-May 18, 1997

• This travelling exhibition from the National Gallery of Australia will visit one venue in New Zealand only - Christchurch’s Robert McDougall Art Gallery. This show is drawn from the National Gallery’s extensive collection of Southeast Asian textiles and focuses on objects from the region which reflect a strong Chinese influence.

Rudolf Boelee: Things to Come

March 28-April 27, 1997

• This show follows on from Boelee’s highly successful exhibition - Visions of Utopia (1994) which examined politcs in New Zealand during the 1950s. With a definite shift in focus, this show looks at aspects of popular culture from the present day.

U.S. & Us

April 16-June 1, 1997

• Curated by Barbara Lee Smith of Illinois, U.S.A., this exhibition comprises a selection of embroidery made by artists from the United States and New Zealand.

Graham Kirk and Kees Bruin

April 25-June 4, 1997

• These companion exhibitions display a similar element of realism yet, at the same time, a definitive difference in approach to their painting.

Malcolm Harrison: `Exquisite Mysteries’

May 2-June 1, 1997

• Fibre artist Malcolm Harrison made his reputation in quilts. He has, however, used fibre creatively in many other forms. This show includes both fibre and painted pictures that explore different kinds of loss, such as cultural and personal loss.

Barry Cleavin: The Elements of Doubt

May 29-July 13, 1997

• In this exhibition, Cleavin contemplates the fate of New Zealand’s extinct and endangered birdlife. Relegated to the museum shelves, a selection of cabinet skeletons are companions to Cleavin’s sombre but compelling prints, providing the viewer with some food for thought on the not-so-bright future of our native fauna, with reference to these images as ‘lost species.’

Ann Shelton: ‘Redeye’

June 6-July 7, 1997

• Photographs from Auckland photographer Ann Shelton’s recent project Redeye. These laser prints of her documentary-styled photographs are assembled around various themes explored by Shelton with particular reference to certain aspects of nightlife in Auckland.

Treasures in Trust

June 12-August 3, 1997

• Commemorating the opening of the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington 75 years ago, Treasures in Trust is one of the largest touring exhibitions ever to be mounted from the National Library’s collection. The exhibition is made up of 100 items, selected to represent the richness and diversity of the Library’s collection.

Simon Biggs: Artist in Residence (1997), Canterbury University

July 11-August 10, 1997

• With the assistance of the British Council this show is a co-ordinated effort with the University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts,where Biggs is currently Artist in Residence. Although an Australian, Biggs has been living in Britain for the last eight years. Working with digital technology and including computers and multi-user interactive systems, this is a significant show as this is an area that has yet to be taken on by public galleries.

Youth Art

July 18-August 24, 1997

• The concept of this exhibition is to display the quality of the art works produced by the senior students in our schools. (More details to come).

New Zealand Silver

August 14-September 25, 1997

• A show case of very fine silver objects crafted in New Zealand from the late 1800s from the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

Ruth Watson

August 15-September 14, 1997

• This site-specific installation is designed for the Annex yet continues to explore the area of ‘mapping’ a more recent focus in her work.

Angels & Roses

August 20-October 19, 1997

• This collection of domestic and church furnishings, metal and enamelwork introduces the public to the work of artist Frederick Gurnsey. Rich in style and diverse in purpose, the objects in this exhibition vary from the ecclesiastical to the more worldly in nature.

Ellis Rowan

September 4-November 2, 1997

• As the only venue in New Zealand, the McDougall will be treated to the paintings of one of Australia’s most celebrated flower painters. These works, on loan from the Queensland Museum represent a career which spanned over 50 years, from 1887 when the artist visited Queensland for the first time.

Part of the Furniture

September 19-October 26, 1997

• Looking at the way design is an everyday part of our lives, this exhibition features mainly Christchurch artists and includes fabric, furniture and installation pieces that can be seen as both functional and artistic.

Caroline Williams: There

October 30, 1997-January 18, 1998

• This exhibition focuses on Williams’ paintings between 1987 and 1994 which deal with man-made constructions and disasters in the landscape. Initiated by the University of Melbourne, There presents new ways of considering notions of the sublime.

Cranleigh Barton Drawing Award

October 31-November 30,1997

• This biennial art award and exhibition highlights the drawing skills of emergent and more established artists from around the country, each vying for first place and a prize of $2000.

Sculpture in the Gardens

Mid November, 1997-Mid February, 1998

Margaret Stoddart (Summer Show)

November 19, 1997-February 8, 1998

• As the first significant Canterbury born watercolourist, Margaret Stoddart’s specialised botanical interest has given her a national identity and recognition. Although the artist also worked abroad Stoddart’s New Zealand work will make up the principal emphasis of the exhibition.

Francis Hodgkins

November 22, 1997-February 25, 1998

• Brought to New Zealand by the British Council to tour New Zealand during 1997, the fiftieth anniversary since Hodgkins’ death, a selection of this expatriate’s works will be on display at the McDougall alongside those in the gallery’s collection.

Nam June Paik: TV Garden

December 5-, 1997-January 11, 1998

• First created in 1974, this installation has been reconstituted numerous times with updating along the way. It features approximately 40 televisions placed in the lush surrounds of tropical plants, music, art and electronics.

The Robert McDougall Art Gallery is Christchurch’s public art gallery which features regularly changing exhibitions of international and New Zealand historical and contemporary art. The McDougall Art Annex is one of New Zealand’s leading contemporary art venues. The Robert McDougall Art Gallery is located behind the Canterbury Museum in the Botanic Gardens off Rolleston Avenue. The McDougall Art Annex is situated across the road in the Arts Centre, Worcester Boulevard, Christchurch. Hours are 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. every day from Labour weekend to Easter weekend inclusive. Winter hours are 10 a.m. - 4.30 p.m. Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday. Admission is free.

NOTE TO EDITORS: All exhibitions in italics are those being shown in the McDougall’s contemporary space, the Art Annex. The information listed is subject to change; dates and titles should be confirmed with the Robert McDougall’s Publicity and Marketing Officer (03) 372-2981.

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