Tarpaulin on show

Press, 14 October 1976, Page 13

Tarpaulin on show

The main featured artist in this year’s Group Show at the C.S.A. Gallery is Don Driver, of New Plymouth, who is well-known for his abstractions and sculptured reliefs. Driver is a past winner of the Benson and Hedges Award, and the eight works in the Group Show come direct from his successful one-man show in Auckland.

They represent a dramatic change in his style. Previous work by Driver has been in the form of clean, somewhat austere, colourful abstractions. These works explore the possibilities of coloured canvas, plastic sheeting, and found objects. The largest piece illustrated is a tattered old tarpaulin, on which are fixed a squashed carrier bag, a discarded old satchel, and torn chair upholstery. Most of the pieces repeat his familiar motif of broad horizontal bands of colour. One. is a black plastic waggon cover, on which are suspended a plastic paddling pool, plastic bags, and a shred of old leather. In complete contrast is ‘’Relief VIII,” a work in

his previous style, which has been recommended for purchase by the National Art Gallery, Wellington. Driver is the exhibitions officer for the Govett Brewster gallery in New Plymouth, and has represented New Zealand in several international exhibitions.

Ray Tborburn, the other guest painter, is a former Frances Hodgkins Fellow, and has gained an international reputation by representing New Zealand at the Sae Paulo Biennale. His works in this exhibition are also from a recent one-man show in Auckland — but the red spots in the centre of the paintings do not signify that they have been sold. They are integral parts of his “Edge” series. A special feature of this year’s show is a collection of three large sculptures by the late Carl Sydow, who was a member of the Group. They are in his familiar style — perforated metal sheets held under spring tension within a framework, and intended to be set in motion.

Members of the Group

are establishing a fund to buy one of the pieces for the Robert McDougall Art Gallery. The names of the other exhibitors — and much of their work — will be familiar to regular visitors to the Group Show. G. T. Moffitt exhibits six paintings from his nude portrait series — rather cold, uncomfortable, unhappylooking girls — plus one more conventional portrait. Olivia SpencerBower shows six of her muted water-colour sketches, and Vivien Bishop exhibits three stained canvases entitled “U.F.0,“ depicting ethereal space creatures.

Quentin Macfarlane shows two cool acrylics, and John Coley has entered half a dozen of his glowingly colourful townscapes. Gavin Bishop's pictures within pictures have a recurring theme of a bright cone rising from flower petals. For something completely different. Colin McCahon shows four cloud studies — child-like squiggles of white paint on sheets of plain back paper. The sculptress. Ria Ban croft, has fashioned a remarkably lifelike terracotta mask of Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Owen Mapp’s ivory and bone carvings are highly polished amulets inspired by primitive art; amd Nola Barron shows 17 fragile porcelain pots. Twenty-four members of the Group are represented this year. The exhibition will close on October 19.