Pat Hanly exhibition

Press, 21 June 1984, Page 18

Pat Hanly exhibition

Paintings and Prints by Patrick Hanly at the Brooke/Gifford Gallery until June 29. Reviewed by John Hurrell.

1974 was a thrilling year for lovers of contemporary painting living in Christchurch. Not only were there some excellent exhibitions by local artists held in the C.S.A., but the McDougall showed four marvellous touring retrospectives by Don Peebles, David Armitage, Ralph Hotere, and Pat Hanly. These were all artists of national importance at the time.

These North Island initiated exhibitions were remarkable because they showed the resourcefulness of each artist in seeking out and testing new ideas and not sticking to a single successful formula. Of those four artists, only Peebles in the 10 years since has developed, making startling innovations in his canvas and paper wall-reliefs. Armitage has abandoned painting for

book illustration, and Hotere and Hanly have ceased discovering new approaches, content to recycle old motifs and techniques from their respective artmaking histories, in new ornamental arrangements. This became particularly apparent in 1978, when Hanly presented his “Golden Age” paintings, which were hybrids of his “Figures in Light” works and his “Energy” paintings. In that same year, by coincidence, Hotere began a similar process with his “Windows in Spain” and “Avignon” paintings, re-using colour combinations characteristic of much earlier works. Both the artists are now in their early fifties, and it is very evident they are still making very appealing paintings, but they keep turning over old ground. This is in spite of Hotere’s incorporation of metal sheets into his work. In April this year, in the McDougall’s “Paperchase” exhibition, he showed

twelve “Polaris missile” paintings, redoing a series he did in 1962 with new, highly skilful mark-making techniques. Amongt the works of Hanly’s present exhibition in the Brooke/Gifford Gallery are “new” 1984 Chagallinfluenced “Fire-series” paintings and prints. These are closely related to his similar series of 24 years earlier. Nevertheless, whilst Hanly appears frightened to move away from his familiar mark-making routines, these colourful and vigorous works are well-made, and sensuously compelling to look at. Hearts, rainbows, doves, and butterflies, however, never were convincing images in the 19605, whatever their symbolic content, and they look even more incredibly naive and inappropriate now. It is still possible for Hanly to show that exciting art is synonymous with the exploration of new ideas, and to take a few risks.