Sutton paintings

Press, 29 June 1988, Page 20

Sutton paintings

Since the Canterbury painter, Bill Sutton, began his “Plantation Series” of oil paintings in 1986 he has developed the theme and completed 18 works. Two of the largest paintings are being exhibited at the Brooke Gifford Gallery until July 8 with some smaller paintings. They represent the artist’s statement about the introduction of exotic pine plantings over natural tussock land. In the 1970 s Sutton completed a suite of paintings which he called “Four Seasons,” using Worsley Spur as the main pictorial feature. Some years later the germ of the idea fpr his present major works developed, partly as a result of the controversial planting of the spur and valley below the Sign of the Kiwi with pine trees. The artist has always been fascinated by the shelter belts on the Canterbury Plains which form unusual abstract patterns and he has explored this idea in both oil and watercolour painting. The two major works which combine the view of the plains and the visual “destruction” of the foothills with plantations will probably be the last in the series.