Get the picture

Press, 13 December 1989, Page 24

Get the picture

A picture frame the size of a small house; a globe of the world 4.5 metres in diameter and giant floating feathers are some of the unusual items on display at the National Art Gallery in Wellington. They are the work of one of New Zealand’s best known sculptors, Christ-church-based Neil Dawson, whose exhibition “Get the Picture” is on show until January 7. The National Art Gallery director, Luit Bieringa, says that “Get the Picture” is the largest and most ambitious exhibition by a living New Zealand artist ever organised in this country. The show resembles a hi-tech adventure playground more than a sedate art exhibition. It

occupies four galleries, the public foyer areas and extends outside the building into the city.

While the artist is best known for his innovative outdoor sculptures, he has created numerous smaller works for gallery exhibitions.

The site, whether a public place or gallery is Dawson’s foremost concern in designing a sculpture. It is the relationship between these two environments which he illustrates in “Get the Picture.”

Dawson’s trademark is spectacle. His sculptures are often large and involve complex engineering techniques to create “eye-teasing” optical illusions and 3-dimen-sional images.

To realise his large scale works, the artist employs a design team of six people led by his technical associate and longterm colleague, Bruce Edgar. Edgar is involved from the outset both in organisational detail and providing specialist advice and assistance in engineering and construction of the works.

Among Dawson’s public sculptures are “The Rock” outside the BNZ Centre in Wellington; “Ripples” situated outside the Waikato Museum of Art and History; “Vanity,” created for the 1988 Sydney Biennale, and “Globe” which was New Zealand’s official contribution to the French Bicentennial celebrations earlier this year.