'I'm always looking for the Hows and the Whys and the Whats,' said Muskrat, 'That is why I speak as I do. You've heard of Muskrat's Much-in-Little, of course?'
'No,' said the child. 'What is it?'
- The Mouse and his Child. Russell Hoban.

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Sunday 20 December 2009

Christopher Perkins - Landscape style


Christopher Perkins.  Self-portrait.  1954  Oil on panel

In 1928 Christopher Perkins was appointed to the staff of the Wellington Technical College under the La Trobe scheme (which was an attempt to improve the calibre of art teaching in New Zealand).  Although he only stayed here until 1934, he challenged the views of many New Zealand artists of the time and was outspoken in his criticism of the standard of art and the critique process here.  He himself emphasised the surface pattern in composition, the simplification of forms and particularly rejected conventionally picturesque subjects.  This latter especially, shocked  conservative critics.  However all these considerations eventually found their way into New Zealand painting.  



Here, in his style, is my interpretation of a piece of Hawkes Bay.

8 comments:

  1. This is great work it is a classic style of painting that is a weakness for me to do myself. I like this very much.

    Thanks for sharing it.

    Tom

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  2. Welcome to TLVD, Tom. And thanks! Where do I see your work?

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  3. The way you "do" those NZ hills is like a trademark. They seem like human body shapes, rolling languidly, almost erotically. Your affection for those hills - that others would fail to even see - is quite palpable.

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  4. Thank you, thank you YP. Praise from you is highly esteemed by me.

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  5. good stuff, Katherine,
    we weren't sure what that "almost familiar" sensation was until YP pointed out the eroticism.

    naughty gal, you.

    yes, we likes.

    thank you once more for sharing.

    ..
    .ero

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  6. I think the self portrait is very honest and I think your landscape pares away the detail and shows the underlying rythmn and simple forms of the Hawkes Bay - great stuff!

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  7. I referred to this in one of my blog posts (on 10 March 2011) and, as I am revisiting my post with a view to another one on Hawkes Bay hills, I wanted to revisit your picture. I am astonished that I never left a comment on it. It's always been a work I have admired. I know that I've told you that but I have no idea why I never left a comment to that effect. So now I have.

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  8. Ah, THIS is the one you like Geeb. Now I know.

    ReplyDelete

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