Home New Zealand – August 01, 2019

Featuring major works by Colin McCahon from the

1950s to the 1970s and drawing upon Auckland

Art Gallery’s extensive collection, this exhibition

considers McCahon’s sustained relationship with

Auckland and the significance of the physical,

spiritual and cultural landscape on his painting.

Colin McCahon May His light shine

(Tau Cross)1978–79, Chartwell Collection,

Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki 1994.

Courtesy of the Colin McCahon Research

and Publication Trust.

A Place to Paint

Colin McCahon in Auckland

Principal partner

10 Aug 2019–

27 Jan 2020

Thephotographerspenta

daywithtwoartistswhohave

builttheirhomeonfamilyland

in Mt Roskill, Auckland (p. 110).

Theartswriterandcritic

travelledtoVenicetocoverPost

hoc,DaneMitchell’sexhibition

at the Venice Biennale (p. 52).

Contributors

Jessica Gernat Anthony Byrt

Thisis yourfirstcommissionforHOME– tellusa littleabout
yourself.I wasbornin Canadaandraiseda Kiwi– I’ma Caniwi.
Myjourneyhasincorporatedstudiesinarchitectureand
photographyandthiscareerbringsthetwopassionstogether.
I findtheend-to-endshootprocessveryspecial,shapedby
spiritedconversationswithamazingdesignersandcreators.

Whatdidyouenjoyaboutphotographingthehomeoftwo
artists?KirstinandDanweresowelcoming,spendingtime
intheirspacesfilledwithpaintingsandsculpturescreatedby
themandtheirfriendswasincrediblyinspiring.Shootingoverthe
courseofa daygiftedmemoretimewiththeirworks;noticingthe
finerdetailswasa treat.I enjoyedexperiencinga spacedesigned
forcreativesthatalsofunctionsbeautifullyasa familyhome.

Whatotherprojectsareyouworkingonatthemoment?I’m
intheprocessofeditinganexcitingangularhome,aswellas
processingimagesfroma triptoUSAandCanada– thereare
someimagesthatI wouldliketorevisitandbuildstoriesfrom.
A personalprojectandgalleryshowarealsobrewing.

Whatabsorbsyourtimeoutsideofwork?Thegreatoutdoors.
WhenI canmakespaceI amoffexploringourbeautifulcountry
orabroad.Whenit comestofresheningupperspective,nothing
beats some fresh air and a long walk somewhere unfamiliar.

Youwriteaboutsomechunkyissues– art,politics,cityplanning

• doyoufindyoucangetemotionallycaughtup?I almostalways
  choosetowriteaboutissues,peopleoreventsthatI careabout


• sothere’sa degreeofemotionalinvolvement.I’minterested
  in whattheytellusaboutwherewe’reheaded,asa community
  anda society.ButI’vehadgoodeditorsovertheyearswho’ve
  helpedmetounderstandthatmyprimaryresponsibilityis to
  myreaders,thatmyjobis tokeepa criticaldistancesoI can
  stillseethetruths,evenwhenthose truths might be painful
  oremotionallychallenging.
  Whatdoesyouridealworldlooklikeandwhatwouldbeyour
  idealhome?I thinkaboutthis‘idealworld’questionallthetime,
  mainlybecausetheworldis sucha messrightnow.I’ma parent,
  andI’mreallytroubledbywhatwe’vedone,andaredoing,bothto
  theplanetanddemocraticsociety.ButI alsotrytobeoptimistic,
  otherwiseI’djustcurlintoa ballandnotdoanything.Oneofthe
  wayswe’vestartedtodealwiththesequestionsasa familyis with
  thepieceoflandwe’veboughtnorthofAuckland– aboutfour
  acres,withreallyfantasticsoil.We’redoinga lotofplanting,both
  offruittreesandnatives,andwe’replanningtobuildsomething
  smalltostayinupthere– onlyabout 50 squaremetres.Ourjobs
  keepustiedtothecityatthemoment,butlong-term, I feel like
  our hearts and our futures are up there.