Shane Cotton
SHANE COTTON SURVEY 1993-2003
OPENING THIS WEEKEND
Presented by Telecom
13 July - 19 October 2003
Admission Free
The work of Shane Cotton is brought together in a new exhibition, opening this Sunday at City Gallery Wellington. Sponsored by Telecom, Shane Cotton Survey 1993-2003, will undoubtedly be a landmark in this country's visual culture.
Enter City Gallery Wellington and it is impossible to escape the powerful image of the waka hanging on the wall of the foyer. The painting is Wake (1996) and the waka is a symbol of the journey that Cotton, one of this country's leading contemporary artists has taken with his work over the last ten years. From Sunday 13 July through until 19 October 2003 audiences will have a chance to take their own journey through the work of one of our most exciting artists.
The exhibition which is free to the public is the first major survey of Shane Cotton's work and will feature 29 works. Beginning with paintings from 1993 such as Artificial Curiosities and Faith and finishing with brand new works not yet shown publicly, Shane Cotton Survey 1993-2003 promises to be one of the years most talked about exhibitions.
In the past ten years Shane Cotton (Ngati Rangi, Ngati Hine, Te Uri Taniwha) has emerged as a major figure in contemporary New Zealand art. His work deals with relationships between Maori and Pakeha - contemporary and historical issues of biculturalism on personal, political and social levels.
Cotton's paintings are visually appealing, intellectually intriguing and beautifully crafted. He has been the recipient of many prestigious awards and in 1998 took up the Frances Hodgkins Fellowship at the University of Otago. Shane Cotton's work has appeared in an impressive lineup of major museum shows both in New Zealand and overseas and is sought after by collectors and curators alike.
Curator Lara Strongman of City Gallery Wellington says Shane's rise to fame has been unique and he is now a leading member of a new generation of New Zealand artists who, in their mid 30s, are held in high esteem by both the art world and the art market.
Lara says, 'I think all curators have a secret wish list of dream shows they want to do - and this exhibition was certainly at the top of my list!
'Shane has produced a big body of work especially for this exhibition, so people will have a chance to really immerse themselves in his new work and also compare this with his previous material.'
'Shane works on a very big scale,' says Lara. 'What is exciting about this exhibition is that people have the opportunity to see his work in the large architectural spaces of the Gallery.'
The exhibition is accompanied by a substantial publication. Heavily illustrated with stunning colour reproductions of the works and featuring a preface by Professor Robert Jahnke, essays by Lara Strongman, John Huria, Blair French and Jim Barr and Mary Barr the catalogue will provide a lasting resource and enable those people unable to visit the exhibition access to Shane Cotton's ideas and images.
A full public events programme will run at City Gallery during the exhibition, including artist and curator floortalks, readings and panel discussions.
City Gallery Wellington is open daily from 10am to 5pm.
For more information, images and interview inquiries please contact:
Anna Davidson, Publicist
T: 04 801 3959
Mob: 021 998 331
Principal Sponsor Telecom New Zealand Ltd.
This exhibition has been made possible through the generous support of many public and private collections including: Auckland Art Gallery, Blythe Collection, Auckland, The Chartwell Trust, College House, Christchurch, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, The Fletcher Trust Collection, Gow Langsford Gallery, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, M. Neas and M. Brow, Aloysius and Eileen Teh, Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand, Sweeney Vesty Collection.
The Shane Cotton exhibition is generously supported by Creative New Zealand and the City Gallery Wellington Foundation.
City Gallery Wellington is managed by the Wellington Museums Trust with major funding from the Wellington City Council.
Events principal sponsor: Montana Wines Ltd.