Auckland Art Fair 2020

Two Rooms presentation for the reconfigured Auckland Art Fair is a curated collection of artworks by New Zealand and Australian artists that brings a new generation to exhibit alongside esteemed practitioners. This trans-Tasman connection is an important focus as it underpins significant public and private collections in both countries and an interaction that provides an important platform for the international practices of each artist and rests comfortably with their respective individual practice.

Each artist places an unequal premium on process and materiality and their collective chromatic mastery is evident. A tendency to emphasise precision in gestural action takes on various guises in the work of Gretchen Albrecht, Leigh Martin, Simon Morris, John Nixon, Jude Rae and Tira Walsh as they investigate the endless possibilities of abstract  and formal pictorial space. Observations and experiences from the everyday environment are utilised as the basis for painterly exercises, freely exploring drawing strategies and the qualities of colour and form. Although the physical language of each artist’s work differs, they all critically engage with their genres, either abstract or still life, seeking to push into the realm of metaphor and idea.