Upstairs

19 August – 31 August

'Art NZ Volumes 1-117, 1000 Heads' - Jon Jeet

Artist, Jon Jeet (Masters Degree in painting from Ilam), painstakingly produces grid-like maze artworks on paper, showcasing a curated collection of portraits from various mediums, featuring artists who have been showcased in Art New Zealand publications.

"For several years, I have been captivated by the concept of using predetermined lists to guide my artistic endeavours. These lists, compiled by others, serve as a catalyst for my creative process. My paper works showcase a curated collection of portraits from various mediums, featuring artists who have been showcased in Art New Zealand publications.

This series consists of two components: the art pieces itself, a grid-like maze that utilizes a simplified colour palette inspired by earthy tones and traditional motifs from Tapa and Kowhaiwhai: coupled with handwritten bibliographic notes documenting each portrait in chronological order.

In 1976, Art New Zealand launched its first issue, promising to give 'adequate consideration' to the surge in contemporary painting and sculpture exhibitions.  The publication's focus was on expatriate and immigrant artists, as well as private art galleries, which are often the source of public art galleries' collections.

As a 'Black' artist with a passion for portraiture, especially mokamokai, I've struggled with the narrow definition of 'New Zealand Art' and its constraints on my identity.  To challenge these limitations, I created a series of artworks featuring 1000 gesturally drawn heads in a grid-like formation, sourced from Art New Zealand's first 114 issues. Each work contains a maze, symbolising the evolution of New Zealand portraiture.

16 paintings, each 30cm x 30cm, use acrylic and bright background colours.  Three floating heads accompany each work, referencing Art New Zealand magazines.  Each piece has a detailed title, such as ARTNZ v3 pg13, v4 pg 37, v6 pg 19, indicating the publication volume and page number that inspired the motif.  This series serves as a pictorial concordance of portraiture featured in Art New Zealand, challenging the predetermined boundaries of my practice." - Jon Jeet