5 – 27 February 2022
2021 is Whanganui printmaker Anthony Davies’ latest series, featuring 20 linocuts (each 30 x 30cm). They were produced during the lockdown period in the Covid pandemic. Many of the prints are portraits of well-known figures from New Zealand and overseas - Donald Trump, Greta Thunberg and Jacinda Ardern. Others represent major events such as the Christchurch mosque shootings and the Whakaari/White Island eruption of 2019. These prints are uniform in format with a strong graphic quality. Each one is square with the main subject placed within a circular frame, outlined in red and white on a dark ground.
5 – 27 February 2022
Interconnectedness is a central theme in Ché Rogers’ work. Concentric circles radiate outward and contract inward. Each work pulses with energy and flow and brings to mind dynamic motifs found within nature such as; ripples, waves and rays of light. Like rings inside a tree, his works evoke the passing of time and the layers of experience and growth. Simultaneously, these symbols of circularity are like portals to realms beyond, into the cosmic, reminding us of our insignificant place in this vast, expanding universe.
Interconnectedness is a central theme in Ché Rogers’ work. Concentric circles radiate outward and contract inward. Each work pulses with energy and flow and brings to mind dynamic motifs found within nature such as; ripples, waves and rays of light. Like rings inside a tree, his works evoke the passing of time and the layers of experience and growth. Simultaneously, these symbols of circularity are like portals to realms beyond, into the cosmic, reminding us of our insignificant place in this vast, expanding universe.
Multi-disciplinary by nature, Ché enjoys blurring the lines between art, design, photography, film and sound. His practice includes paintings in which layers of colour are scratched through to reveal a metallic surface beneath, three-dimensional installation light works made from repurposed retro plasticware, and audio/visual films, such as the video works that animate paintings and photographs, set to self-composed soundtracks.
Being a musician, this aural art form seeps into Ché’s visual arts practice. Using line, pattern and repetition, he strives to emulate the resonances, vibrations and oscillations of sound waves. His paintings also mirror the physical forms of a spinning vinyl record, a luminescent compact disc or a quivering speaker membrane.
Sitting within the framework of Postdigital art, Ché’s artistic practice explores the theme of Human vs Machine as he challenges our relationship with technology. He is particularly interested in the confusion a work might bring with its production. Ché enjoys the ambiguity of his recent paintings which look like they have been manufactured by high-tech processes, when in fact they are hand crafted using basic, analogue, hand-jigged equipment.
Ché’s aesthetic is influenced by the clean and simple design of mid-century minimalism, the playfulness of Op and Pop art, and the abstract geometric structures of Russian Constructivism and Orphism art movements. He is equally inspired by popular culture, such as the surreal and graphically arresting film sets from the sixties, particularly the way designers of the past have envisioned our future.
In 1990 Ché left high school to study art and craft design at Christchurch Polytechnic. Before he completed his degree, he found himself absorbed into Christchurch’s underground music scene, performing in bands. In time, he continued to study, moving into photography, computer graphics and web design.
Drawn to Taranaki in 2003 by cheap real estate and good surf, Ché currently lives and works as a full time artist in Ngāmotu New Plymouth. The coastal landscapes, the waves he rides and the symmetry of Mt. Taranaki naturally effect his work. Ché’s engagement with permaculture, which at its heart has design principles that work in harmony with our surrounding eco-systems, relates to an aforementioned theme in his work—interconnectedness. People to nature, nature to art, art to music, music to machine, machine to people—everything is connected in some way. And in the end, always and forever, we come full circle.
Holiday Hours
The gallery will be closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, January 1 and 2.
Percy Thomson Gallery is Stratford's public art gallery and was opened in June 2002 following a bequest to the district by former mayor and businessman Percy Thomson. The gallery is operated by a trust, under the umbrella of the Stratford District Council.
The gallery has developed and grown over the years, now receiving national recognition as a thriving and diverse exhibition space catering for all age groups and interests and involving the community at large.
The gallery provides an extensive programme of exhibitions and events both internally-generated and toured from other art collections and national institutions.
New exhibitions open every three to four weeks. Exhibitions vary between national, local and regional artists – established and emerging.
Gallery director Rhonda Bunyan says Percy Thomson Gallery has become a regional ‘love-mark’, and has represented most Taranaki artists in some capacity over the past 20 years.
‘Whist we have an outstanding national reputation and have formed strong relationships with national entities such as Te Papa Tongarewa and the Portrait Gallery of NZ, it is the grassroots promotion of the province’s many talented artists that is our driving force. Our artists appreciate our ongoing commitment to them.’
More than 20,000 visitors come to the gallery each year, with some exhibitions drawing regular visitors from throughout Aotearoa.
Over the years Percy Thomson Gallery has presented some prestigious exhibitions:
‘Remembering Rodin’, developed and toured by Te Papa Tongarewa, provided a rare opportunity to experience Rodin’s legacy through the sculpture ‘Eve’ (1882); ‘Marti Freidlander: Portraits of the Artists’ toured by NZ Portrait Gallery; ‘Toss Wollaston’, the Wallace Trust Collection; ‘Arrival, NZ Treasures from the BNZ Collection’; ‘Nigel Brown: I am, We are’.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary Bunyan has curated an exhibition, ‘The Art of Resilience’ which features work by 68 senior Taranaki artists who have spent years honing their skills, and who have been through the ‘associated ups and downs’ that go with giving your life over to creating art on a regular basis.
Bunyan has also edited a book with all participating artists' personal profiles, with meaningful insights into their practice and how they view their place in the world of art.
PERCY THOMSON GALLERY, Stratford
Appointment of New Gallery Director
The Trustees of Stratford’s Percy Thomson Gallery are delighted to announce the appointment of Laura Campbell as Gallery Director. Laura takes up the role on 31 January taking over from Rhonda Bunyan, who is retiring after six years at the helm.
Laura comes to us from Puke Ariki where for the past 4 years she has been Information Services Officer, Researcher, Art Curator and Art Historian. Her background, including the creation of the ‘Home Work: Taranaki’ exhibition (with over 30,000 visitors), and building relationships and working collaboratively with local artists and the community are all key attributes she brings to the role.
We are looking forward to Laura building on the legacy left by Rhonda that has cemented the eminent place of the Percy Thomson Gallery in the life of Stratford and Taranaki, showcasing local and national artistic talent, supporting Taranaki young emerging artists, and developing strong connections with individual artists and the community.
We would add a message to the Stratford and Taranaki communities – this is your Gallery! Please visit to enjoy the exhibitions and shop (Percy’s Place), brought to you to highlight the talent and explorations of our outstanding artistic community.
Bruce Ellis
Chairperson
18 December 2021 to 30 January 2022
Curated by Rhonda Bunyan
An exhibition by established Taranaki artists who have been invited to explore ‘the art of resilience' through new works to celebrate Percy Thomson Gallery’s 20th birthday.
Saturday 16 October – Sunday 7 November
GALLERY 2
Opening event Saturday 16 October 2pm
Connections are made all the time, small connections with people we meet in the street, larger webs of connection between family or groups we work with, and virtual connections over social media. All of these are based on how we present ourselves, how others see us and how we view others.
Jo's work for Nexus focuses on personal connections between physical people; patterns of connections formed when large groups work together. These invisible patterns form slowly but become strong and beautiful over time.
Maree's focus is on connections made over social media, often based on lives that are highly curated and viewed through any number of filters. What are people losing in their effort to conform? Are these connections real if based on a slightly less-than-truthful identity?
Both Maree and Jo use traditional embroidery techniques to deliver work that they hope will spark conversations about contemporary culture.
Maree Burnnand is an embroiderer, who through her work, likes to challenge peoples' perception of embroidery.
‘I have always had a love for textiles and fibre and my further education was in fashion and textile design but as I have aged, embroidery has come to the fore.’
Maree’s work tends to be very traditional and simple in its technique but the subject matter is often not what you expect to find in embroidery.
‘Reflecting whatever I am into at the time, the works can be a little random, but hints of the music, art and the macabre that I love always seem to come through.’
Jo Dixey is a freelance hand-embroiderer who trained at the Royal School of Needlework thirty years ago.
‘My life involves teaching embroidery to small groups, working on pieces for exhibitions and doing commissions. These commissions include new work as well as restoration, for private individuals, the fashion industry and costume work for film.’
The work Jo stitches for an exhibition gives her opportunity to comment on contemporary culture and, hopefully, start a conversation amongst the viewers.
Jo's book ‘Stitch People’ was published in 2017 and later re-released as ‘Creative Thread’.
Marti Friedlander, Ralph Hotere, Dunedin, 1978, Image copyright Gerrard and Marti Friedlander Charitable Trust
Friday 13 August – Sunday 5 September
TOURED by the NEW ZEALAND
PORTRAIT GALLERY
TE PŪKENGA WHAKAATA
MAIN GALLERY
Marti Friedlander (1928-2016) is one of our most prominent and highly regarded photographers. Her work has been central to New Zealand’s social and cultural life.
This exhibition is full of novel and compelling images of both well-known and now ‘forgotten’ or little-known artists, writers, craftspeople, actors, who were prominent players in expanding and vitalising cultural fields in New Zealand in the 1960s, 1970s and later.
Saturday 26 June – Sunday 8 August
GALLERY 2
Massey University Professor and astronomer Stephen Chadwick shares extraordinary psychedelic photos of the Matariki stars, galaxies, and the colourful remains of exploded stars.
For the past 14 years he has photographed deep-space using the same light-sensitive technology used in the Hubble Space Telescope, now available in consumer-grade digital cameras. Chadwick puts his telescope on a moving mount, and the camera allows the rig to track the movement of the stars as it takes photos.
Kia ora. Welcome to Percy Thomson Gallery
Percy Thomson Gallery is Stratford's public art gallery and was opened in June 2002.
The gallery has developed and grown over the years, now receiving national recognition as a thriving and diverse exhibition space catering for all age groups and interests and involving the community at large.
New exhibitions start every three to four weeks, and vary between national, local and regional artists – established and emerging.
Image: Percy Thomson portrait by Donna Willard-Moore. This portrait was painted for a future bronze-relief work by Donna.
Glass
Art 2021
Various glass artists
26 February – 21 March
Curated by Amy Taunt
Glass Art 2021 celebrates the wonderful world of glass art, its many forms and iterations and using a myriad of techniques.
More than 30 works from this country’s top glass artists, in a variety of glass techniques, including kiln-forming, casting, blowing, flame-working, and other specialized techniques, will be exhibited.
Exhibition work includes pieces from Justin Culina, Carmen Simmonds, Karin Barr, David Traub, Claire Bell, Richard Landers, Philip Stokes, Graeme Hitchcock, Jenny McLeod and Paul Burgham.
Coming
soon
Glass Art 2021
Various glass artists
Curated by Amy Taunt
26 February – 21 March
Raranga Harakeke
Weaver/designer Bernadette Ross
26 February – 21 March
Take a Second Look
Textile artist Jennifer Patterson
26 February – 21 March