Peter Peryer: Other (Portraits 1975-2011), Te Ata tu: the new light, and Assume Nothing

(Gus Fisher Gallery, Fine Arts)

4 May 2012 to 23 June 2012

Opening event: Friday 4 May, 5.30pm

Peter Peryer: Other (Portraits 1975-2011

This exhibition highlights the intermittent periods of portrait photography that Peter Peryer has completed. Showcasing work from 1975 through to 2011, these portraits are collectively titled ‘Other’, in distinction from the ‘Erika’ suite and self-portraits. The exhibition illuminates Peryer’s approach to the human form, offering single portraits that are intricately planned and characterised by an enticing quality of mystery. While his later portraits are more tightly cropped and are often set against a blank backdrop, there remains a perceptible thread of stillness and mystery that runs through the entirety of his work.

An exhibition from McNamara Gallery, part of the Auckland Festival of Photography: www.photographyfestival.org.nz

Public Events

Saturday 5 May, 1pm
Fiona Pardington talks to fellow photographer and Arts Foundation Laureate Peter Peryer about his Gus Fisher Gallery exhibition Other (Portraits 1975 – 2011).

Saturday 19 May, 1pm
Dr Erika Wolf discusses the work of Peter Peryer. Erika lectures on both historical and contemporary photography in the Department of History and Art History at the University of Otago. She co-edited the recent anthology Early New Zealand Photographs: Images and Essays (University of Otago Press, 2011).

Te Ata tu: the new light

4 May 2012 to 23 June 2012

A selection of works from The University of Auckland Art Collection that reflect on cycles of renewal. This exhibition considers the flow of time from one day to the next – of farewells to the past and new beginnings. The artists (Bill Culbert, Hye Rim Lee, Lisa Reihana, Connie Samaras, Paul Tangata and John Weeks) are from around the Asia-Pacific region, spanning the dateline that places New Zealand perpetually in the future to the rest of the world.

Te Ata tu means ‘just before the dawn’. In late May, this is when the Matariki constellation (also known as the Pleiades) rises from the same position as the sun to signal the winter solstice and the beginning of Aotearoa’s New Year. For Mâori, this is a time to reflect on the past year, plan ahead, and welcome the new generation. It is a fitting sentiment for an exhibition bookended by The University of Auckland’s graduation week and the beginning of Matariki.

Public Events

Saturday 16 June, 1pm
Kyla Mackenzie talks about the works of John Weeks in response to Weeks’ inclusion in the exhibition Te Ata tu: the new light.

Saturday 23 June, 1pm
Sam Hartnett, technician at The University of Auckland Centre for Art Research, leads a discussion on maintaining The University’s Waipapa Marae tekoteko.

Assume Nothing

4 May 2012 to 23 June 2012

An exhibition of new work by six early career artists: Richard Bryant, Richard Frater, Anya Henis, Schaeffer Lemalu, Patrick Lundberg and Martyn Reynolds. All six graduated from Elam School of Fine Arts in 2005. Although five went on to establish the collective A Centre For Art, the connections or sympathies drawn out for this exhibition are found in the particular characteristics of their practices, rather than the happenstance of where and when they studied. They have each gone on to realise work of remarkable subtlety that is both materially and conceptually rigorous. The exhibition’s central concern is with the deceptive modesty of their practices, where apparent simplicity or lightness of touch belies the works’ rigour. These are all artists whose work rewards patience and attention, where its specific qualities are not apprehended quickly. They quietly demand concentration and consideration that, over time, reveals greater rewards. Curated by Peter Shand.

Public Events

Saturday 12 May, 1pm
Peter Shand, NICAI Deputy Dean and curator of Assume Nothing, talks to some of the artists featured in the exhibition.

Saturday 26 May, 1pm
Elam lecturers James Cousins and Dr Simon Ingram discuss recent developments in painting.

Saturday 9 June, 1pm
A panel discussion on artist-run spaces, including Sam Thomas from Snake Pit, Alex Davidson from Window, Henry Babbage from Gloria Knight and Window, and Nick Spratt from RM.

Gallery Hours
Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm
Saturday 12pm-4pm
Closed public holidays
(closed Queens Birthday weekend, 2-4 June)