Publications : Ferner Catalogue Summer 2004

This catalogue spans three centuries, the earliest artwork a sketch by William Strutt dated 1845; a finely observed portrait of his sister, Emily. One of the most recent works is by one of Ferner Galleries' artists David Thomas. Aotearoa Kete is comprised of woven archival film to create a three dimensional artwork. Here the view experiences weaving as a metaphor, providing representation of a history of New Zealand.

Other outstanding paintings represented in this publication include Head Study for Disillusioned by Petrus van der Velden. It is one of several studies for the major genre painting Disillusioned, a work which took three years to complete, the finished portrait was deposited at the National Art Gallery of Australia, but was destroyed because of irreversible deterioration of its pigments. Another outstanding work, Window by Philip Clairmont, when first exhibited in 1978 NZ Herald reviewer Terry McNamara described it as "probably the most successful, and in some ways the most inventive work of the show."

A fold-out page in this catalogue celebrates the collaboration of Ralph Hotere and Bill Culbert, depicting thirteen lithographs by the artists, which in each combine Hotere's expressionist and Culbert's Minimalist tendencies.

Other artists featured in this catalogue include John Hoyte, Francis McCracken, William James Reed, Russell Stuart Clark, Michael Smither, Allen Maddox and Gretchen Albrecht.