Tuesday 11 December 2007

New Zealand's Favourite Artists

This is a wonderful compendium of contemporary best-selling New Zealand painters. It seems to be out of print, but you can download it here. It's a very interesting collection, full of surprises: lots of brilliant artists I'd never heard of. Among my favourites were Barry Ross Smith's witty beach scenes and farm scenes; Jane Puckey's striking botanical pictures; Phillip Maxwell's narrative still lifes; Susan Webb's painterly landscapes; Neil Driver's serene landscape/interiors; and Nigel Wilson's shimmering, dreamlike landscapes.

If you think the work of popular painters would be all in the same style or have similar subject matter, you'd be wrong! What a diverse group. Have a look.