NZ Art

Sir Peter Siddell's intricately detailed paintings of New Zealand urban scenes and landscapes that are not quite a replication of actuality are much loved and enduringly popular.
Both technical tours de force and rich with acute observation, they feature in all our national art collections and never fail to fascinate. This major book, the first to ever bring his work together, celebrates both Siddell's life and his art, with 150 images, and an essay by both Sir Peter himself and the renowned art historian Professor Michael Dunn.

John Reynolds is one of New Zealand's most significant and most admired contemporary artists. An Arts Laureate, his Cloud was last year a centrepiece of the Sydney Bienale, at which he was New Zealand's representative, a rare honour for a New Zealand painter. Certain Words Drawn brings together examples of his recent work and practice in a stunning book designed by Arch McDonnell of InHouse Design. Magnificently packaged, this book is a limited edition of 1500 copies only, each numbered and signed by the artist. Edited by Universit... read more

The Real Art Roadshow is an eclectic yet cohesive collection of contemporary artworks by a cross-section of New Zealand artists, both reknowned and emerging. It hangs together as a fascinating and insightful snapshot of post-1945 New Zealand visual art. The Real Art Roadshow brings the art to the students, not the students to the art. Thankfully, those of us who left secondary school some time ago don't have to chase the truck down the road to get a glimpse of the collection. The Real Art Roadshow is now commited to the pages of th... read more

The story of twentieth-century art is dominated by a major shift from representation to abstraction, from Cezanne's paintings of hills and houses to Pollock's pictures of nothing. Yet in New Zealand we know a lot about Rita Angus and Colin McCahon but little about the post-representational art that now dominates the art world. This book is the first account of the work of New Zealand's leading abstract painter, Milan Mrkusich. Trained as an architect and working for the innovative design firm Brenner Associates in the 1940s, Mrkusi... read more

Contemporary New Zealand Art 4 is the final book in a series that offers readers a comprehensive view of New Zealand artists working at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries. This volume features over 100 artworks reproduced in full colour representing twenty artists, both established and emerging, working in a variety of media - painting, photography, sculpture, installation and multimedia. Contemporary New Zealand Art 4 as with previous volumes shows a selection of each artist's work - the art they produced ... read more

The latest title in the successful Contemporary Arts series showcasing 24 of New Zealand's established and up-and-coming artists. This volume features Luise Fong, Neil Pardington, James Ormsby, Sara Hughes, Viky Garden and Stanley Palmer among others. First published Octoboer 2008.

Denis Robinson's latest offering is something of an artist's road trip - a journey from the top to the bottom of New Zealand through the paintings of nearly 60 artists. The tour begins with Northland and runs cross-country to the south of the South Island. Work from more than one artist highlights the nuances of each particular region or city. There are 20 regions covered in the book, with an additional focus on the four main cities, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch - including a commemorative selection of paintings - and Dunedi... read more

A major new book showcasing the best of New Zealand's national art collection, from the iconic to the little-known. The evolution of the national art collection is closely linked with the story of Aotearoa New Zealand itself - its places, its people and their passions, and its developing sense of identity. Art at Te Papa, a major new book from Te Papa Press, spans the Museum's collection - from superb early European prints to exciting contemporary acquisitions. Te Papa's curators have selected more than 400 artworks, each one bea... read more

Art Toi is a wide-ranging review of New Zealand's art from the 1600s to the present day, edited by senior curator Ron Brownson. Art Toi contains over 300 finely detailed illustrations from 181 artists. Engaging essays written by the Galley's curators open each section and are complemented by eight focused 'vignettes' by external writers exploring different themes in New Zealand's art.

This book is a rare and fascinating picture of contemporary New Zealand artists in their studios. It provides new insights into the practical aspects of how artists embark on their creative processes. The 24 painters and sculptors were chosen by well-known writer and art commentator Richard Wolfe and photographer Stephen Robinson.

Len Castle's potting career, which started in 1947, spans the emergence, flourishing and subsequent transformation of the craft movement of the twentieth century. His work epitomizes its vitality, its deeply indigenous origins and the sophistication of its craftsmanship and artistry. When he decided to become a professional potter in 1963 he soon forged the first steps to establish an international reputation. He has exhibited world-wide, including Australia,Taiwan, Japan, the Netherlands,Sweden, USA and England (at the Victoria an... read more

Graham Percy is one of New Zealand's highest achieving illustrators on a global scale. Though he lived in London from 1964 until his death in 2008, he grew up here and never ceased thinking of himself as an expatriate Kiwi. A Micronaut in the Wide World re-discovers the life and work of this talented, original artist/illustrator/typographer. A tribute to the exquisite beauty of the hand-drawn line, the book also features large, colour reproductions of art works, documentary photos and a biographical, art historical text exploring t... read more

Certain images, art objects and art styles have embedded themselves in the consciousness of many New Zealanders. But why and how have they become part of our visual vocabulary? Oliver Stead has had the difficult task of not only selecting 40 of these iconic works but putting them into a context of New Zealand art history.

New Zealand: A Painted Country is a journey through a unique portfolio of landscapes depicting the favourite places of some of New Zealand's most popular contemporary artists. The highly diverse paintings display not only the wide spectrum of styles and techniques used by these artists, but also the way in which they capture and interpret that essence of a particular landscape - be it the light, mood, colours, contours, textures, or some other element - which attracts them to it. Beginning amid the grandeur of the Southern Alps and... read more

New Zealand in Watercolour showcases a selection of beautiful paintings by 30 of the country's leading watercolour artists. Four or five paintings from each contributor are displayed, accompanied by captions from the artists themselves that explain their technical and emotional approach to the subject, along with a brief artist profile and photo. The subtlety and range of this popular medium are exquisitely reproduced, creating a special collection of artistic perspectives on the New Zealand landscape, people and daily life that wi... read more

Take a trip through New Zealand art via Dick Frizzell's point of view. He shines a light on some of the works he's always loved - a number of which have seemed to miss muster in the usual round-ups. It's an eclectic bunch of paintings and begins with images he was drawn to (because that's what it was all about. images) back before he was told what he'd be better off looking at. From Peter McIntyre inviting him up onto the scaffolding to watch him painting the WWII mural in the Hastings War Memorial Library, through to discovering ... read more

A large format superior quality art book featuring the best of 25 years of Grahame Sydney's work. New Zealand's foremost realist artist, he is best known for his vast luminous landscapes, but this book also comprises a fine selection of his figure painting, striking portraits, and lithographs.

Across the great breadth of the Pacific, artists have always employed a wide variety of materials and techniques to create objects for specific purposes, from the domestic to the sacred, from the elegantly simple to the sumptuously ornate, and from the historic to the contemporary. In this book, the author draws on striking and colourful examples from the Pacific's major cultural regions: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia, beginning with an introduction asking 'What is Pacific art?' Every artwork is reproduced in close detail wit... read more

Kura Koiwi is both a personal account of Brian Flintoff’s career as a carver, but also an important exploration of Maori art and how it relates to carving.
Heavily illustrated with exquisite examples of his, and other people’s work, this book explains the mythology and symbolism behind his work, and in doing so provides an inspiring window into the power and beauty of our indigenous culture.
Conceived as a sister publication to Taonga Puoro: Singing Treasures, his acclaimed earlier book on Maori musical inst... read more