Christchurch

Two Cantabarians who find ourselves stuck - for now - in rainy Auckland (surprisingly, we actually do like it), we can't help but think about all things good down in our hometown. Anyone in Auckland will wonder what on earth we mean when we say that - "But there is just NOTHING down there!" Well, you can lead a horse to water...

There are many things great about what is often referred as the Melbourne of New Zealand, but what really made me think about posting a piece on Christchurch was the Art Gallery. In 2003 the collection was moved from the old Robert McDougall Art Gallery to the new avon-river representative building on Montreal Street, and by doing so became a real centre for the city (town?). Forget the Cathedral (country church) and the Square, where its really 'happening' is the two block radius surrounding the gallery.

On arrival back to New Zealand, I spent six months in Christchurch and in this short (long) time I saw such an impressive collection of exhibitions, compiled by both local and foreign artists. The favourites that stood out were Seraphine Pick's retrospective, and Ronnie van Houts Who Goes There, whose warped interpretation of self-portraits are scarily amusing. Any artist of talent that can make me laugh and doesn't take themselves too seriously has my instant attention. Then again, in April during a visit home I saw Provacations, a Christine Webster spread of work. Pieces of circus erotica created an utterly entrancing exhibition. Her dark prints of theatrical portraiture were enticingly beautiful, and not easily forgotten. The UK based New Zealand photographer has quickly risen to a favourite of mine, particually with her artistic concerns of identity that run steadily through her work. I guess her work interests me at the moment as she deals with what I am currently researching; the stream of thought within portraiture, voyeurism, and the idea of the the sitter vs the watcher. Have a look at her website, http://www.christinewebster.co.uk/ - in particular Black Carnival, and if you are in Christchurch, make sure you save a couple of hours for the gallery. Its all we've got.