Post on 10-Mar-2016
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Milford Galleries Dunedin18 Dowling Street (03) 477 7727 info@milfordhouse.co.nz
www.milfordgalleries.co.nz
INTRODUCING MARC BLAKE & TIM THATCHER9th OCTOBER - 3rd NOVEMBER, 2010
MARC BLAKE
1. MARC BLAKE, Everything I've Ever Known (2009) acrylic, graphite, colour pencil, pigment ink & UVLS varnish on board, diptych; panels overall
acrylic, graphite, colour pencil, pigment ink & UVLS varnish on board, diptych; panels overall (v x h x d): 1203 x 2400 x 46 mm
1. DETAIL VIEW MARC BLAKE, Everything I've Ever Known (2009)
1. DETAIL VIEW MARC BLAKE, Everything I've Ever Known (2009)
2. MARC BLAKE, Waking Up [JC] (2010), acrylic, graphite, colour pencil, pigment ink & UVLS varnish on board, panel (v x h x d): 601 x 1201 x 47 mm
2. DETAIL VIEW MARC BLAKE, Waking Up [JC] (2010)
3. MARC BLAKE, Fucking Paradise (2010), acrylic, graphite, colour pencil, pigment ink & UVLS varnish on board, panel (v x h x d): 598 x 597 x 47 mm
3. DETAIL VIEW MARC BLAKE, Fucking Paradise (2010)
4. MARC BLAKE, Fleeting (2009), acrylic, colour pencil, pigment ink, posca & UVLS varnish on board, panel (v x h x d): 500 x 530 x 46 mm
4. DETAIL VIEW MARC BLAKE, Fleeting (2009)
5. MARC BLAKE, Look Out (2010)
acrylic, graphite, colour pencil, pigment ink & UVLS varnish on board, panel (v x h x d): 196 x 200 x 46 mm
6. MARC BLAKE, La Danse des Casseurs (2010)
acrylic, graphite, colour pencil, pigment ink & UVLS varnish on board, panel (v x h x d): 196 x 200 x 46 mm
Marc Blake 2010 CV Milford Galleries Dunedin www.milfordgalleries.co.nz
P a g e | 1
MARC BLAKE b. 1974, lives Sydney, Australia
Waking Up [JC] 2010
“Memories of what was are left as shadows, rubbed out, scratched off, fuzzy and
disappearing into the coloured wood grain. In areas the background becomes the
foreground or the sea becomes the sky but all of the elements seem to work together, finding
grounding in the grain of the wood. The illusion of three-dimensional space is only suggested
by light stains in a natural grain or in the size of the specific elements in the work.” (1)
“All of my pictures come partly from my own life or experience, but I’m also influenced by
external or global media events too… it’s a combination of what is directly around me in real
life, as well as what we can hunt down intentionally or just stumble across accidentally.” (2)
“I have been predominantly interested during this period in my own local environment of Kings
Cross, as well as a reflection on New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific region during a period
of financial instability and relative future social, political and environmental uncertainty.” (3)
1. Eva Burns, Marc Blake- New Text, 2010 2. Marc Blake, 2009 3. Marc Blake, 2010
Marc Blake was born in Auckland where he lived and studied gaining a Bachelor of Arts in
English Literature from the University of Auckland. In 2002 he moved to Japan where he lived
for four years before returning to New Zealand and on to Sydney where he now lives and
works. Blake has exhibited regularly since 2002. He has participated in solo and group
exhibitions at private galleries and public institutions including the Kyoto Cultural Museum,
BankART Yokohama, and the Auckland Art Gallery. He has been a finalist in a number of
awards such as The Wallace Trust Award and Anthony Harper Award for Contemporary Art.
His works are in private collections throughout New Zealand and abroad as well as part of the
Wallace Trust Collection.
Marc Blake 2010 CV Milford Galleries Dunedin www.milfordgalleries.co.nz
P a g e | 2
MARC BLAKE b. 1974, lives Sydney, Australia
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts (English Literature), University of Auckland
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2008 ‘Nothing Like This’, Backspace, Christchurch
2007 ‘Condensed History’, Aveia Gallery, Auckland
‘Where It All Begins’, Backspace Gallery, Christchurch
2006 ‘Watergarden’, Arts Council Koganecho, Yokohama, Japan
2000 ‘New Paintings’, EON, Auckland
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2010 Introducing Marc Blake and Tim Thatcher, Milford Galleries Dunedin
Wallace Art Awards, Auckland
Anna Pappas Gallery, Melbourne
2008 Wallace Art Awards, Auckland
New Zealand Painting & Printmaking Award, Auckland
Anthony Harper Award for Contemporary Art, Christchurch
New Zealand Fashion Week, Auckland
2007 ‘Off The Wall Project’, Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland
‘Light and Dark’, Satellite Gallery, Auckland
Backspace, Wellington, New Zealand
2006 ‘In the Midst’ (with Jos Wheeler) (independent), Auckland
2005 3rd Annual Amuse Artjam, Kyoto Cultural Museum, Kyoto, Japan
FIVE (with Ko Masuda), BankART Studio NYK, Yokohama, Japan
AWARDS
2010 Finalist, Annual Wallace Art Awards
2008 Finalist, New Zealand Painting & Printmaking Award
Finalist, Anthony Harper Award for Contemporary Art
Finalist, Annual Wallace Art Awards
2005 Two month studio residency & exhibition, BankART NYK, Yokohama, Japan
Finalist, 3Rd Annual Amuse Inc. Artjam, Kyoto Cultural Museum, Kyoto, Japan
COLLECTIONS
The James Wallace Trust
Everything I’ve Ever Known (2009)
T IM THATCHER
1. TIM THATCHER, Void Memorial (2009), oil on canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 1013 x 760 x 33 mm
1. DETAIL VIEW TIM THATCHER, Void Memorial (2009)
2. TIM THATCHER, Fortified with Ascending Arrangements (2010)
oil on canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 1013 x 758 x 33 mm
2. DETAIL VIEW TIM THATCHER, Fortified with Ascending Arrangements (2010)
3. TIM THATCHER, Untitled (Room) (2010), oil on canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 913 x 710 x 33 mm
3. DETAIL VIEW TIM THATCHER, Untitled (Room) (2010)
4. TIM THATCHER, Shelter (2010)
5. TIM THATCHER, Eternal Flame (2010)
oil on canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 303 x 226 x 20 mm
oil on canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 303 x 225 x 20 mm
6. TIM THATCHER, Untitled (Table with Flowers) (2010)oil on canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 302 x 226 x 20 mm
7. TIM THATCHER, Platform (2010)oil on canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 303 x 226 x 20 mm
8. TIM THATCHER, Untitled (Tree Stump) (2010)oil on canvas, stretcher (v x h x d): 303 x 225 x 20 mm
Tim Thatcher 2010 CV Milford Galleries Dunedin www.milfordgalleries.co.nz
P a g e | 1
TIM THATCHER b. 1982, lives Wellington
“Space does not permit much description of his extraordinary imagery, Tree stumps can
morph into volcanoes spouting empty word balloons; submarines hover in the sky above a
snow-covered landscape; half-painted figures of animals are arranged in stage-like settings. It
is a mixture of Salvador Dali, late Phillip Guston and Ross Ritchie, ‘a dry surrealism’. (1)
“He values elements of roughness and awkwardness…He seeks balance between certainty
and uncertainty. This reflects his working method, which is to start off with an image chosen
more or less at random, then to develop it. At that point ‘things just happen’. (2)
“In recent work he depicts fanciful constructions made from small logs and twigs. These drawn
objects themselves rarely come into existence as sculpture.
“It’s not about making the objects,” he says, “it’s about making objects exist by just thinking
about them. It’s your imagination that makes that happen. Drawing is a conversation
between my mind and hand.” (2)
1. Warwick Brown, Seen this Century, Godwit, 2009
2. ibid
3. Sue Gardiner, “Where to Draw the Line…”, Art News, Spring 2006
Tim lives and works in Wellington. In 2006 he gained a Master of Fine Arts with First Class Honors
from Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland. He has regularly exhibited work since 2005 both
within dealer galleries and public institutions including the Christchurch City Art Gallery, Te Tuhi
Gallery in Auckland, and in 2010 his work was exhibited at the Hirshfeld Gallery at the
Wellington City Art Gallery. His paintings and drawings are in private and public collections
including the James Wallace Trust.
Tim Thatcher 2010 CV Milford Galleries Dunedin www.milfordgalleries.co.nz
P a g e | 2
TIM THATCHER b. 1982, lives Wellington
EDUCATION
2009 Post Graduate Diploma of Education
2006 MFA (Hons),Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland
Bachelor of Design, Unitec (Hons), Auckland
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009 Stick & Stones, Anna Bibby Gallery, Auckland
2008 Nowherenow, Anna Bibby Gallery, Auckland
2007 A Decent Twitch, Anna Bibby Gallery, Auckland
2006 Nothing, Gallery East, Hamilton
2005 Pattern of Expectation, Anna Bibby Gallery, Auckland
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2010 Introducing Marc Blake and Tim Thatcher, Milford Galleries Dunedin
Hirshfeld Gallery, Wellington
2009 Cloud 9 , Christchurch City Art Gallery, Christchurch.
2008 A Generous Eye, works from the James Wallace collection. Toss Wollaston, Sarah Hughes,
Michael Parakowhai, Philip Trustum, Francis Upritchard and Tim Thatcher. The Dowse Museum
Painting In the digital age,. Te Tuhi, Auckland
2007 Painting In the digital age, Sarah Hughes, Andrew Mcleod, Darryn George and Tim Thatcher..
Pataka gallery, Porirua.
2006 Collections, George Fraser Gallery, Auckland
Group show, Anna Bibby Gallery, Newmarket
2005 Bring your Caddy, Elam Masters, Stanbeth House, Auckland
Guernica, Custom’s Street gallery. Auckland
AWARDS
Finalist James Wallace Trust
COLLECTIONS
The James Wallace Trust
BIBLIOGRAPHY 2007 McNamara, TJ. City and suburbs bathed in colour, NZ Herald, Tuesday, April 24, 2007
2004 McNamara, TJ. The galleries: Trivial ornaments seen in new light, NZ Herald, Tuesday, April 27
2006 Gardiner, Sue. Where to draw the line…Drawing is enjoying a renaissance in biennales and
exhibitions worldwide, Art News, Vol. 26, No. 3, 2006, pp. 74-79
2007 Kedgley, Helen. New Painting: Digital Age, Pataka Gallery, 2007
2007 Amery, Mark. Good Hard Work, Dominion Post, Friday May 25, 2007
2009 Brown, Warwick. Seen This Century, Random House, Auckland, 2009
Two young contemporary artists’, each with a distinctively unique practice are showcased in
‘Introducing Marc Blake and Tim Thatcher’. A surrealist element is prevalent in both, from Marc Blake’s
interrelating animals, natural elements and figures, to Tim Thatcher’s sculptural constructions of items
and objects each artist presents strange and wonderful collections of thought and spaces on painted
surfaces.
Marc Blake’s figures are grounded in the illusionary space created by shaded wood grain. Mountains,
clouds, lakes and grasslands appear as if apparitions from the wood creating a landscape for his
characters and objects to exist in. Golden manicured trees sprout from and balloons glide across the
painting surface in ‘Everything I’ve Ever known’, where a large bright and vivid rainbow joins two
opposing panels together. A myriad of figures (mostly wearing face masks) play part in a futuristic
‘shoot ‘em up’, creating scenarios that are all too common in the media of today.
The title ‘Fucking Paradise’ is both verb and adjective and the subject matter of the work has strong
connections to the Pacific. What is tourism really doing for New Zealand? A lone yellow eyed penguin
makes his way across the waterfront while a generously sized figure dressed in board shorts looks
towards the sea, perhaps thinking about his afternoon swim, or dinner? The ghostly figures of bungee
jumpers wearing gas masks plummet through the middle of the canvas. Will tourism still be a major
draw-card when the landscape is not?
Environmental issues also manifest in Tim Thatcher’s works - a large tree stump stands where a tree once
was and plants are potted and placed within constructed environments.
Rooms, buildings, sculptures and objects appear from rough and raw oil paint. At times the illusionary
space is clear, but the illusion is shattered when part of the space has been smudged out or painted
over bringing attention to the surface of the canvas and the quality of the paint. In ‘Untitled’ (Room), a
multifaceted room appears, but something is odd about the space, the perspective is skewed and the
surface is ruptured throwing out one’s spatial perception and flattening the illusion of space.
Thatcher’s places may appear strangely familiar. Often motivated by a real space, Thatcher
manipulates and changes the painted environment until the original space no longer exists. In ‘Void
Memorial’ objects are carefully placed together, creating a shrine-like composition. Everyday objects
that could well exist within real spaces have been moved, stacked and manipulated into strange and
peculiar and awkward arrangements giving the works a sense of mystery and the viewer a feeling of
dislocation.
From precise and translucent graphite and acrylic wash to thick, expressive oil paint, both Marc Blake
and Tim Thatcher offer us unique and thought-provoking paintings, showing the calibre of two of New
Zealand’s most exciting emerging artists.
All prices are NZD and include GST; Prices are current at the time of the exhibition
E X H I B I T I O N P R I C E L I S T
MARK B LAKE
1 Everything I've Ever Known (2009) 8,500
2 Waking Up [JC] (2010) 4,000
3 Fucking Paradise (2010) 2,500
4 Fleeting (2009) 2,250
5 Look Out (2010) 500
6 La Danse des Casseurs (2010) 500
T IM THATCHER
1 Void Memorial (2009) 3,500
2 Fortified with Ascending Arrangements (2010) 3,500
3 Untitled (Room) (2010) 3,250
4 Shelter (2010) 950
5 Eternal Flame (2010) 950
6 Untitled (Table with Flowers) (2010) 950
7 Platform (2010) 950
8 Untitled (Tree Stump) (2010) 950