John Lawrence at HCAG

'Sun ' ceramic sculpture

 A selection of works by  John Lawrence  is currently on show at the Hastings City Art Gallery.  Uncommon Ground draws on work from the last ten years of Lawrence's career, and "showcases his expertise in paper clay and the development of a unique ceramic aesthetic" (Kathy Purchas, 2011).  The exhibition is on until the 24th October  2011, and provides a fascinating insight into a pioneering ceramic artist.

'Fold ' ceramic dish

Dilana Workshop & Darryn George

Just in time to combat the severe winter chill, Christchurch painter, Darryn George, has teamed up with Dilana Workshop to produce a series of amazing rugs.  The designs are based on Darryn's abstract paintings, where he blends his Maori heritage with contemporary abstraction, and are translated onto Dilana's 100% wool, hand-tufted rugs.   This creates a depth and warmth to each piece, and provides a unique way for contemporary art to enter the home.  The exhibition is on until the 2nd August, but all Dilana rugs are able to be ordered through the gallery through-out the year. 

Frances Stachl - Woodwork

AVID Jewellery is pleased to announce Wellington jeweller, Frances Stachl is having a focus entitled 'Woodwork'.  The work will be on display from the 16th July - 30th July. Each piece is hand-turned by Frances, and is made from either native or exotic timbers.  They are fun and playful pieces, that are wonderfully lightweight, and can be worn as a long single strand, or wrapped, to create a shorter and fuller necklace.

'Stub 'necklace - Ivory

'Ashes in our Mouth #1 ' necklace

'Worry Beads' necklace

'Stub Necklace ' turquoise

New Work by Johnny Turner

Johnny Turner has given us a beautiful new marble sculpture that is based on a larger work that he was commissioned to do for an English garden. Having spent most of last year abroad, fulfilling commissions in England and Russia, he is back off overseas later this year, this time to France, where he is participating in an exchange with a French sculptor.

Peter McKay Brooch entering Te Papa collection

We are pleased to announce that Peter's 'Six Silver Bullets' brooch has been purchased by Te Papa and will be entering their permanent collection. 

New Artist - Tim Main

AVID is pleased to announce the arrival of a new artist to the gallery; Tim Main.

Tim  Main is a sculptor and printmaker from Christchurch, who bases his work on New Zealand's indigenous flora with the aesthetics of Willaim Morris.  His delicately modeled pieces, crafted from wood and ceramic and highly finished with gesso and oil paint, seem to sprout from the walls and highlight the beauty and delicate forms of native flora.

Main graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sculpture and Printmaking obtained from the Christchurch Polytechnic where he later taught textile printing. Awarded the Dowse Student Study Award 1999 for excellence in craft and design. In 2003 he collaborated with fashion designer Sharon Ng and in 2005 he was the artist in residence at The Arts Centre, Christchurch.  He has also collaborated with Dilana on rug designs and has works in collections throughout New Zealand including the James Wallace Collection, the Christchurch Art Gallery and the Canterbury Museum Collection.

Chris Weaver - Shelf Show

21 June - 04 July 2011

Our Glass Shelf is dedicated to this show of classic ceramics from Chris Weaver, to welcome him back to AVID.

 Chris is well known for his exquisitely well finished domestic wares, having pioneered the flat-iron shaped teapots which became his trademark.  This quality of design and workmanship translates well across all interior design fashions, sitting comfortably in both minimalist and traditional environments.

Small Bucket

Sliced Tea Set

Perforated Plater

"I became obsessed with clay from an early age after discovering it on our property where my Father had dug out steps behind our house. I still remember the first pots I made then and the excitement continues after over forty years.
This work is derived from recent residencies in China. The sliced platters and teapots come from the architectural forms I saw there. The catalyst for my buckets came after I was unable to make my usual wooden handles and was forced to search for an alternative.  I found a solution in an unlikely material, a fibre toilet cleaning-brush, which sparked an interest in using other "found" materials. This has led to my interest in using old rulers for my 'Made to Measure' series."

Chris  Weaver,

Hokitika, 2011

Bronwynne Cornish shelf show

Bronwynne Cornish - Shelf Show

 

Harpy, Earthenware Sculpture by Bronwynne Cornish

 

Bronwynne Cornish - Shelf Show

27 May - 07 June 2011

Our "Glass Shelf" is dedicated to this show of new work from Bronwynne Cornish, to welcome her back to AVID. 

Scott McFarlane Tiles

We are pleased to have a new lot of Scott McFarlane tiles now in stock.  He has drawn from a wide range of topics for inspiration, from abstract forms, current political issues to celebrity; and they come in a variety of sizes and range from $60 - $150.

Barry Clarke - Exhibition

 

Bronwynne Cornish returns to AVID

AVID Gallery is pleased to announce the return of Bronwynne Cornish.  She will begin by showing her new works on a shelf show from the 27th May - 10th June, 2011.  We are very excited to have Bronwynne's work again, and look forward to representing her.

Owl Jugs

New Rings from Matthew von Sturmer

We have received four new stunning rings from Auckland jeweller Matthew von Sturmer.  The rings are made from 18ct gold and fearture Matthew's distinctive clusters of sapphires and diamonds. For more information click on the images below.

18ct Gold, Blue Sapphires & Diamonds

18ct Gold, Pink Sapphires & Diamonds

18ct Gold, Green Sapphires & Diamonds

18ct Gold, Pink Sapphires & Diamonds

New Work from Stephen Bradbourne

We now have in stock three beautiful blue vessels from glass blower Stephen Bradbourne. 
 

Stephen Bradbourne - Double Blue Incalmo

The two bottles have been made using the Incalmo technique.

This technique was developed by Venetian master glassblowers approximately 500 years ago and has traditionally been used to create horizontal bands of colour in blown glass.

The process involves making  'cups' of coloured or patterned glass which are connected together. 

Stephen Bradbourne - Triple Blue Incalmo

A hole is then pierced on the side of the assembled cups and attached to another blow pipe.The artist then gathers more glass and forms the piece into the desired shape.

Incalmo is a technically complex and physically demanding technique to use. The artist must be a proficient glass blower and dedicated to the process in order to master it.

Stephen Bradbourne - Blue Marrine

Stephen's bowl is made using the Murrine process.

" Murrine technique begins with the layering of colored liquid glass, which is then stretched into long rods called canes. When cold, these canes are then sliced in cross-section, which has the layered pattern." (wikipedia).

Subversive Activities - John Dawson & Hilary Beauchamp

John Dawson & Hilary Beauchamp

Subversive Activities 

5 - 16 April 2011

NZ-born UK-based potter John Dawson teaches pottery at Holloway Women's Prison, London, working until recently with Hilary Beauchamp MBE, whose new book "Holloway Prison: an inside story", (Waterside Press, 2010) controversially caused her to resign. 

In her 30 years of teaching at the prison, Beauchamp was awarded ITV Teacher of the Year (2007), and an MBE for her work.  She is inclined to tell it like it is, and does not shy from describing the harsh realities of life inside, and the difficulties of teaching art in such circumstances.  The Prison authorities asked to see her book before it was published; to ensure the book's integrity and independence, Beauchamp chose to resign. 

In this collaborative exhibition, Dawson's finely-thrown porcelain vases and cylinders are decorated with paintings from Beauchamp's book.  They make a powerful, sometimes dark, sometimes humorous statement about the realities of life inside the infamous women's prison.  They will inevitably raise questions about the way society treats those on the wrong side of the law. 

Both Dawson and Beauchamp have used their talents to help bring a little of the joy of art and creativity to those who have very little pleasure in their lives.  In this first combined show, the very contemporary ceramics bring some of the darkness and humour from the prison environment out into the light of day, making this show admirable, intriguing, and potentially controversial.

Dorthe Kristensen Jewellery Focus

Our first jewellery focus of the year will be opening next week.  Dorthe Kristensen will be presenting a body of work entitled 'Locket'.  Running from  2nd - 16th  April,  it will feature a series of curios lockets that Dorthe has made from silver and gold.

Seismic activity affects exhibition

The recent earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan have coincided with Dominic Burrell's "Geophysics" exhibition in totally unforeseen ways.  Dominic's work is based on and references seismic activity, and the works are individually entitled "Seismic Shift".  The traumatic effect of the recent quakes has prompted AVID and Dominic to extend the end date for this show to 26th March.   

Seismic Shift # 5

Our thoughts are very much with those affected by these terrible events, and to help in some small way, both Dominic and AVID  have decided to jointly donate $100 from each sale of work in the show to the New Zealand Red Cross Earthquake Appeal.

Dominic Burrell - Geophysics

Glass artist Dominic Burrell is our second exhibition for the year.  Geophysics opens on Tuesday 8th March and will run till the 19th March and will feature his distinctive multi-coloured blown glass forms that are reminiscent of illustrative cutaways of the Earth's crust.  You are warmly invited to meet Dominic at the preview on Tuesday from 5.30 - 7.00pm.

Gold Show in Jewellery

AVID jewellery will be having a focus on gold from the 4th - 19th March.  Artists in this show will include, Frances Stachl, Penelope Barnhill and Ann Culy.

Dutch Ambassador opens Art of Climate Change exhibition

The Netherlands Ambassador Arie van der Wiel last night opened our new exhibition by Dutch ceramic artist Jeroen Bechtold: 15 Claims - The Art of Climate Change.  This show explores the effects of climate change on the polar regions; ice and snow are translated into high fired porcelain and glazes, showing the arcs  and stresses of the ice structures.  Each exhibit represents a claim made on the Arctic or Antarctica by  France, Britain, Canada, the US, Australia, Russia, Norway, Denmark, Brazil, Chile, Argentina and New Zealand, and oil exploration companies Shell and Exxon.

This work has previously been shown only in Europe, and AVID have brought it to New Zealand in conjunction with the artist.  All works are for sale.

Dutch Ambassador Arie van der Wiel addresses the audience at the opening of 15 Claims - the Art of Climate Change

From L to R: the artist Jeroen Bechtold, Catherine Caldwell who helped instigate the NZ exhibition, AVID director Dorothy Saunders, and Jeroen's partner Joss.

Catalogue # 3: The Arctic Norwegian Claim, 320mm x 100mm h, $2,520 NZD

AVID Artists at the Dowse

The Dowse Art Museum in Lower Hutt currently has a small show highlighting the history and development of glass in New Zealand.  'Light Stones' features 3 AVID artists, John Edgar, Lyndsay Patterson and Elizabeth McClure, and will be running until the 27th March 2011.  

John Edgar - Glass Stone

Lyndsay Patterson - Landscape Vessel

Elizabeth McClure - Staccato 1