A & P Show: Art Goes Country

10 November - 3 December 2006
Touring Exhibition Gallery B

Matthew 12:12 2003 Gregor Kregar. Collection of the artist.

The country comes to town at the Gallery with an intriguing selection of artworks on the theme of rural New Zealand - from historical paintings and contemporary sculpture to an installation of live sheep in woollen knits.

Timed to coincide with the 2006 New Zealand Cup and Show Week, the Gallery’s A & P Show brings together a diverse selection of artworks connected to the theme of rural New Zealand. While the exhibition includes some significant historical works, its main focus is on work by contemporary and emerging New Zealand artists, with the aim of recreating something of the mayhem and festivity of the local Canterbury Show. The Gallery’s A & P Show runs for just three weeks, and has been welcomed by Canterbury Show organisers as an integral part of their event. Observing the connection between artistic production and an area of New Zealand life that is the backbone of our economy offers food for thought. This exhibition suggests that artists have strong connections with ordinary New Zealand life, and that an important part of our collective experience and identity may be recognised in entertaining, lively ways.

KEN HALL
Ken Hall is Curatorial Assistant (Historical Art) at the Gallery.

Extract taken from Bulletin 146 September - November 2006