MARTES, EL VEINTE DE MARZO, VEINTE-DOCE
I was interviewed yesterday about my work and exhibition 'Thirty-Three' at the Hastings City Art Gallery by Roy Dunningham. Here's a photo from Kath Purchas of the set-up, as we conducted the interview over Skype. A thank you to Roy for his great questions, the audience and the staff at Hastings City Art Gallery who helped in creating a gremlin-free technology link-up:

VIERNES, EL DIAZ DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-DOCE
My exhibition, 'Thirty-Three' installed at the Hastings City Art Gallery. The exhibition runs from 4 Feb - 6 May 2012. I'll be giving an artists talk via Skype on Wed, 21 March at 1.30pm. Will also be releasing the catalogue on that date. Photo courtesy of Kath Purchas.

MARTES, EL UNO DE MARZO, VEINTE-ONCE.
Speak of the devil, this arrived in my inbox this morning, an invitation to the Creative Hawkes Bay Invitational 2011. See Sunday's post to view my painting that will be in the exhibition.

DOMINGO, EL VIENTISIETE DE FEBRERO, VEINTE-ONCE
A triptych painting that will be exhibited in the 'Creative Hawkes Bay Invitational' at the Hastings City Art Gallery in April. The painting is titled 'Creator, Nurturer, Lifegiver' and was painted in 2010. It measures 2725mm x 1050mm.

SABATO, EL VEINTISEIS DE JUNIO, VEINTE-DIEZ
Just a reminder that the Creative Hawke's Bay Invitational Exhibition is finishing this Sunday at the Hastings City Art Gallery. Below is a detail on one of the works I have in the exhibition, Rectángulo De Tiempos Del Final (2009, Oil on wood and a leaf; scrimshaw and nails, 325mm x 770mm x 90mm).
The half head/half skull is a classic I've been using a lot recently, a pertinent symbol of mortality, copied from a very small German bone carving I saw at the Met in NYC. Since then, I've found many images of the half and half kind, some of the best are 19th century Italian wax sculptures, used as medical guide, I believe. The dodo is also a great symbol for mortality, first used at artschool in a set of drawings in 1997. I started reusing the dodo in my paintings in 2003. He's holding a bank note in his beak and is standing on Charlemagne's chalice.

Hello All,

My work that was shown recently at Mark Hutchins Gallery in Wellington has segued into 'Contemporary Baroque' and will continue until the 8th of May, so if you didn't get to see the work in the previous four days, you will have a chance to catch it in a new exhibition format.
Mark Hutchins Gallery, 216A Upper Willis Street, Wellington

Also, I have work in several other exhibitions around New Zealand; finishing up on the 24th of April is '13 Works' at Paper-Works, Upstairs, 27 Tennyson Street, Napier, Hawkes Bay
www.paper-works.co.nz

A painting and three crucifixes in 'Represent' at PAULNACHE in Gisborne, finishing on the 1st of May,
PAULNACHE, Upstairs, 89 Grey Street, Gisborne 4010

'Malfunction Baroque', a group of new ceramics at the Rayner Brothers Gallery in Whanganui, finishing on the 15th of May,
Rayner Brothers Gallery, 52 Guyton Street, Whanganui

And, finally, two works in the Creative Hawkes Bay Invitational 2010,
Hastings City Art Gallery, 201 Eastbourne Street East, Hastings

If you click on the links above, you can check out my work in each of the exhibitions.
Hasta pronto
Matthew Couper

JUEVES, EL VEINTIDOS DE ABRIL, VEINTE-DEIZ
Below is part of an article written by Roy Dunningham about the Creative Hawke's Bay Invitational in The BayBuzz. He has some kind words to say about my work in the exhibition. To read the full article, click here.

Creative Hawke’s Bay Invitational, Hastings City Art Gallery – April 10-June 27 2010

It has taken awhile, but Creative Hawke’s Bay has got the formula right for this year’s Invitationals exhibition.

The old Hawke’s Bay Review had been in decline and was replaced by the Invitationals which revived standards and artist participation. A stand-down policy provided opportunities for fresh talent to emerge. It worked well but one problem remained. Last year one or two artists were less than rigorous in monitoring the qualities of the work they submitted. To address this a selector has been engaged this year in the person of curator Tim Walker.

Selecting in art can be problematic but, done well, it gives an exhibition form and a point of view. In the past this had been highlighted by the fascinating “Salon des Refusés” of work rejected from the old Hawke’s Bay Reviews held at Wine Country Gallery in Havelock North. Certainly, the resulting Invitationals show this year is one of the most consistent in quality that I can recall...

...The most original work in the exhibition is from Matt Couper. He employs quasi-mystical texts and symbols taken from a range of religious and philosophical orders over the ages. The symbols were of doubtful effectiveness in their original context, but they can tell us a lot about the way the human mind deals with hopes and fears and tries to explain the inexplicable. The presentation of these ideas is wonderfully pungent, painterly and idiosyncratic....

...There are too many good things in this show to cover in this review. Go and see it for yourself.

Selector Tim Walker has given us an exhibition that truly looks at Hawke’s Bay in its many aspects. This is not the “colourful at all costs” Hawke’s Bay of tourist promotions but is darker and deeper. And a lot more interesting.

SABATO, EL DIEZ DE ABRIL, VEINTE-DIEZ
Photos from the opening of the Creative Hawke's Bay Invitational by J.K. Russ.
Clockwise from top, left: braziers outside the Hastings City Art Gallery; my work, Reloj De La Recesion (poliptico) on the plinth with Helen Kerridge's Not A Bad Drop on the wall; another view of Reloj De La Recesion and Rectangulo De Tiempos Del Final on the wall; another view with Martin Selman's marble Self-Portrait, Reworked and Revisited. You can view images of my paintings here.

VIERNES, EL NUEVE DE ABRIL, VEINTE-DIEZ
Tonight is the opening of the Creative Hawke's Bay Invitational. Two works of mine from 2009 were selected to be displayed.

MARTES, EL UNO DE DICIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
Hello All,

Just to keep you up to speed with some group exhibitions that feature my work. Opening this coming Wednesday is:
Secondary Practice at Mark Hutchins Gallery, 216a Upper Willis St, Wellington, 2 - 24 December, 2009

Also on currently are:
Seen This Century, Judith Anderson Gallery, 425 Kereru Rd RD1 Hastings Hawkes Bay, 7 November - December 2009
The ET Experience, Rayner Brothers Gallery, 52 Guyton St, Whanganui, 14 November - 23 December, 2009
The Captain. Tauranga Art Gallery, Cnr Wharf and Willow Sts, Tauranga, 21 October - 2009

Below are photos of each work exhibited. You can view larger versions of each artwork on my website (link to the right) or by clicking on the links to each gallery website on my homepage.

Hasta pronto,
Matthew Couper

LUNES, EL VIENTITRES DE NOVIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
A write-up of Seen This Century at Judith Anderson Gallery, Hawkes Bay, by Roy Dunningham.

MARTES, EL DIEZ DE NOVIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
After a week of openings at the Art School here in Whanganui, I drove over to Hawkes Bay to Judith Anderson's country gallery in Hawkes Bay for the opening of Seen This Century, an exhibition of artists from Warwick Brown's recent book.
Here's a snap of Warwick Brown delivering the opening speech. Ben Pearce's Great Grandfather's Clock is to the right.

LUNES, EL NUEVE EL NOVIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
Hoping to find equilibrium after a crazy two weeks.

[still from Holy Mountain]

JUEVES, EL CINCO DE NOVIEMBRE, DOS MIL NUEVE
I've got a couple of retablos in the following show, opening in Hawkes Bay this Saturday at 3pm. All other details below:

MARTES, EL TREINTA DE JUNIO, DOS MIL NUEVE
HEADING OUT OF TOWN TODAY. I'LL PUT UP A LINK TO THE NEW WORK IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.
HASTA PRONTO.

5TH OF FEBRUARY - 5TH OF APRIL 2009
MIND GAMES: SURREALISM IN AOTEAROA
HASTINGS CITY ART GALLERY
above: Hastings City Art Gallery
below: 'Pink Room" 2003, oil on canvas, 2400mm x 1800mm
(photos courtesy of JK Russ)