About the Project

House for Titirangi 1955
Colin McCahon, House for Titirangi, 1955. Exhibited at the Group Show, Durham Street Gallery, Christchurch.
The McCahon House Trust was set up to preserve the small house in French Bay where the artist and his family lived and to establish a residency in his honour.

Here you can learn about the activities of the Trust, including the restoration of the house and the conditions of the artist's residency, and also explore through text and images the vivid and powerful work—much of it directly stimulated by his immediate environment of beach and bush—that McCahon created during this vital period.

RECENT NEWS:

The McCahon House Trust can now be found on Facebook. Updates and events are able to be viewed on a regular basis.

Current resident artist Jim Speers nears the end of his residency and will have an Open Studio at the residency (69 Otitori Bay Road French Bay Titirangi) on Saturday 22 January from 11am to 3pm. Additional information on our Facebook page.

Congratulations to our first McCahon House artist in residence, Judy Millar. Judy has been invited to exhibit again at the upcoming Venice Biennale. She will create a new work for the exhibition Personal Structures: Time, Space, Existence, a collateral event of the Biennale. This is the first time a New Zealander has been invited to exhibit in this context and affirms Judy's international reputation which continues to gain momentum.

McCahon Alumni Lisa Reihana (reviewed Arts Diary 365)and Gavin Hipkins are included in the Unnerved exhibition @ NGV Melbourne to 27 February 2011. Sculptures by Michael Parekowhai, installations by Lisa Reihana, paintings by John Pule and Shane Cotton and photographs by Gavin Hipkins, Yvonne Todd and Anne Noble will feature alongside video art by Campbell Patterson, Sriwhana Spong and Nathan Pohio.

Auckland artist Liyen Chong begins her residency in February. Melanie roger (Anna Bibby Gallery) describes Liyen as an exciting young artist with an immense amount of talent.

Andy Leleisi'uao held a great post residency exhibition at Whitespace in November 2010.

Martin Basher finished his residency in June 2010 and is now back in New York after a successful residency programme. Martin has a large artwork in the New York Public Art programme until september this year.

Almost 6,000 visitors, special interest and school groups have now been through the restored house since it was opened to the public in late 2006. The bush and birdlife, the simplicity of the cottage and the stories around it continue to inspire people and the docent guides have welcomed back a large number of return visitors. If you would like to organise a special tour outside of visiting hours, contact Chris McBride on (09) 817 8087 x203 or at mccahon@lopdell.org.nz

EVE ARMSTRONG

The Trust was pleased to welcome Eve Armstrong to French Bay for autumn 2009. She had to acclimatise to the sudden and unexpected noise of cones exploding on the roof, which is part and parcel of living under kauri trees during the annual leaf fall.

Eve, who was recognised by the Arts Foundation as a New Generation artist in 2006, is an artist who doesn't see the sense in using new materials in her work. Instead she integrates found objects and ideas into her making. Some of you may have seen her work at Michael Lett's stand at the Auckland Art Fair last year.

Eve was newly arrived from England and we are very grateful again to have received the support of NZ Discount Car Rentals in sponsoring a car for her during her stay. Like Richard Lewer, Eve showed her work in the studio itself at the end of her residency which gave a rare opportunity for visitors to come out and see the both restored house and the residency, along with some amazing art.

Eve in the studio

LUISE FONG

Urbanite Luise Fong spent her time at the residency learning how to 'talk tree' She produced some very beautiful atmospheric works which were a response to the textures and colours of the kauri around her in the tree house residency. Her post residency exhibition opened at Lopdell House gallery, and runs through to the 13th of April 2009.

Luise and Ditto at the residency Luise discusses her work in the studio

RICHARD LEWER

Artist Richard Lewer arrived from the slightly warmer climes of Melbourne and found it quite a change to be living in the Waitakere rainforests. His visual pallette went from reds, yellows and ochres to 'dark, dark, dark'. He worked directly on to the walls of the studio, so we held his post residency exhibition in the residency itself. It was a great success and over 400 people took the opportunity to see his work in the studio and to visit the McCahon House. Richard is the current paramount prize winner of the 2008 Wallace Awards. Richard's award will take him to the ISCP programme for a 6 month residency in New York.

Mike Vinsen Motors very kindly sponsored a car for Richard during his three month stay.

Richard Lewer with his Wallace Award winning work. Richard Lewer with the car kindly donated by Mike Vinsen Motors Richard Lewer's in-studio exhibition

NZIA AWARDS

The McCahon House, in conjunction with the restoration architect Graeme Burgess of Burgess and Treep and the interpretative display architect Rick Pearson of Pearson and Associates, won a regional NZIA award and a Resene Colour award in 2008. The Institute made particular mention of the pea green kitchen and the ox blood weather boards which are part of a McCahon palette of colours developed by Aalto Paints.

Ox blood weather boards McCahon green in the kitchen

Bill Hammond has designed for the Trust, in support of the project, a limited edition lithographic print inspired by the work of McCahon. The edition of 100 prints has been printed by Paper Graphica in Christchurch. Printed on 250gm BFK Rives paper, the 575mm x 430mm prints are unframed.

The Trust has recently decided to make a limited number available to the public for a short time at the price of $3,000.00. There is a discount available to Benefactors and Friends.

Contact Chris McBride on (09) 817 8087x203 or at mccahon@lopdell.org.nz while these offers last.

Bill Hammond print