Artists in Residence

Parehuia - the McCahon House residency and studio has now hosted 15 artists amidst the bush that so inspired McCahon during the 1950s.

The McCahon House Artists for 2012 

Congratulations to Kathy Barry, Regan Gentry and Ruth Buchanan on being awarded residencies in 2012. more information will be posted on each of the new residents as they begin their time in French Bay.  

Photographer Ben Cauchi is the 16th recipient of the McCahon Residency Programme, creates through a wet-collodian process on glass or metal, a process dating back to the 19th century. He is excited to have the opportunity to work in a large studio and advance his work into new areas of critical importance. An Open Studio will be held Saturday 21 January 2012 at the studio in French Bay from 11am to 3pm

Our inaugural resident Judy Millar produced some wonderful work during her stay in the bush. Judy claims that there is no other residency in the world that affords artists the level of accomodation provided by the McCahon House.

The Trustees wish to congratulate Judy Millar for her selection as one of two exhibiting artists at the Venice Biennale. The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition which takes place once every two years (in odd years) in Venice, Italy. The first was held in 1895 and the 53rd held in 2007 was viewed by 319,332 visitors.

"My time in Titirangi... forced me to confront my practice as a whole in a completely new way and to set my aspirations for what my work might achieve on a completely different level"                                                                        Judy Millar September 2008

 

Andrew McLeod also enjoyed moving from the studio space in Mt Eden that he shares with Liz Maw to the extra space at the residency where he could work on some very large canvases.

James Robinson, up from Dunedin and in residence from July until the end of October last year won the Paramount Prize in the prestigious Wallace  Art Awards in 2007and so he left New Zealand to take up residency in the ISCP programme in  New York in December after the opening of his post residency exhibition at Lopdell House. We wish him well.

Our next resident, photographer Gavin Hipkins arrived up from Wellington at the end of November with his family and spent Christmas in the bush. His post residency exhibition was held in the large gallery at Lopdell House and was very successful. Gavin has now moved up to Auckland from Wellington and is living not too far from the McCahon House.

"The McCahon House Residency is a professionally organised world-class residency, and in just a few years, it has become a highly sought after opportunity for New Zealand-based and New Zealand affiliated artists. I am increasingly conscious of its expanding Australasian presence and reputation for contemporary artists, and I am proud to be part of its alumni."  Gavin Hipkins June 2009

Rohan Wealleans, after completing his residency, flew straight to New York. He also showed in Shanghai during his six months away from New Zealand. He worked flat out while he was here and the studio was an explosion of colour. His post residency exhibition was a feast for the senses.

Richard Lewer arrived in New Zealand after 11 years in Australia to take up his McCahon House Residency. (Read NZ Herald article). Many thanks to New Zealand Discount Car Rentals who sponsored a car for Richard during his 3 1/2 month stay.

In a bit of a break from tradition, Richard's post residency exhibition was held in the residency studio at the end of his stay in Titirangi, as the majority of the work was painted directly onto the walls. It was an experience not to be missed, and almost 400 people came out to the House during his week-long show to see the residency and catch up with Richard.

Luise Fong was in residence over Christmas, when the weather was beautiful, so her family (and dog Ditto) made the most of nearby French Bay. Luise learnt how to 'talk tree' and her post residency exhibition at Lopdell House Gallery in Titirangi, which opened on the 12th of February, showcases some beautiful textural works inspired by the Kauri and Kahikatea that surround the studio. This exhibition, How To Talk Tree and a wonderful exhibition of  Len Castle's work were shown at Lopdell House Gallery in February and April 2009. 

Eve Armstrong completed her residency stay with an exciting exhibition in the residency studio itself. Her work, which explored both found objects and ideas was shown in the studio for a week at the beginning of June and was very popular with visitors. A number of school groups came out to see her work during her stay. (Read NZ Herald article) Eve has now returned to England.

The McCahon House Trust and local kaumatua welcomed our resident Lisa Reihana to the House in June 2009. Lisa was shortlisted for the Walters Prize earlier that year and is a contemporary artist dealing in photography and moving image. Her work Digital Marae was shortlisted for the 2009 Anne Landa Award in Australia, an acquisitional award for video and new media. Lisa's post residency exhibition is currently showing at Lopdell House gallery. Find out more.

Ava Seymour was our resident in French Bay over Christmas and she reveled in the studio space and the eight-metre long wall upon which she could place works on a much bigger scale. Her exhibition at Lopdell House Gallery will coincide with the Festival of Photography in June.

A major new work completed during residency - "Triptyque lumiere", a photographic collage in three panels each measuring 1.2 metres by 2 metres, is on exhibition at the Peter McCleavey Gallery in Wellington 147 Cuba Street, Te Aro until Saturday 17 April closing at 4pm. Mark Amery in eyeCONTACT writes: "Like a midnight garden of musky perfumes, Seymour’s work is also a dreamy nocturne. Intensely musical, it is a work of dark sensual delights playing with a majestic but hazy rainbow of purples, greens, scarlets, gold and silver. Shadowy vertical bands and circles make the work resemble a dense thicket of musical notes on a giant stave. Yet, at the same time as having the microscopic immersion of prisms of light in the forest, the work is also suggestive of the cosmos."

 Andy Leleisi'uao's post residency exhibition was held at Whitespace from Tuesday 9 November until 27 November 2010. Martin Basher held an exhibition of work completed during his residency at Starkwhite in November 2010. He also has just finished  an installation for the prestigeous New York Public Art Fund. Details can be found by clicking on the Total Recall link on the Public Art Fund website.

Jim Speers, partner Lisa and their two children (Noah and Frankie) moved into the residency in October 2010. Jim says the residencyhas provided valuable time to intensively explore new mwthods of making. His key area of interest has been the landscape of West Auckland including its native, residential and industrial dimensions. The final outcome of work from the residency is two related bodies of work; typographic drawings and posters, and moving image. An edition of work will be available for purchase in 2012.

Liyen Chong of Auckland says the residency offers her the time and opportunity to further her explorations into what it means to be a New Zealander individually and particularly as a foreign born New Zealander. She is keen to shift her practice and explore new means of production in a range of media. Glen Hayward has just completed his three month residency. Glen is a carver, painter and sculptor and keen to expand his practice and build on the relationship between observation of particular elements within the context of his environment and reinterpretation of these elements to derive a new and exciting result.