| Title
>> Untitled
Location
>>
A & P Building, James St
Art
Form >>
mural
Media
>>
acrylic paint
Artist
>>
Chris Wilkie
Date
>>
1985
The A
& P mural is one of the early examples of public art in
Whangarei, a large, prominent art work depicting the history
of settlement in this district.
Chris
Wilkie is an Elam trained artist but had recently returned
from
Australia and was house painting in Hukerenui when he was
asked to paint a mural on their local hall. A representative
from the Whangarei Arts Council saw that mural and approached
Chris to do a work in Whangarei.
The A
& P mural is in the realist style but the composition
as a whole interested and engaged Chris in terms of counterbalances
of the tonal masses. To a large extent the lines of division
as to whether this mural appeals or not form around the basic
realist/abstract art preference.
A reasonable generalisation would be to note that those with
a strong interest in art ( which obviously includes Chris)
are less tied to the need for realism in our city's murals
than the "average man on the street." At least these
preferences were felt to be the case when Chris' impressive
example of large realism was produced . And this issue occurs
again in more recent works.
At the
time Chris became something of a local celebrity. The mural
was the subject of TV and newspaper coverage and he interrupted
his painting to give autographs.
Unfortunately the plaster surface that Chris painted onto
contained elements that led to premature deterioration of
the paint. The A & P building itself is set to be pulled
down so our oldest surviving mural will not be part of our
cityscape much longer. Perhaps another phase in our city's
art-life is now beginning......
Text by Desmond Ford
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