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For more than fifty years, Brent Wong has been one of New Zealand’s most distinctive and enduring artists. This selection of paintings, drawn from the artist’s private trust, covers the period 1970 to 1991.
Wong’s work is instantly recognisable: isolated structures stranded among luminous hills; unlikely objects hovering in intensely blue skies; sharp light, long shadows and an eerie stillness that invites reverie. His imagery and ability to manipulate scale, space and mood have much in common with surrealism.
These paintings are like dreams, moments of concentrated focus when everything both near and far can be seen with brilliant clarity. Space and time seem to have altered and both dimensions stretch into infinity. Time passing is implied, but often very slowly, through the movement of a giant snail, the languid drift of jellyfish and balloons in the sky and the suspended smoke from an erupting volcano. Conditions of weight and solidity are upended: rocks float and concrete structures mass like cumulus clouds.
A recurrent theme shows the relics of human habitation abandoned in their unpeopled surroundings. Another is the relationship between light and darkness embodied in sky and land forms. Wong’s treatment of light is a key factor in the effect of his paintings. Their pervading luminosity seems symbolic and to suggest the possibility of immanent revelation, although meaning remains opaque.
Painting has been a form of meditation for Wong, the slow application of layers of acrylic often taking months, even years. It has been a means of working through stress and of externalising states of isolation, anxiety, tranquillity and transcendence.
With warm thanks to Brent Wong and James Blackie for enabling the loan of these paintings to Toi MAHARA.
