Stephen Bambury, "New Zealand's leading contemporary artist" according to Urbis magazine, opened a show on at Nadene Milne Gallery in Arrowtown yesterday evening. It was preceded by the film documentary about an influential artist in Stephen's life, Agnes Martin: With My Back to the World at Dorothy Brown's Cinema.
Stephen Bambury, ICO89325, 2008/2014. Arcrylic and iron filings on aluminium. 789x789x85mm
I love this one above, on the wall in the office in the Gallery. It stands out because it's a trickster. Here Stephen has chosen to play his colours to dazzle. The pink and rust colours jar in their contrast but are of matching intensity. About two inches all around the edges, but not quite square, the colours shift slightly. The pink lightens to make it look translucent. To add to my confused perception, the unframed painting on aluminium, about two and a half feet square, sits well off the wall to cast a shadow to echo the shift in light in the painting.
I had to go up close to figure it out. It turns out that the the pink surface is almost completely flush. The rich rust brown has wrinkles and pucks in which the speckles of iron filings differ in concentration.
I had to go up close to figure it out. It turns out that the the pink surface is almost completely flush. The rich rust brown has wrinkles and pucks in which the speckles of iron filings differ in concentration.
A jeweller recognises a kinship with Stephen Bambury. His work is carefully formalist and structurally assertive. Like jewellery, it is the details of the texture that make the pieces remarkable. They are thick with paint, and it looks like the paint has been scrapped or pressed, bringing to mind the delight of constructing to a maker like me.
Jeweller Jessica Winchcombe, wearing one of her pieces, and the reflections on Stephen's "World Still Turning"
After spending some time with the pink cross, I went into the next room and saw the purple and gold cross pictured below, said 'hmm' to myself and gave it a thoughtful frown. A tall gentleman with white hair said "that was an interesting "hmm".
I explained, "I don't like it as much as the pink one"
"Oh, I like them both" he said.
"You're the artist, aren't you?"
And a good laugh was had by all. I chatted with Stephen, he seems nice.
I explained, "I don't like it as much as the pink one"
"Oh, I like them both" he said.
"You're the artist, aren't you?"
And a good laugh was had by all. I chatted with Stephen, he seems nice.
While chatting we noticed the gorgeous reflection of Jessica Winchcombe's blazer on World Still Turning, 2014. This piece, although beautiful as is, comes alive with people moving around it. The reflections of colours and the shadows and shifting light bounce and diffuse on the surface. This piece would look amazing in a busy home, hung to reflect the changing light and the colourful family moving around it.
ICO98339, 2008/2014. Arcylic and 23k gold leaf on aluminium. 795x795x85mm
There are eleven large paintings and some smaller on show now in the exhibition Whakaata, Lake Hayes - Stephen Bambury. It's on now at Nadene Milne Gallery, on Buckingham St in Arrowtown. A treat for fans of international abstractionism and New Zealand art, but with special appeal to those that love their art in three dimensions.
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