The Good Oil

In this episode I visit Imogen Taylor in her studio in Henderson, West Auckland.Imogen has a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Post Graduate Diploma of Fine Arts from the Elam School of Arts at the University of Auckland. Her work is held in numerous public and private collections including the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, The Fletcher Collection and The Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki. In 2017 Imogen was the artist in residence at McCahon House, and in 2019 was the recipient of the Frances Hodgkins Fellowship.There are images of the paintings we talk about on The Good Oil Imogen Taylor Instagram post for your reference.In this episode you'll hear Imogen talk about how she aspires to embody the same qualities that are reflected in the materials that she uses, her celebration of NZ regionalism in her practice by applying a drag sensibility to it, her clear appreciation for modernism, wanting to protect illegibility in painting, how heartbreaking she finds parting with work when it leaves the studio, she shamelessly reveals herself to be a colour nerd and not a very good painter.LinksImogen Taylor Instagram PageMicheal Lett Imogen Taylor Artist Web PageThe Good Oil Instagram Page

In this episode I visit Kirstin Carlin in her studio in Mt Roskill, Auckland.Kirstin has a Master of Fine Arts from the Glasgow School of Art.Her work is held in numerous public and private collections, and she has exhibited widely locally and internationally, including at the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki and the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.She is represented in NZ by Melanie Roger Gallery in Auckland, and regularly exhibits with The Central Art Gallery in Christchurch.There are images of the works we talk about on The Good Oil Kirstin Carlin Instagram post for your to reference.In this episode you'll hear Kirstin speak about how she is influenced by slightly obscure Scottish painters, how much work never makes it out of the studio, how a throw away exercise in problem solving opened up unexpected new approaches to painting, a constant awareness of colour combinations the world presents, obsessing over Matisse… and some of her unlikely reference material.LinksKirstin Carlin Instagram PageMelanie Roger Gallery Kirstin Carlin Artist Web PageThe Central Art Gallery Kirstin Carlin Artist Web PageThe Good Oil Instagram Page

In this episode I speak with an honorary NZ painter that holds an Australian passport, Jude Rae.Jude has a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from the University of Sydney, a Graduate Diploma in Professional Art Studies from the University of NSW and a Master of Arts in Painting from the University of Canterbury.Her work is held in numerous NZ and International public and private collections, including The Fletcher Collection, The Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhtu, The Auckland Art Gallery Toi O Taimaki and Te Papa. She is represented in NZ by Two Rooms gallery in Auckland.In this episode you'll hear Jude speak about her formative and influential time spent in Christchurch, how doubt in her painting is a baseline state for her, her exploration of the complexities of vision mixed with our other senses and trying to capture that in her work and the unforgettable experience of driving through a Colin McCahon landscape for the first time.LinksJude Rae InstagramTwo Rooms Jude Rae Artist PageThe Good Oil Instagram Page

In this episode I visit Dick Frizzell in his home and studio in Mt Eden, Auckland.Dick is some six decades into a practice that is as diverse in output as it is long. He is responsible for some of the most iconic contemporary images of NZ art that reflect a drive of restless creativity that embraces artistic impression and applied art.Dick holds a Diploma of Fine Art from the Ilam School of Fine Arts at the University of Canterbury. He has had countless exhibitions in the last 50 years and has also authored or illustrated several books. His work is held in numerous public and private collections including The Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, Te Papa, The Fletcher Collection, The Ballin Collection and at your cousins house.Dick is represented by Gow Langsford in Auckland, Page Galleries in Wellington, The Central Art Gallery in Ototahi and Milford Galleries in Dunedin and Queenstown.In this episode you'll hear Dick talk about how landscape painting offered a new subject and important salvation at a critical point in his life and practice, how his time at Ilam in the early 1960's intersected with some of Aotearoa's most influential painters… the steady flow of cease and desist letters arriving in his letterbox, the presence of Colin McCahon in his paintings… his fear of professionalism and how dumb the word ‘cauli' is.LinksDick Frizzell InstagramGow Langsford Dick Frizzell Artist WebPageMilford Galleries Dick Frizzell Artist Web PageThe Central Art Gallery Dick Frizzell Artist Web PageIt's All About The Image bookThe Good Oil Instagram Page

In this episode I visit Arie Hellendoorn in his home and studio in Lower Hutt, Wellington.Arie holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Massey University. He has exhibited in galleries in Australia and NZ for over 15 years and is held in several public and private collections including the Chris Parkin Collection and the Wellington City Council Collection. He is represented by Suite Gallery in Wellington and Auckland.You'll hear Arie talk about how he came to his hybrid approach that mixes representation, abstraction and portraiture, his interest in the microscopic and human anatomy informing his practice, the careful optical considerations of colour and colour mixing to create the effects he wants, the diverse range of unlikely tools he uses for applying paint and sourcing his favourite brushes by stealing them from his daughters watercolour set.LinksArie Hellendoorn Instagram PageSuite Gallery Arie Hellendoorn Artist PageThe Good Oil Instagram Page

In this episode I visit Stanley Palmer in his home and studio in Mt Eden, Auckland.Stanley has established one of the most enduring practices in NZ, now into his 7th decade of painting and print making. He has been exhibiting regularly since 1958 including in NZ, Australia, Italy, Japan and India. In 2002 he was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to fine art.His work is held in countless public and private collections including Te Papa, The University of Auckland art collection, the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu and the The Govett Brewster Art GalleryStanley is represented by Melanie Roger Gallery in Auckland, Solander Gallery in Wellington and The Central Gallery in ChristchurchIn this episode you'll hear Stanley talk about the influence of writing in his practice, the inspiration of encountering tapa cloths at the Auckland Museum early in his career, his distrust of commercially manufactured paints and painting water colours for his aunts to get out of having to instead mow their lawns.Stanley Palmer Wikipedia WebPageMelanie Roger Gallery Stanley Palmer Artist Web PageSolander Gallery Stanley Palmer Artist Web PageThe Central Gallery Stanley Palmer Artist Web PageThe Good Oil Instagram Page

In this episode I visit Hannah Ireland in her home and studio in Mt Eden, Auckland.Hannah is Ngāti Hinē and Ngapuhi. While still an emerging artist, she has quickly established herself as unique painter, employing a fresh and gutsy approach to every aspect of her practice, from supports, materials and mark making that made an immediate and lasting impression on me the first time I encountered her work, and every time since.Hannah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honors from the University of Auckland. She has won several awards, including being Molly Morpeth Canaday Award Supreme Winner in 2021 and the University of Auckland Chancellors Award for top Maori and Pacific Scholars. She will present her first public solo show at Te Uru Gallery in Titirangi Auckland in August this year, and has several dealer gallery shows to her name since 2020. She is represented by Jhana Millers in Wellington and Laree Payne in Hamilton.In this episode you'll hear Hannah talk about how her nana's family photo albums inspired an interest in portraits as an outcome of observation, a determination not to be pigeonholed and using that as a motivation to keep experimenting in materials and supports, learning to embrace not being in control of materials to let surprises happen, that silliness is always very important, and a key moment of discovery in her practice born out of squishing her art school peers faces into a photocopier.Hannah Ireland InstagramJhana Millers Hannah Ireland Artist Web PageLayree Payne Gallery Hannah Ireland Exhibition Web PageSanc Gallery Hannah Ireland Exhibition PageThe Good Oil Instagram Page

In this episode I visit John Walsh in his Wellington home and studio to sit by the fire and drink tea… and talk about his practice.John is of Aitanga Hauiti and New Zealand Irish descent. His work is held in numerous public and private collections including Te Papa and Sargeant Gallery Collection, he has exhibited widely including at City Gallery Wellington, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, at the Dowse Art Museum and Pataka at Porirua. He is represented by Gow Langsford in Auckland, Paul Nache gallery in Gisborne. Page Galleries in Wellington, the Diversion Gallery in Picton and Central Art Gallery in Christchurch.In this episode you'll hear John talk about how painting portraits of his community elders allowed him an unexpected opportunity to learn about his whakapapa, how he learned more about what paint can do from house paint and painting houses than he did at art school, the creative license he applies to mythologies to bridge cultural gaps, his occupation of the twilight zone, the deliberate variation of surface of a support he prepares to paint on… and how he is an intuitive abstract painter, accidentally making representational paintings.Page Galleries John Walsh Web PageGow Langsford John Walsh Web PagePaul Nash Gallery John Walsh PageThe Central Art Gallery John Walsh Web PageJohn Walsh Wikipedia Web PageJohn Walsh InstagramThe Good Oil Instagram

In this episode I visit Karl Maughan in his Wellington studio.Karl has built one of the most immediately recognisable practices in NZ art, painting almost exclusively garden scenes since his first solo exhibition in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland. His works are held in numerous public and private collections including Te Papa, The Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waiwhetu, The Fletcher Trust Collection and the Suter Art Gallery. He is represented by Page Galleries in Wellington, Gow Langsford in Auckland and Milford Galleries in Dunedin and Queenstown.In this episode you'll hear Karl talk about the deep history we all have with gardens and the control we exert over nature, the influence of his artist father and landscape gardener mother, encountering and being influenced at a young age by Phillip Trustam garden paintings, his subtle but constant experimentation, the slightly surreal experience of work being collected by Charles Saatchi and… narrowly avoiding a life managing the flow rate of sultana's in cereal packets in the food technology industry.Gow Langsford Karl Maughan Web PagePage Galleries Karl Maughan Web PageMilford Galleries Karl Maughan Web PageKarl Maughan InstagramThe Good Oil Instagram

In this episode I visit Katherine Throne at her Wanaka home, studio… and garden.Katherine has only seriously committed to a painting practice in her 40's. Despite that, her work has been in high demand since self represented sell out shows at the Allpress Gallery space in Freemans Bay Auckland in 2018 and 2019. Katherine holds a MFA from from Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting with Honors from the Kendall Collage of Art and Design in Michigan, in the United States.She is represented by Sanderson Gallery in Auckland.In this episode you'll hear Katherine talk about accidentally finding her way to painting through interior design, a want to resurrect the flower in paintings after it's demise at the hands of modernism and industrialisation, our attraction to beauty and connection to nature, the anthropomorphic projections in her work and the importance of the first layers in a painting.Katherine Throne Web PageSanderson Gallery Katherine Throne Web PageKatherine Throne InstagramThe Good Oil Instagram

In this episode I travel to Michael Dells home and studio in Nelson, where he conducts a practice that works with both representation and abstraction.Micheal holds a Bach of Fine Arts from Ilam at the University of Canterbury. His work is held in numerous public and private collections, including The Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, The Suter Gallery Collection, The University of Auckland Art Collection and The Ballin Collection. He has won several art prizes including the Parkin Drawing Prize and is represented in Auckland by Foenander Gallery.In this episode you'll hear him talk about the transition from print making and drawing to painting, how those two first disciplines inform his work now, how he's more concerned with creating an object from a landscape rather than purely representing it, how his preferred support of linen is as much a material for him as paint… and is fear of taking a reference photograph that might be a little too good.Foenander Gallery Michael Dell PageMichael Dell WebsiteMichael Dell InstagramThe Good Oil Instagram

In this episode I travel to Otorohanga to visit Hiria Anderson-Mit-ah at her home and studio. Hiria is Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Apakura, Rereahu.Hiria graduated from Whitecliffe Collage of Design & Arts with an MFA, first class honours. Her work is held in numerous public and private collections, including the University of Auckland Art Collection, the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and The Waikato Museum. She is represented by Tim Melville in Auckland and Page Galleries in Wellington.Sitting down to speak with Hiria was entertaining, fascinating, funny and disarming. You'll hear her speak with a comfortable frankness about challenges that she has faced personally and those that still exist for her community. She talks about what is and isn't tapu to paint for her, why cooking pots are an important subject in her practice… and about the pivotal role a naked man jumping out of a birthday cake has played in her career.I started by asking about her childhood and first encounters with art.Tim Melville Hiria Anderson-Mita PagePage Galleries Hiria Anderson-Mita PageHiria Anderson-Mita InstagramThe Good Oil Instagram

Welcome to episode three of The Good Oil, conversations with Aotearoa painters. In this episode (part two of two part interview) I return to my conversation with Grahame Sydney. If you haven't heard part one of this interview, I suggest you go to episode two of The Good Oil to listen to that first.In this episode you'll hear Grahame talk about how honesty and accuracy have little to do with his landscape painting, how key it is for him to trust his own instincts, contrasted with his battles with his confidence and his imposter syndrome, despite being 50yrs into a hugely successful practice. He talks about how deeply he loves where he lives, while not pulling any punches speaking about the changing landscape at the hands of industry and environmental mismanagement, the importance of finding the right home and guardian for each painting and what painting he'd like to steal if he thought he could get away with it.Sir Grahame Sydney Web Page

Welcome to episode two and three of The Good Oil, conversations with Aotearoa painters. In this episode (part one of a two part interview) I visit Sir Grahame Sydney at his home and studio in the Cambrian Valley in the Maniototo, Central Otago. In over 50yrs of practice Grahame has made a huge contribution to NZ art, receiving a knighthood in 2021 for services to art. His work is held widely in public and private collections including Te Papa, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Taamaki, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, Dunedin Public Art Gallery and the Ballin Collection.I know this is a bit presumptuous doing this so early in the life of this podcast, but the conversation with Grahame was a long one, with it being so entertaining and interesting I've decided to present all of it, but split it into two episodes.In this, part one, you'll hear Grahame talk about his early years and discovering Central Otago, his miserable move to London, establishing his practice, agonising over if $200 was too much to try to sell a painting for, his close proximity to so much of New Zealand contemporary art history including encounters with Derek Ball, Ralph Hotere, Jeffery Harris, Brent Wong, Colin MacCahon, Michael Smither and Peter Webb, and the bewildering experience of security not letting him into his first Auckland exhibition because he didn't have a ticket.Sir Grahame Sydney Web Page

In this episode of The Good Oil I visit Judy Millar in her Auckland West Coast home and studio.Judy has a long and impressive record spanning four decades that is built on constant experimentation. She has represented Aotearoa at the Venice Biennale, is held in numerous public and private collections across NZ, Australia and Europe, and shows regularly with gallerists including Robert Heald in Wellington, Sullivan & Strumph in Sydney and Singapore and Mark Mueller in Zurich.She clearly thinks deeply about her practice, as you'll hear as we talk about her early career, how she is always seeking to translate her experience of the world into her paintings, the importance of the West Coast of Auckland to her and her work, her technical approach, her unorthodox and diverse range of tools, and how she is influenced by Rafeal Nadal.LinksJudy Millar Web PageJudy Millar InstagramRobert Heald Gallery Judy Millar PageSullivan+Strumpf Judy Millar PageMarkMueller Judy Miller Page