Marlborough coast inspires artistic collaboration in Picton

Abigail Spink

A new exhibition from prominent New Zealand artists Euan Mcload and Gregory O’Brien, taking inspiration from the Marlborough coastline, opened at the Diversion Gallery in Picton last Friday.

The display features a range of collaborative paintings combining the unique styles of both artists and draws on different South Island landscapes.

Taking inspiration from significant sites on the Marlborough coast, including The Poet and the Composition of the Poem, Rarangi and For Every Abandoned Ship, the works reflect a strong awareness of the region’s history, from early Māori settlement through to colonial times.

Barbara Speedy, director of the London Quay gallery, says the works showcases the artists' passion for the environment, political issues and history. She adds that the collaborative process behind the paintings is a compelling aspect of the work.

“Where does one artist’s work stop and another’s start?”, she asks. “How many artists would - or could - hand over a partly completed artwork, and allow a painter with completely different style, free rein to add to or change it any way they liked?”

Gregory describes their collaboration as “more like a conversation than a monologue,” with his use of text and Macleod’s powerful figures creating a “trading of ideas” that takes them somewhere neither would reach alone.

The paintings reflect “a kind of like a closeness, a love of place, and an excitement at being in new places…but also a sense of darkness” he adds, referencing pieces inspired by the proposed Bendigo gold mine near Alexandra and its enviro-political impact.

The pair have been collaborating artistically for 15 years, and both say it challenges them to move outside their comfort zones. At times, there are discussions about where a painting is heading and whether it is working.

If not, Euan says, they agree to set it aside and start again.

The exhibition runs until October 24.