1. MICHAEL HIGHT, Bowen Peak (2010) oil on
linen, stretcher (v x h x d): 710 x 1118 x 33 mm
2. MICHAEL HIGHT, Shotover River (2010), oil on linen, stretcher (v x h x d): 610 x 1220 x 33 mm
3. MICHAEL HIGHT, Malaghans Road (2010), oil on linen, stretcher (v x h x d): 610 x 1220 x 33 mm
MICHAEL HIGHT, Lake Wakatipu (2010)
on linen, stretcher (v x h x d): 760 x 1520 x 33 mm
5. MICHAEL HIGHT, Crown Range (2010), oil on linen, stretcher (v x h x d): 505 x 760 x 33 mm
6. MICHAEL HIGHT, Hogans Gully Road (2010), oil on linen, stretcher (v x h x d): 505 x 760 x 33 mm
7. MICHAEL HIGHT, Kingston (2010), oil on linen, stretcher (v x h x d): 505 x 760 x 33 mm
8. MICHAEL HIGHT, Fairlight (2010), oil on linen, stretcher (v x h x d): 505 x 760 x 33 mm
“Wakatipu isanewseriesofworkwhichfocusesontheQueenstownarea.Inthese paintings,therurallandscapethatisfamiliar,orderedandslowlygentrifyingstandsinsharp relieftotheforebodingmountainsthatsurroundit.Herethehivesattesttoaharnessingof naturethat,giventheseintimidatingsurrounds,canonlyeverbetemporary.” 1.
MichaelHightisanoutstandingnationallysignificantartist.Hisworks“gaintheirintensity fromattentiontotheminutestdetail.” Thebeehivesstandincontrasttothesurrounds, providingthe“elegiaclyricism”ofjuxtaposition.Theyarealsoametaphorofindustryand art.HightknowsQueenstownandtheWakapituareaintimately.Thisexhibition demonstrateshis“virtuososkillsofrepresentationofthehighestorderandachievesheights ofmood”andtheundeniablespecificsofplace“thatgobeyondjustrepresentation.” 2.
1. Artist’sStatement,October2010
2. TJMcNamara,SenseofBeautyinDecay,August21,2010,WeekendHerald
MICHAEL HIGHT
MichaelHightisapainter,sculptorandassembler,workingwithpaint,canvas,tin,woodandfound objects.Hismostrecentseriesofworkhasfocusedonbeehives.Hecontinuestoexplorethissubject throughbothabstractassemblagesandrealistpaintings.HightregularlyexhibitsatbothMilford GalleriesDunedinandmilfordgalleriesQueenstown.
“Itwaspossiblein1988tohailhimasbeingintheforefrontofourabstractartists.”Thenin1999Michael Hightbeganasignificantnewseriesofrepresentationalwork.“Astonishing.Thereisnootherwordfor thestylisticchangemadebyMichaelHight…Heisrecognisablythesameartist,hispreoccupations remainthesame.Manyoftheshapesonthecanvasarethesamebutwhatwasformerlygeometric abstractionisnowdepictionofstacksofbeehivesexactlyrenderedinaccuratelyrecorded landscapes.Highthasalwaysusedspecialsurfacesrelatedtoplace.Weatheredtexturesonwoodand stoneaswellassubstancesasvariedaswaxandsandpaperhavebeenthematerialsofhisart.These werearrangedingeometricalpatterns,alongwithmaterialfoundatspecificsites,toevokeasenseof placeandtime…Atthistimeofpost-modernartitiscustomaryforartistswhofavourabstractionto abandonitspurelyformalqualitiesforsomelink,usuallyironic,withreality.Thisremarkableexhibition worksinexactlytheoppositeway.” 1
“Generally,Hight’sbeehivepaintingshaverunparalleltootherwork–hisinterestinriversasastarting pointforabstraction,inrepeatingpatternsandhispreoccupationwithfoundobjectsandfourmain materials:ash-charcoal,canvas,woodandresin….Mostofhisworkhasalandscapemotivationasa drivingforceandinthepasthehasusedfoundmaterialsfromaparticularplacefusedintoanabstract representationofthatplace.Theabstractworksfulfilallhisneedsasapainterandtherepresentational worksaresimplyaboutbeingmorefrankwithrespecttosource,orinspirationoftheabstractpieces.” 2
“TheideaoftransformationisembodiedinwhathappensinsideabeehiveandasfarasIam concerned,transformationisthekeyelementin20thCenturyart.ArtistslikeDuchampandWarholhave takensomethingthatisnotartandturneditintoart,soinaway,thesearepicturesofartaswellasrural spots…”3
BornStratford,NewZealand1961.BachelorofSocialSciences,UniversityofWaikato1982.Followinga periodfrom1984-87inwhichhetravelledandlivedandpaintedinLondon,Hightreturnedtolivein Auckland.Hehasregularlyexhibitedsince1984andhasbeenafulltimeartistsince2001.Hehas receivedseveralQEIIgrantsandhisworkisheldinmanyNewZealandcollections.
1.TJMcNamara,‘Hivingoffinadifferentdirection’,NZHerald,14August2000. 2.AdrienneRewi,‘Phantombeekeeperstillbuzzingoverboxes’,SundayStarTimes,7November1999. 3.MichaelHightinRewiibid.
Mesopotamia(2009)
MICHAEL HIGHT
livesAuckland
EDUCATION
1980-82 UniversityofWaikato(B.Soc.Sc)
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2010 Wakatipu
milfordgalleriesQueenstown FromWaimarinotoRedJacks JohnLeechGallery,Auckland
2009 TheRoadtoErewhon MilfordGalleriesDunedin
Paintings JudtihAndersonGallery,Napier
2008 Paintings JohnLeechGallery,Auckland NotesfromtheWaikato JanneLand,Wellington
2007 RecentWorks MilfordGalleriesDunedin
2006 Manuherikia JanneLandgallery,Wellington
Recentwork JohnLeechGallery,Auckland
Taeri MilfordGalleriesDunedin
RecentWorks Milfordgalleriesqueenstown Manuherikia JanneLandGallery,Wellington
2005 Manawatu JanneLandGallery,Wellington
2004 WanderingEye MilfordGalleriesDunedin
RecentAbstractWorks MilfordGalleriesQueenstown LandofMilkandHoney JohnLeechGallery,Auckland
2003 JanneLandGallery,Wellington
2002 GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland
Duologue MilfordGalleriesDunedin
2001 GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland
2000 JanneLandGallery,Wellington
RecentWork MilfordGalleriesDunedin
1999 RecentWork
JudithAndersonGallery,HawkesBay JonathonJensenGallery,Christchurch
RecentWork JanneLandGallery,Wellington
RecentWork CampbellGrantGallery,Christchurch
1998 RecentWorks MilfordGalleriesDunedin
Maungakaramea GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland Gazetteer JanneLandGallery,Wellington
1997 CampbellGrantGallery,Christchurch
1996 CurrentAbstraction MilfordGalleriesDunedin CityGallery,Wellington CampbellGrantGallery,Christchurch
FourStrongWinds GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland FourStrongWinds JanneLandGallery,Wellington
1995 InTrust GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland GovettBrewsterGallery,NewPlymouth
SevenRivers JanneLandGallery,Wellington
1992 HeartlandTrinkets GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland
1991 GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland
1990 GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland 331/3Gallery,Wellington
1989
GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland 331/3Gallery,Wellington
1988 GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland JonathenJensenGallery,Christchurch 33 /3Gallery,Wellington
1987
MichaelHight2010CV
GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland 331/3Gallery,Wellington
milfordgalleriesqueenstown
1986
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2010 SmallWorks
FalconGallery,London
TheFoyerGallery,Hampstead,London
MilfordGalleriesDunedin
2009 SouthernLandscape milfordgalleriesqueenstown
2008 Masterworks milfordgalleriesqueenstown
TaranakiGate PercyThompsonGallery,Stratford
2007 AucklandArtFair
TeTuringa:TurningPoint CityGallery,Wellington
2006 LocationSouth MilfordGalleriesDunedin
2005 AucklandArtFair
TheSouthernLandscape MilfordGalleriesDunedin LandscapeShow LopdellHouse,WaitakereCity
TheNorthWesternLine CorbanEstateArtCentre
2004 RecentLandscapes MilfordGalleriesDunedin
2001 WildSeason CityGallery,Wellington
1999 CrossedOut GowLangsford,Auckland
1998 RecentAcquisitions ChartwellCollectionNewGallery,Auckland
1997 VisaGold NewGallery,Auckland CityGallery,Wellington
TheNorthernLine CorbanEstateArtCentre
Abstraction&StillLife MilfordGalleriesDunedin
1996 IsAsLandscapeasMetaphor MilfordGalleriesDunedin
1995 FoundObjects Outreach,Auckland
1993 GiftOfTheArtist Artspace,Auckland
1992 PacificTraces 331/3Gallery,Wellington
1991 BigPicturesShow GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland Outcrop GovettBrewsterGallery,NewPlymouth
AWARDS
2000 FinalistVisaandWallaceArtAwards,JamesWallaceArtsFoundation
1999 Visa&WallaceArtAwards,JamesWallaceArtsFoundation,Auckland
1997 FinalistVisaGoldAward,AucklandCityGallery&CityGallery,Wellington
1989 QE11ArtCouncilCreativeProjectsScheme
1989 QE11ArtsCouncilGrant
1988 QE11ArtsCouncilDirectSupportGrant
COLLECTIONS
ABNAMROCollection SkyCityGrandHotelCollection PukeitiCollection,NewPlymouth Coopers&LybrandCollection FletcherTrustCollection JamesWallaceTrust,Auckland Colenso,Wellingto RecentAcquisitions,ChartwellCollection,AucklandCityGallery MuseumofNewZealandTePapaTongarewa,Wellington PrivateCollectionsinGermany,UK,AustraliaandU.S.A
SELECTED ARTICLES
2004 Knox,Elizabeth, Wandering Eye,catalogue,MilfordGallery(attached)
2004 O’Brien,Gregory, Land of Milk and Honey,catalogue,JohnLeechGallery
2002 Green,Paula, Omarama, Place of Light,catalogue,GowLangsfordGallery(attached)
1999 Caughey, Elizabeth & John Gow, Contemporary New Zealand Art 2, David Bateman Ltd, Auckland,p66(attached)
1996 Green,Paula, Four Strong Winds,catalogue,GowLangsfordGallery,Auckland(attached)
1995/96 Green, Paula, Walking in the World, Michael Hights Trust in Place, Art New Zealand No.77, Summer,p77-79(attached)
1995 Brown,Warwick, 100 New Zealand Paintings by 100 New Zealand Artists, Godwit Publishing, Auckland,p36
1994 Mannion,Robert,‘PaintingaBrightFuture’,TheDominion,SaturdayOctober22
MichaelHight2010CV
milfordgalleriesqueenstown
