Robyn Maree Pickens ‘‘Best in Show’’
(The Artist’s Room)
For some of us, the phrase ‘‘best in show’’ brings to mind the film of the same title by Christopher Guest (2000) in which canines and their idiosyncratic owners compete at the fictitious Mayflower Dog Show. However, in acknowledgment of the Chinese Year of the
Dog, Michelle ChalklinSinclair, of The Artist’s Room, has assembled a group of local, national and international artists who specialise in portraying animals in their art, and particularly dogs, titling the exhibition ‘‘Best in Show’’.
With the tagline ‘‘a celebration of all things canine’’, this exhibition certainly delivers, with canines rendered in watercolour, ceramics, coloured pencil and various mixed media. In keeping with the varied media, the artists, including Ray Richardson (London), Michel Tuffery (Aotearoa New Zealand) and Laura Hardie (Scotland), work in a range of styles from the realistic (Hardie) to the cartoonlike (Tony Cribb).
In all Best in Show presents the work of seven key artists, some of whom have been exhibiting at The Artist’s Room since its inception 14 years ago. Despite the scattered geographical locations of the artists and the broad curatorial premise, one dog breed serendipitously dominates: the English bull terrier. This exhibition will appeal to animal lovers, dog enthusiasts and viewers who enjoy both an artist’s ability to capture likeness, and to go beyond realism.