Seaside gallery’s art ‘coup’
After being tucked away for many years, Mo¯kau Museum and Gallery will soon exhibit iconic photographs of national significance. Tara Shaskey reports
Arare showing of iconic photographs is a ‘‘complete coup’’ for a small seaside art gallery in Taranaki.
Mo¯ kau Museum and Gallery is soon to launch exhibition Kevin Capon: Portraits 1984-85, bringing out of hiding images captured more than two decades a go by the prominent photographer.
The collection features 26 black and white photos taken by Capon of eminent New Zealanders from within the arts community at the time, offering insight into a particular moment of the country’s cultural heritage.
The project was funded by the QEII Arts Council and features close-up, tightly cropped portraits of well-known Kiwis such as artist Ralph Hotere, poet Elizabeth Smither and television news anchor Angela D’Audney.
Museum volunteer Jan Brown said the rarely seen images had spent many years in private holdings at Capon’s home in Mo¯ kau.
‘‘They’ve only been seen a couple of times in the past so for us to source a collection of this importance at Mo¯ kau is just phenomenal,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s just a complete coup...It’s such a privilege because these are just iconic photographs of iconic Kiwis.’’
Capon said he undertook the project many years ago to take himself away from commercial advertising and to meet New Zealanders who were doing positive things.
While the original collection was of about 40 people he had personally selected 26 pieces to unearth for display at the North Taranaki gallery.
‘‘I am more excited about showing these images in the small Mo¯ kau Museum Gallery than I was when they were shown at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery and the Dowse Art Museum,’’ he said.
Brown said Capon has long been supportive of the museum, which is perched on the side of Mo¯ kau’s main road.
Last year, he curated an exhibition at the gallery showing his personally-owned collection of photographs taken of the Waitomo Caves by Sidney Benjamin Taylor in 1924. ‘‘They were never before seen,’’ Brown said.
‘‘Kevin had this incredible collection in a kauri box of the glass plate negatives and so he developed one set and we had that collection.’’
The exhibition’s success led to him offering to show his work of the celebrities, Brown said. ‘‘And we’re just so thrilled.’’ The exhibition is set to coincide with the second anniversary of the art gallery opening.
Early last year, the gallery was made-over with the help of New Zealand production company Top Shelf Productions’ show, Heritage Rescue. Following the transformation it bagged the Visitor Experience Award at the ServiceIQ 2017 New Zealand Museum Awards. Kevin Capon: Portraits 1984-85 begins December 15 and runs until January 25.
"They've only been seen a couple of times in the past so for us to source a collection of this importance at Mo¯ kau is just phenomenal"
Mo¯ kau Museum volunteer Jan Brown