Minimal art with maximum impact
An exhibition at Quiet Dog Gallery had its genesis in England more than 40 years ago.
Three Nelson artists and an invited guest from Wellington are taking part in the show. All of them work in an area that could be described as abstract minimalism.
As opposed to expressionism, where the artist works with emotion and displays part of their own personality, minimalist artists try to strip away such meaning, promoting clarity and order.
A famous American artist, Frank Stella, said that in minimalism, “What you see is what you see”, and that’s the title of the exhibition.
When James Taylor was a teenager in England, he saw an exhibition of the work of minimalist artist Donald Judd.
“I felt as if I belonged among this work,” Taylor says. “It was like a spiritual awakening.”
A lot has happened since then, but the feeling has stayed. The young teenager was tempted to try and make a living from some sort of art, but a disappointing art teacher at high school turned him away from this path and he trained as a framer instead.
With his partner Gill Starling, Taylor came to New Zealand in 2000, working for a time picking apples in the Moutere.
By 2004 he found himself framing paintings in the space now occupied by Red Gallery on the corner of Bridge St and Haven Rd, and now 20 years later, the couple are firmly established in the Quiet Dog Gallery, in the Nelson Mail building bordering Wakatu Square.
For Taylor, the urge to create art of his own never slipped away. He came to feel his name was an obstacle to establishing his own identity in art. “I felt as if the name had been taken.”
Besides, he jokes, “I can’t sing”. He changed his name to Stan Bowski. In his persona as an artist, he describes himself as a gamekeeper turned poacher.
For 40 years, he’s tended the work of artists, learning some of their secrets and gaining an insight into the creative process.
Now he’s creating his own art, using the knowledge gained during the handling of hundreds of art works.
Bowski has gathered around him a small group for the current exhibition. Although each works in their own way, they all have a leaning towards architectural influences.
Kathaleen Bartha is a Canadian-born Nelson artist. Bowski says he and Bartha have similar interests.
She says her work reflects a quest for clear simplicity, devoid of narratives. Her most public work in Nelson is the mural on the eastern wall of Riverside Pool.
Her architectural connection was emphasized in a 2019 exhibition at Quiet Dog with architect Richard Sellars.
The third artist in the group is NMIT Arts and Media technician and tutor Simon Hunter. “We’ve been following Simon for years”, Starling says.
The fourth artist, Amanda Wilkinson met Bartha at an exhibition in Wellington and the pair formed a bond through their shared interests. Wilkinson comes from a family of architects and shares those influences with Bowski.
Manmade structures provide her with ideas..
“I don’t aim to replicate these forms in a literal sense,” she says.
“Instead, I use them as a starting point to convey memories, moods, and a sense of place.”
What You See is What You See, Quiet Dog Gallery until May 18.