Building closer artistic relations between Australia and NZ

You might have assumed that this event was more about the art of the acronym, rather than art itself.

A recent Saturday night at Sydney’s Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) spilled over with acronyms, as artists, curators and supporters from both sides of the Tasman launched FoNZA (Friends of New Zealand Art).

But there’s much more to this project.

As the AGNSW’s director, Dr Michael Brand, commented, it’s important to know about the art of others if you wish to understand your own.

New Zealand and Christchurch were well represented at the launch, with guests including the director of the Christchurch Art Gallery (CAG), Jenny Harper, Canterbury artist Wayne Youle, writer and commentator Hamish Keith, collectors and gallery owners.

The CAG’s former senior curator, currently the AGNSW’s head curator of international art, Justin Paton, also happens to be one of the key movers behind FoNZA.

The project began in 2014 when the Gallery’s Foundation acquired Colin McCahon’s 1975 work Teaching Aids 2 (July) – surprisingly the first work by McCahon to enter the AGNSW’s collection.

It has now been joined by two other contemporary New Zealand works – Richard Killeen’s Dreamtime , gifted by New Zealand collectors Jim and Mary Barr and the artist, and Michael Parekowhai’s seminal bunny Cosmo McMurtry , given by the founding governor Clinton Bradley.

It’s not the first time New Zealand’s art has caught the eye of New South Wales collectors.

At the turn of the 20th century, a delegation from Sydney purchased several works.

It seems that Australians have never quite lost their taste for our painters and painting.

FoNZA is dedicated to develop-

of

FoNZA, ing a contemporary New Zealand collection, spurred on by plans to build a new contemporary art wing at the AGNSW.

‘‘Sydney is a world city. It’s also a Pacific city and New Zealand is a close and good neighbour,’’ Brand explains.

‘‘We’ve recognised that we’ve neglected New Zealand art at this gallery, but it should now represent an important facet at the new Sydney modern gallery. Our mission is to make it an important part of this project by establishing this programme to fund and pledge works.’’

For Justin Paton, the new scheme will allow the gallery to collect intensively.

‘‘We want FoNZA to be surprising and fun, by building on what are already strong familial links,’’ he said.