John Tole started painting by taking lessons from Walter Wright and developed his cubist-inspired modern approach through contact with John Weeks, painting tutor at the Elam School of Art in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. He and his younger brother Charles developed a similar approach to painting and often showed their work together. Known for their well-constructed, decorative landscapes, often featuring factories and industrial subject-matter, they also joined with John Weeks, Louise Henderson and Helen Brown to form the Thornhill Group, exhibiting together in the 1940s and 1950s.

(From Here on the Ground, 18 May – 17 November 2024)