Exhibitions
Events
On display
Ben Curnow: From Here on the Ground
Louise Henderson Portrait of Betty Curnow 1954. Oil on canvas. Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, purchased 1972
Talk
Past event
Philip Carter Family Auditorium
Free
Art writer Ben Curnow talks about his grandmother Betty who was an important part of Christchurch’s creative community in the mid twentieth century, a period covered in our exhibition From Here on the Ground.
Betty Curnow (1911–2005) had life-long friendships with fellow artists Rita Angus, Louise Henderson, Doris Lusk, Evelyn Page and others. She was an important figure in the mid-century cultural milieu in Christchurch, particularly in terms of the intersection between The Group and the Caxton Press. Ben will focus on the portraits of his grandmother and on the period before 1951, when Betty and Allan Curnow moved to Auckland.
Related
Exhibition
From Here on the Ground
18 May – 17 November 2024
Populated places and cityscapes converge with backyards, factories and remote railway stops in this fascinating survey of twentieth-century Aotearoa New Zealand artists exploring urban, suburban and industrial landscapes.
Collection
Louise Henderson Portrait of Betty Curnow
Artist Betty Curnow has been the subject of two powerful portraits in New Zealand art: one produced in 1942 by Rita Angus, the other the painting you see here. Henderson found Angus’s version too serious, and she was determined to present “the other side” of Curnow – specifically her “French side”. Dressing her in a glamorous red dress and colourful shawl, Henderson lets the fabric find Curnow’s curves. The resulting image – with its white rose and cigarette – is a spirited and theatrical protrayal of femininity. (Louise Henderson: From Life, 27 June – 11 October 2020)
Article
Confonting Portraiture
When it comes to creative encounters, there can be few that match the first sighting of a Ron Mueck sculpture. As with other landmark events, I suggest you are unlikely to forget exactly where you were when that formative experience took place.