• Joseph-Smither-as-a-Loan-Ranger-enews.jpg

    Michael Smither Joseph Smither as a lone Ranger, 1973. Image courtesy of the artist and the Govett Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth.

  • Rocks-with-Mountainenews2.jpg

    Michael Smither Rocks with Mountain, 1968. Image couresy of artist and Auckland Art Gallery Toi O Tamaki.

  • SmitherRock-Pool-with-Neptunes-Necklace.jpg

    Michael Smither Rock Pool with Neptune's Necklace, 1968. Image courtesy of artist and private collector.

  • The-family-in-the-vanenews.jpg

    Michael Smither The Family in the Van, 1971. Image courtesy of artist and private collector.

Michael Smither–The Wonder Years

19 February - 5 June 2006 in the Entire Gallery

Michael Smither is one of New Zealand’s most renowned and respected artists. His painting is often deeply personal and autobiographical, delving into the domestic landscapes and outside environments of his daily life. Michael Smither—The Wonder Years, the first major exhibition of his work since 1984 - focuses on the incredibly productive period between 1962–1979 when the artist was living in his home town of New Plymouth. The exhibition includes Smither’s well-known landscape paintings and works inspired by his domestic life and family, as well as key paintings exploring political and religious subjects. The works, with their jewel-like colours and smooth glassy surfaces, are a visual feast. They are also conceptually challenging, engaging the viewer with questions about environmentalism, ecology, faith and family relationships.

Michael Smither was closely involved in the development of Michael Smither—The Wonder Years. The exhibition is divided into several sections, each framed around one of Smither’s statements about his work, and each exploring a different aspect of his practice. The exhibition includes some of Smither’s best-loved works: powerful domestic scenes such as The family in the van; works that capture both the charm and danger of childhood, such as Big Occity, where a wide-eyed toddler reaches inquisitively for a power socket; and iconic paintings of the Taranaki landscape and coastline.

Smither also works as a composer, and a recording of his composition 21 Piano Pieces, performed by David Guerin, one of New Zealand’s leading pianists, will play in the Gallery during the show.

Public Programmes

Lecture, presented by Michael Smither.

Floortalk, presented by historian Judith Fyfe.

Floortalk, presented by curator Jim Barr.

Principal Sponsor

   
An Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki touring exhibition
With support from the Friedlander Foundation and Aalto Colour