Christchurch art lovers are in for a treat as tomorrow sees the opening of a touring exhibition of the work of Colin McCahon. Christchurch Art Gallery – Te Puna o Waiwhetu plays host for four months to the works that are being toured by the National Gallery of Australia.
McCahon is one of the most important modernist painters in Australasia and twenty years after his death his work, with its themes of faith and religion, and Māori culture are still relevant and striking. For more information on the exhibition visit the Christchurch Art Gallery website.
Christchurch City Libraries has the following resources about Colin McCahon that may be of interest.
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McCahon lived in Christchurch during the 1940s and during that period was a member of local art collective The Group. Catalogues of work exhibited by The Group artists have been digitised by Christchurch City Libraries and can be view here.
Interesting reading if you’ve ever wondered what a McCahon might have cost back then, considering the prices that his works sell for now, in particular Te Papa Tongarewa paid $2.75 million for one of his pieces in 2004. -
Our awesome Kids section on the library website has some really informative factsheets on Famous New Zealanders including one on Colin McCahon.
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McCahon is an iconic artist and as such numerous books have been written on his life and work. Check out what’s available at our libraries.
