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Belinda Griffiths & Freeman White

Belinda Griffiths & Freeman White

Belinda GriffithsTurn 

They tell a tale of scars well earnt
Mistakes made, lessons learnt

In her new series ‘Turn’, Belinda shifts the focus from the conventional portrait, revealing instead the figure with its guard down, its soul bared. Working within the disciplines of painting and printmaking, Belinda’s work explores the expressive potential of the gestural mark. When combined with the human form, this push and pull between mark and form has the potential to communicate something of the human experience that becomes more authentic, more visceral.

Rob Garrett wrote of the ‘sensual power‘ of Griffiths’s work, ‘which at times undercuts and almost contradicts the works conceptual origins.’ Belinda intimate yet anonymous portraits are more than depictions of the human form, they are satisfyingly complex, almost poetic works, inviting reflection on the human condition.

Belinda was the recipient of the Molly Morpeth Canaday Art Award in 2010 and The Estuary Artwork Award in 2013. She has been a finalist in the Wallace Art Awards, the NZ Painting and Printmaking Award, and the Adam Portraiture Award. Belinda’s work is held in a number of private and public art collections, including the Wallace Arts Trust (Auckland) and the Vernon Public Art Gallery (British Columbia.)

Freeman White
New Paintings

Freeman’s carefully observed studies of light and form impress upon us the dramatic land forms of the Hawkes Bay area. White’s epic depictions of his local environment are powerful and emotional works which masterfully capture the enduring majesty of the land.

The land is often depicted in a state of late afternoon glow, capturing the subtle play of light and consequent shadow at the hight of summer, achieving remarkable depth, luminosity and grandeur. Endless ranges bathed in sunlight are contrasted with long, deep shadows which skillfully provide a visual flow for the viewer to move through. White’s landscapes are often intentionally sparsely populated with small clusters or even lone trees, allowing us to focus on the formation of the and muscular ranges. The trees which are depicted are often non-native, speaking of the cost at which settling into this area came and like may aspects of White’s work, explore post-colonial notions of beauty.

Complimenting the landform paintings are powerful seascape works in which breaking waves are impressively rendered, providing visual and conceptual symmetry to the rolling hills, rugged cliff backdrops and valleys. White captures the drama and raw power of the waves effectively – a reminder of the constant pressures and influence the surrounding landscape is under.