Sex and religion are crucial aspects of the recent work of Paul John. While the erotic and the pious are overtly paraded in the photographs of European artists Pierre and Gilles, John's images are more subtle and deceptive, and ultimately more challenging. Making reference to Western art's representation of Christ, John's work is reassuring in its deployment of the familiar. However, the reworking and appropriation of such material is also subtle and demanding. In John's art the devotional nature of an icon such as the dead Christ, assumes precious and sacred dimensions because of its sensuality, as well as its saintly countenance. John constructs a dangerous compound of sex, death, saintliness, sensuality, fine art, pop art, reverence and irreverence, that demands the gallery visitor question their own morals and values. Following John's 1997 retrospective exhibition The Still Stare, at the University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts Gallery, and a successful exhibition at the Campbell Grant Galleries, Paul John is currently generating an elegant and demanding body of work. I Want to be Your Slave is eagerly awaited.

This exhibition takes its title from George Orwell's 1984, and acts as a memorial to 'The Silent Revolution, when the 1984 Labour Government introduced a series of right-wing policies into New Zealand. The revolution took place prophetically in the same year in which Orwell's book was set, and has succeeded in totally altering the course of history for this country. Its success was due to a highly effective propaganda campaign, which has the country longing for Orwell's Brave New World, and a future of unimagined possibilities.

The Future Is Now is a collaborative work and continues on from the exhibition, From the Cradle To The Grave, shown in May at the University of Canterbury, School of Fine Arts Gallery. The work (as propaganda) comments, exhorts and elaborates on possible directions for improvement to our society, and acts as a model for true bicultural achievement, Maori and Pakeha striving for perfection together. The Future is Now.

MEMBERS EXHIBITION
COSTUMES AND CLOTHING
19 August - 5 September.

Clothing largely determines our initial impression of how we see other people. It can describe a person's success, their roles in society, and carries evidence of time, usage and wear. As the courtly mediaeval manuscripts of the Limborg Brothers, and the 'style-over-content' portraits of Andy Warhol prove, costume and clothing are capable of expressing the class and character of an individual. In the context of Postmodernism clothing remains a significant element in contemporary practice, frequently being perceived as a text, or subtext awaiting deconstruction. RECENT PRINTS FROM PAPERGRAPHICA 9 September - 26 September

Running Dogs 1998 RICHARD KILLEEN PAPERGRAPHICA

This exhibition of fine art prints by Ralph Hotere, Gretchen Albrecht, John Reynolds, Richard Killeen, and Marian Maguire were produced in the printmaking studio, PaperGraphica. Under the guidance of Master printmaker Marian Maguire prints are created by artists by drawing directly on lithography stones, etching plates, or by woodcuts to create printing elements that are manipulated through the proofing process to realise the finished artwork. These prints are defined as original multiples, being created in response to the qualities of the chosen printmaking method, and then refined through further working of that process.

The work in this show features prints by major figures such as Ralph Hotere whose retrospective exhibition Out the Black Window, was singled out as exhibition of the year by Auckland critic Keith Stewart in 1997. In addition, work by founding New Zealand postmodernist painter, Richard Killeen demonstrates an engagement with a more personal and socially committed iconography. This exhibition of recent prints by prominent New Zealand artists offers an engaging view of contemporary practice.

MIKE DEPREE
I KEEP A CLOSE WATCH. SELECTED PAINTINGS
9 September - 26 September

This exhibition highlights the role of the Centre of Contemporary Art as an institution that links the art world and the wider community of Canterbury. Corporate Art Hire focuses upon the gallery's capacity to exhibit the work of New Zealand artists in offices, public institutions, corporate foyers, and local businesses. The gallery currently has close to 1000 works on hire in the Canterbury region, and the success of the scheme has resulted in CoCA initiating a temporary hire programme. The gallery sources work for a client from an artist, and hires the work on their behalf. While on hire the artwork remains the property of the artist but during this period it is also possible to purchase the work. It provides an opportunity to place art into the community, usually in a public space.

This exhibition provides a snapshot of the range of work that is hired, and is available for hire, from this successful venture. Corporate Art Hire is an exhibition that will be of special interest to the business community, or public institution committed to animating and enriching the work environment.

---

ROSS GRAY 'FRAGILE' RECENT PAINTINGS 9 September - 27 September     Ross Gray's ongoing exploration of the relationships existing between the individual, their memory of, and response to the changing environment that they inhabit, continues in this exhibition of new paintings. Retrospective shows of Gray's work at the Centre of Contemporary Art in 1997, and the Sargeant Gallery in Wanganui in 1998 have focused attention on the consistency of the artist's vision over the last twenty years.

Fragile, 1998 acrylic ROSS GRAY

'Fragile,' advances important aspects of Gray's art with a continuing interest in the way in which the past informs the present, and an enduring concern with the dynamics of mark making on the picture plane. Gray has said of this new work: 'This series of paintings and mixed media work explore ideas about memory, body, historical buildings, city. The exhibition follows a show 'Keeping Time,' in July at the Janne Land Gallery, Wellington,' and anticipates the publication of a survey article on Gray's oeuvre in Art New Zealand. Ross Gray is currently the Head of Department in Art at Christ's College.

1998 PRIMARY SCHOOL'S ART SCHOLARSHIP
SONS OF OUR LAND
9 September - 19 September

This year's fourth annual Primary School's Art Scholarship sponsored by Shane Aitken will feature 30 finalists from over 2,000 entries from year 3 to year 6 Canterbury Primary school pupils. Aitken's main objective for the art scholarship is to raise the profile of youth art which is an area that has struggled for recognition and funding over the years. He believes that there is an enormous amount of artistic talent in this age group and that if we can encourage and support youth art that we are investing in the future of New Zealand artists

The theme for this years exhibition is, 'Different Methods of Transport in Canterbury.' As it is the only art scholarship of its type in Canterbury, over the past four years it has become the most recognised art competition for pupils in this age group. The winner and selected finalists will receive funding to attend art classes.

All finalists entries will be auctioned at a Charity Art Auction on Friday 18 September, with proceeds going towards the Canterbury Youth Art Trust which funds art tuition. Be sure not to miss what promises to be a very exciting exhibition of children's art.

GROUP EXHIBITION
EAST AND WEST
30 September - 17 October

East and West encompasses the work of artists who paint in Canterbury and the West Coast, and contends that place, or site, is critical to an artist's consciousness. This exhibition includes the work of Allan Soanes Holcroft, Catherine Brough, Tom Field, and Trevor Moffitt. Holcroft was the brother of The Listener editor, Monte Holcroft, and the painting companion of M. T. Woollaston in the Greymouth in the 1950s. East and West is the premier exhibition of a significant body of his work in Canterbury, and demonstrates the influence that both painters had on one another. Brough is a Canterbury artist whose work shares a similar concern to Holcroft's, with an emphasis upon the lively application of paint, and the description of the unrefined and difficult environment of the West Coast.

In contrast, the painting of Tom Field deals with the regular structure of the landscape of Canterbury, and the formal issues of painting, while Trevor Moffitt's images of this region define a rural environment this is contained and measured by the activities of its settlement. While the method of paint application and the influence of style, or art movements makes an important contribution to a painter's signature, this exhibition acknowledges that location is capable of an equally significant influence.

SIMON EDWARDS NEW WORK 30 September - 18 October 'The landscape has been the source of my work for the past four years. I graduated from the University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts in 1997 and since leaving have continued in this genre. The work places itself some-where between a modernist reliance on the essential qualities [of the materials and methods of painting], and an awareness of traditional forms of the landscape. I use this as a departure point, for entering into a process of layering and rubbing back, setting up a dialogue between myself, the medium and the landscape. The work becomes a result of reacting to what is happening on the surface at the time, and building on chance effects that present themselves, contributing to a sense of space, distance and movement'

Untitles SIMON EDWARDS

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY 10 October - 15 October This is not an exhibition of perfection. On the contrary, this is an exhibition of exploration - the exploration of the interface of nature and culture, the human experience of the physical environment. The formal education of landscape architects culminates in a 'major design' project. This is a complex design exercise that tests the advanced design competence of the students. This new generation of landscape architects has combined practical design skills with individualistic flair and talent. The results are visions for the future, provocative images, and innovative solutions. The exhibition aims to broaden the general public's perception of landscape architecture. It does this by presenting a wide range of themes, including urban and rural developments, waterfront proposals, ecotourism ventures and residential subdivisions. All these

---

1998 ANNUAL STUDENT EXHIBITION SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN CHRISTCHURCH POLYTECHNIC 17 October - 27 October The Christchurch Polytechnic's School of Art and Design Student Exhibition is a popular show, being a public favourite in the yearly exhibition schedule at the Centre of Contemporary Art. The 1998 graduating students will exhibit their final work from the departments of Visual Communications, Craft Design, and Photography. The work ranges from the traditional to the more innovative and contemporary, and from commercially orientated applications to inwardly directed explorations. The exhibitions includes jewellery design, wearable art, advertising graphics, children's book illustration, black and white, and colour photography, digital art, website designs, typography, objects d'art, textiles, furniture and more! The 1998 student exhibition by graduates from the Christchurch Polytechnic School of Art and Design embodies the ambitions and aspirations of developing talent. The centre will be open on Monday, October 19th and 26th.

---

ART FOR LIFE EXHIBITION CHARITY ACTION AND GALA EVENT 29 October - 9 November Auction 9 November The Art For Life charity art auction and gala was possibly the feature occasion of the year in 1997 at the Centre of Contemporary Art. This exhibition and event was held in conjunction with the Life Education Trust, and filled the Mair Gallery to capacity with art admirers. The work of a diverse range of quality artworks by leading New Zealand artists such as Don Peebles, Nancy Tichborne, Stanley Palmer, and Piera McArthur, were enthusiastically sought after, and purchased in auction by a discriminating and enthusiastic audience. The event is a unique partnership formed between CoCA and the Life Education Trust, with members of the business and art communities working together to support the worthwhile objectives of substance abuse prevention and the promotion of the visual arts in New Zealand. As the oldest art gallery in Canterbury, the Centre of Contemporary Art is proud to be able to team up with this very respected charity. You assist both organisations through fund raising initiatives such as this one. Tickets for this sell-out event can be purchased at the gallery for $20.00.

Your support will help to ensure that the ongoing efforts of the Life Education Trust's substance abuse prevention for children, and the Centre of Contemporary Art's mandate of fostering the growth and support of contemporary artists and art production in New Zealand, continues to thrive and prosper.   All of the artworks scheduled for auction at Art For Life will be on exhibition at the Centre of Contemporary Art from 29 October to 9 November, and the event will, once again, be part of the Show Time Canterbury Calendar of Events. Come along and be part of what is an entertaining charity auction and gala evening, join in the fun, and bid with enthusiasm for these desirable works of art. Don't miss a memorable occasion and evening!

---

SCULPTURE BY JIMMY COOPER AND PAINTINGS BY PAUL RADFORD DESPERATE ICONS 13 November - 23 December This exhibition of new work by Westport sculptor Jimmy Cooper and Auckland painter Paul Radford brings together two artists who share a concern with restraining the pretensions of serious art, while demanding a respect for both the humour and substance of their own work. Through comic books and cartoons, Radford's art has searched for an innocence and spontaneity that the world of high art has only rarely endorsed. American comic book artist Will Eisner has described the word balloon as a 'desperation device,' used by artists simply because they have been unable to realise a better way of linking the written word with the figure in a comic book panel. Radford makes use of this motif to invent a new series of words, human emotions, and expressions. Cooper's current popularity as the respected artist who constructs the 'manic ceramics,' has been at the cost of rejection by the art establishment for the previous fifteen years. His persistence and passion however have resulted in him receiving wide and positive critical acclaim. He has been featured in Ceramic International, and he has recently been nominated by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney for the inaugural Septelt Contemporary Art Award. His recent work includes a new comprehension of a number of religious icons. Behind Radford's comic speech balloons and Cooper's weirdly upbeat characters looms a strength and substance that demands attention. Don't miss the spirit and singular vision of this unique exhibition.

---

MINIATURE MAIL ART EXHIBITION: 1999 November/December 1999 (specific date to be confirmed). As one of the highlights of last year's exhibition calendar, this year's Miniature Mail Art Exhibition promises to be even more exciting. In 1997 artists from all over New Zealand submitted works to the Centre of Contemporary Art for this show. The range of submissions included leading artists such as Philippa Blair, Nigel Brown, Robert Ellis, and Gerda Leenards. This is the ideal exhibition for those interested in collecting New Zealand art, and for those who are seeking gifts for Christmas. Last year the gallery had over 600 artworks for sale! Please note that the centre will be closed from December 24th, 1998 and will reopen on Tuesday, January 12th, 1999.

---

*What's On

*Recent Exhibitions

*Reviews & Articles

*Gallery Services

*Call for Submissions

These pages are excerpts from the information, reviews and announcements published for members in the CoCA Magazine. Web site design and editing by kate@artists.co.nz. For Further Information contact: The Centre of Contemporary Art 66 Gloucester Street Christchurch PHONE 366 7261 FAX 366 7167 or e-mail coca@xtra.co.nz