Manawa group show

Press, 13 February 1986, Page 15

Manawa group show

A group exhibition at the Manawa Gallery, 87 Cashel Street, until February 24. Reviewed by John Hurrell.

The second group exhibition at the new Manawa Gallery is not curated around any particular theme, but rather a casual assortment of work from about 15 artists, ranging from photographs to paintings. All the items here are conventional wall-based art, and are moderately sized. According to the gallery’s director, Alan Chant, “Manawa” is the Maori word for heart, meaning “courage” and “fortitude” as distinct from romantic love. While a few of the works here are saccharine, some also are disturbing. Most have a raw studentish quality, similar to some of the work found at the James Paul gallery. Chant’s approach to hanging shows is not that of carefully isolating different genres, but rather that of mixing different subject matters together. He has no sympathy for the purity of the modernist aesthetic but the walls are white nevertheless. They are, however, broken up with sofas, tables and chairs, which indicate that the space has practical uses other than the contemplation of art. The gallery is used as an office. Because the work displayed here tends to be by artists who are unknown, the mixture in quality means that any gems present have to be sought out. They do not reveal themselves easily and are just as likely to be found leaning casually i against bookshelves as hanging from a wall.

Three artists stand out in the show. James Moore has two large wooden sculptures on the walls, made of canvas, hardboard and light timber.

One is a cubist, quasitribal head, with softly patterned colour that usually clarifies the form instead of disrupting it. Its scale and decisive composition gives it a dramatic presence, even though it is hung too high.

Andre Van der Wende has two acrylic and crayon drawings which are influenced by Ralph Hotere’s work and use a heart motif. More interesting are his collages which combine gesturalism with aspects of Russian Suprematism. Alongside graffiti-like scribbles he has placed red and black rectangles, and pages from a Scientology treatise on drug dependence which attacks psychiatry. The contents of the typed text acts as a foil for the violence of the obscenities scrawled alongside it.

Johannes Van Kan’s photographs, although poorly mounted, are distinctive. The most subtle of his three very fine images, looks down the corridors of an old public hospital. The, blurry image is slightly askew, making the walls quiver as if about to topple over, while a peculiarly intense light streams in from doorways, alternating with dark shadows to draw the eye towards a rounded archway on the end wall. The work has a dreamlike quality.

Chant’s selection is uneven in quality and confusing in its manner of presentation, yet there is a need for more galleries in Christchurch, particularity in the inner city area. His space is awkwardly L-shaped and narrow, but it suits aspiring exhibitors who want to show individual works without organising larger one-person exhibitions. Manawa is a useful addition to our gallery scene.