Amazing array of genre at Tararua Art Exhibition

Sculptor Tim White with his diverse Oamaru Stone creations.

The overwhelming urges to capture a moment before it disappears, to portray a landscape as you perceive it, to mould materials into something you have in your imagination and to shape raw materials into items greatly enhanced in beauty were clearly evident at the Tararua Art Exhibition in Woodville over the past week.

What was amazing in its variety of subject matter was matched by the range of genre and materials used – beautifully displayed to allow each creation to be seen to its best advantage even when it was on the same stand as others.

Paintings using acrylic by Pauline Julian, Bettina McCulloch, Linda Manning, Lynn Fletcher.

Pride of place in the centre of the exhibition were the works of Tararua's Emerging Artists Tim White and Alistair Ramsay. The visual impact of Tim's beautiful Oamaru stone sculptures immediately created impact as visitors entered the gallery while almost simultaneously the dulcet tones of music playing out of the retro radios tempting them to "come and see more" was rewarded by a walk deeper into the exhibition proving the cabinetry was as amazing as the sound.

Each exhibition took people on a journey - Tim White's display featuring art deco influenced panels from his early phase to more recent free-style forms ranging from a vase to a baby in swaddling clothes fittingly titled Swaddle.

Alistair Ramsay had visitors exclaiming "we had one of those" as he had large radio and record-playing consoles, radios and other furniture beautifully polished in natural wood grains and sounding far better than when they were in their heyday.

A possible future Emerging Artist, Melissa Reiri, also featured in the centre of the gallery with her traditional kakaho made entirely of harakeke (flax). She has just graduated with a bachelor of maori visual arts – a four-year course at Te Rununga o Aotearoa.

The traditional kakaho was a challenge from her course and is destined as a gift to her son. She said it was hard physical and mental work and its price tag of $4000 is a reflection of that toil since Covid lockdown in 2020. Proceeds would go to her son's education if he chooses to sell.

Also featuring on the wall adjacent were the place-getters in the competition to create the 30th Anniversary book Tararua Through the Lens Of Our People and the book is available to buy from the Tararua District Council Office for $30 soft cover and $40 hard cover.

Despite cancelling the official opening there was a good gathering on Friday evening of those who worked so hard to transform the racing gallery under the Woodville Racecourse public grandstand into one featuring art.

Since then there has been a steady flow over the week. Some items were snapped up on the first day, others sold later and there was a steady sale of a wide range of books – historical, pictorial and children's.