Paintings by artists Colin McCahon and Louise Henderson will feature in a new exhibition opening at MTG Hawke's Bay on Saturday 24 June.
A revolutionary international style, Cubism's influence spread globally beyond Europe and the United States to Asia and Australasia, affecting other disciplines including architecture, design and fashion.
Freedom and Structure: Cubism and New Zealand Art 1930 - 1930 looks for the first time at the effect of Cubism on New Zealand painting, and reveals its impact on the work of early adopters John Weeks, Louise Henderson and Colin McCahon, and others including Melvin Day, Charles Tole and Wilfred Stanley Wallis. This exhibition explores the different ways these artists adapted the radical language of Cubism, and weaved it into their work in inventive ways.
MTG Curator of Art Jess Mio says that Cubism marks an exciting shift in Western art history, following on from the invention of the camera, which could depict the world more accurately, quickly and cheaply than most artists. "So painters began to explore other possibilities beyond faithful representation, instead showing what the eye can't see: subjects painted from multiple perspectives at once, objects broken down into their fundamental forms, colours altered at will, and more.
"Because it was such an innovative and daring style, cubist art remains hugely popular. Anyone interested in seeing a radical break in thousands of years of visual tradition would enjoy this exhibition, along with students of art and history. It's great to be able to bring these nationally significant, bold and energetic paintings to Hawke's Bay," Mio says.