Battle against Huntington's over for artist Pat Hanly

By LINDA HERRICK

Auckland artist Pat Hanly has died after a long struggle against Huntington's disease.

Hanly's son Ben said his father, who was 72, died at home yesterday morning, after spending a happy Sunday with family.

Hanly was considered one of New Zealand's leading modernist painters and printmakers, as well as a feisty and outspoken activist. The New Zealand Who's Who lists his recreations as "kite-flying, sailing, Greenpeace".

Although Hanly stopped painting in the late 1990s, his work is still highly sought-after at auctions.

In July this year, one of his works, Vessel Attacked, fetched a bid of $90,000 - although he despised anyone who bought art as an investment, famously declaring, "I hope it falls off the wall and kills them".

Hanly was born in Palmerston North and studied at Canterbury School of Art from 1952-55.

He travelled to Europe for various residencies in the late 1950s, where he absorbed influences such as Picasso and Chagall.

Hanly returned to New Zealand in 1962, where he settled in Auckland as a part-time lecturer at the university's school of architecture and a life of steady work and exhibiting.

His work is held in all major public galleries in the country, and in many private collections.

He also created large murals for Auckland Airport, the University of Auckland and the Aotea Centre's Convention Centre.

Hanly and his family were the subjects of Pacific Ikon, a television documentary which screened in 1998. In it, he said, "We are awaiting death with interested anticipation. Some of my best friends are dead."

He is survived by three children and his wife, renowned photographer Gil Hanly, who is flying back from Bali, where she has been on assignment.

The funeral is likely to be held on Saturday.