Collector pays big money for art's sake

By AINSLEY THOMSON

New Zealand art works are continuing to sell for record prices, with a Ralph Hotere painting selling for $235,000 last night - the highest price paid for a work by a living New Zealand artist.

A private collector bought the Hotere painting Towards Aramoana at an auction at Webb's in Auckland.

In June another of Hotere's paintings, Vive Aramoana, was bought by Auckland-based millionaire publisher Barry Colman for the then record hammer price of $210,000.

Towards Aramoana is an acrylic on board, measuring 1200mm by 850mm. It is one of several works based around the 1970s proposal to build an aluminium smelter at Aramoana..

Hotere, who has been based in and around Dunedin since 1969, is one of the most respected New Zealand contemporary artists and was the subject of a full-length biographical film released in February.

Towards Aramoana was one of 161 lots at last night's auction, with sales totalling around $1.2 million. The next highest price was $170,000 for a Bill Hammond painting from the Placemakers series.

In May another of Hammond, Containers, sold for $200,250.

The highest price for a New Zealand painting was nearly $3 million, paid last year for a work by the late Colin McCahon.