KEY POINTS:
Richard Lewer's paintings and studio-wall scribblings will be open to the public this week, in a break with tradition for a West Auckland art-house with historical links.
Lewer is the artist-in-residence at the McCahon House in Titirangi - the studio and apartment and adjacent restored home of the late painter Colin McCahon.
A New Zealander who lives in Melbourne, Lewer is approaching the end of his residency.
The nearby gallery, where the resident artists normally exhibit the paintings or photographs they have created in their three or four months living in the bushy Titirangi valley, is tied up with another exhibition so the McCahon House studio will be open to the public from 10am to 4pm, until Sunday.
In addition to his wall writings - which will be painted over before the next artist arrives - Lewer has created four bodies of work: a series of ink drawings; paintings of the midnight weather maps from each day's Herald; the 14 Stations of the Cross, representing the church he was involved in while growing up in Hamilton; and Waitakere crime, looking at extreme crimes in the area.
Lewer always writes on his studio walls.
"The whole studio is text-driven," he says. "I just gather texts: conversations overheard, from the radio, from newspapers, from local people coming into my environment. They really calm me down so I can get on with my work."
And after giving viewers a wider context this week, they will remain, under the new lick of paint, after he has gone.
Lewer's detachable works will be exhibited at the Oedipus Rex Gallery from November 25.
* The restored McCahon house is open to the public on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
Entry is free for children; adults are invited to make a $5 donation.
