Magnificent modern art at Taupō Museum

Line and Form by Theo Schoon - Design in Opihi Style. Photo / Supplied

Peter Jarvis is known for his incredible collection of art, and is giving the public a chance to admire more than 30 of his pieces in a new exhibition at Taupō Museum.

Self-described townie art dealer Peter has an extensive collection of graphics which he has been collecting since 1968. He still buys and sells high-quality original New Zealand art.

Peter is known in art circles throughout New Zealand for his popular Ferner Galleries, which were started back in the early 1980s and became established throughout the country in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland. He now owns a one-hectare block-turned-art and native bush haven in Acacia Bay.

Taupō Museum has been fortunate enough to have a fantastic collection loaned to them by Peter for the Line and Form exhibition in its main gallery, which complements Plateau Printmakers' Impressions exhibition, opening the same day in the museum's Niven Room.

Peter's exhibition includes works by more than 30 of the leading New Zealand artists of the 20th century, including Rudolf Gopas, Lois White, Bill Hammond, Evelyn Page, Edith Collier, Trevor Lloyd, Maud Sherwood, Michael Smither and Adele Younghusband.

All the artworks were created in the 20th century, during the modern art era. At the time, lithography, monotype, woodcut printing techniques and more rose in popularity among artists all over the world, later to be mixed with other mediums such as digital printing and photography.

Line and Form will open with a talk by Peter and members of the Plateau Printmakers on Friday, September 30 at 5.30pm, and will run until 21 November.

Taupō Museum is open seven days from 10am to 4.30pm. Entry is free for locals and tamariki; otherwise, entry is $5 for adults, and $3 for seniors and students.

Visit the Taupō Museum Facebook page or www.taupodc.govt.nz/museum for more information.