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Cultural Diplomacy
15/09/10 - 10/10/10

Don't worry, be happy
18/08/10 - 12/09/10

Anarchy in Avondale
21/07/10 - 14/08/10

Beneath the Blue
23/06/10 - 18/07/10

Duck!
25/05/10 - 19/06/10

The House of Lentigo
28/04/10 - 22/05/10

Stupid Studid Stupid Stupid Stupid Daddy
31/03/10 - 24/04/10

Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious
03/03/10 - 27/03/10

Dark Matter Blue Noise
03/02/10 - 27/02/10

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Mud Monster

Gary Freemantle

Tuesday 28 April - 24 May

The Paekakariki floods in 2003 occurred after a day of heavy rain during which time a creek in the hills behind the town became jambed with logs. Finally the water broke free flooding town into the main street of the town and causing major devastation to shops and houses.

At that time Gary was living on the first floor of the two storey building worst hit by the flood. "The piles of silt literally washed up on my doorstep became the material I used to make paintings.

The series has continued since then and I have expanded it by sourcing thermal mud and various coloured clay from other places.

I use the earth/mud in water without any binders - using binders would make it similar to conventional paint.

I enjoy the challenge of working with something that is almost impossible to control, but this forces me to to work spontaneously and improvise so the results are always surprising.

Apart from some filtering most of the material has been used straight from the ground - and I like the metaphorical associations of that.

I'm interested in the range of mud colours that exist in New Zealand - from delicate pinks to bright yellow ochre. The show also contains examples of other materials I have been working with such as velvet, acrylic, and watercolour."


Installation of New Zealand colours series

Cody's 2009

Chopper II 2008

Mud Mother 2009