Kelliher Art Trust

Landscapes in The Kelliher Collection range from the warm and gentle beaches of Northland, where a "Pacific Lifestyle" has emerged, to the frozen stronghold of the Southern Alps, the birthplace of mighty rivers which have strewn boulders and rich loam across the Canterbury plains. The evergreen foliage of the bush, the calm blue and tossed green of our seas, tawny tussock-land, verdant pastures, the battle between grey rock and white ice in the mountains… these are celebrated with love and awe.

They are recorded too as historical statements about our environment. The landscape changes - particularly with mankind's growing demands and technological capabilities. Rivers are tamed to produce hydro electric power, farmland is swallowed up by sprawling suburbs, lonely beaches are transformed into coastal resorts. Already some of the scenes depicted in this collection have changed utterly and we have the artists to thank for preserving the pristine beauties and wild exuberance of these places.

A good artist does much more than freeze a particular scene in an instant of time. With a vivid and penetrating study of our place in the world, he or she will teach us the art of observation. Colour and tone capture the play of light upon the landscape - an ever-changing quality. Perspective can suddenly reveal a whole new world, offering a surprisingly fresh look at a familiar scene. Brush work might indicate the origin and movement of land forms, the depth of vegetation, the textures of nature.

Our respect for the environment, and ultimately our self-respect is indicated by the way we use, or abuse, the land. A painting can make a statement about our attitude to natural resources. It can indicate the devastation wrought by careless ambition and compare this to the slow cycle of changes worked by nature left unhindered. We are fortunate in New Zealand that the impact of man has not yet been felt in some remote corners of the country. A look at the paintings featured here, in our on-line landscape gallery, will reinforce the hope that this dwindling wilderness can remain a part of our heritage.

Acknowledgements:
Richard King provided text for a 1979 publication entitled "The Kelliher", from which much of the text in this section has been sourced.