Linda Gair
I seek to paint imagined, yet highly ‘familiar’ New Zealand landscapes. When outdoors I look intently at the way the light falls on objects, bounces off and reflects somewhere else. This fascination comes from my photography major from Elam School of Fine Arts in the 1970s. I never tire of the way skies aren’t ever the same twice, and are often quite unbelievably grand and theatrical.
More recently I have been exploring those landscapes that seem to be pared-down and surprisingly ‘self-editing’, like those epic ‘dioramic-type’ expansive ‘scapes’ that are Central Otago. No wonder iconic New Zealand painters have been drawn to record this area in their myriad styles, and who have been able to capture the essence, majesty and sculptural qualities of the central south of Aotearoa. Recent works are ‘my kaleidoscope’ of these epic panoramas.
My preferred mediums are acrylic paints and water-based support materials for their quick-drying properties. They match my impatience for a starting platform that I use as a ‘springboard’ for layering paint. I thoroughly enjoy the interruption to the drying process, scrubbing back on wooden surfaces both prepared and naturally unprepared, as in found objects.
Selected Exhibitions
STUDIO to WALL - 250 Gallery / Ponsonby - Railway Street Gallery Group Show September 2023
HOMAGE II - Railway Street Gallery / Newmarket - Solo Exhibition October 2022
HOMAGE I - Railway Street Gallery / Newmarket - Solo Exhibition April/May 2021
CONFLICT of INTEREST - The Depot Artspace / Devonport - solo December 2021
INSUFFRAGABLE - The Depot Artspace / Devonport, Group Show November 2018
Significant past group shows:
@ The Depot Artspace / Devonport
- Birds of a Feather
- Dressed to Kill
- Stack the Deck
@ North Art / Northcote
- Wardrobe – solo exhibition
@ Lake House Gallery / Takapuna
- Room with a View - solo exhibition