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Martin Law Painter of Paradise – Devonport, Architecture of Land & Sea
September 5, 2020 @ 10:00 am - October 14, 2020 @ 3:30 pm
Free
Martin Law Painter of Paradise
Exhibition: Devonport, Architecture of Land & Sea
Opening: Saturday 5th September 10am – 4pm
Where land meets sea and the skies unfold over roofscapes – the architecture of habitation. As you move through streets and your gaze opens from the slopes of the maunga, the relationship of land, sea, sky and buildings is everchanging.
About the exhibition: Martin Law Painter of Paradise, presents paintings of Devonport, architectural perspectives and the maunga, the sea and the land. The wide and open skies in many of the paintings is intentional, as we lift our gaze from the streets and the architecture, to consider the proximate foreground and skyward views. From Takarunga/Mt Victoria and Maungauika/North Head to the beaches fringing the land, colours of the skies are blended to abstract cubes in the style that Martin presents, as a backdrop and also loving accompaniment to the architecture below.
The detailing of the buildings and roofs record history, living and habitation. They are carefully rendered, a recognition of the craft of building and the beauty of the materials and construction. A roofline, a weathered fence, a window, with the sea and maunga, moving throughout his paintings.
In presenting these original works in their Devonport settings, Martin highlights the beauty of detail and proportion that we might overlook. He also shows us what is on the other side: the city, commerce, construction, progress and development. These paintings are part of the relationship of people with buildings in the context of history, maunga and the beauty of the natural form of land.
Against big skies and shades of sea, his love of buildings and structure develops through this series of paintings, showing us history, our relationship with the land, what we might forget in these new times.
About Martin Law Painter of Paradise: This collection of paintings is part of Martin’s major project spanning the next three decades, to create a significant collection of paintings of Aotearoa architecture in its landscape. Following his years as an architectural perspective artist, Martin embarked on a journey of painting a powerful visual representation of some of New Zealand’s most iconic buildings, including villas, woolsheds and commercial structures, reflecting our unique rural and urban architectural history.
Martin sees what we might forget, that we overlook in our haste, painting layers of glorious New Zealand greens amid searing skies and light that reflects the landscape.
Born in England on a working farm in the Cotswolds, Martin grew up with the intricacies of agricultural equipment and used machinery as subjects of drawing and painting from a young age. He studied in London at the Central St Martin’s College of Art and Design, completing a Degree in Industrial Design in 1990. He developed his career in London, Italy and the Middle East and worked in architectural concept design, including hand drawn interior and exterior perspectives. He moved to New Zealand ten years ago and continues his architectural concept design work and also commenced the Painter of Paradise project.
Martin currently paints and designs in his studio/gallery space in Maungawhau/Mt Eden and is also available for painting and architectural design commissions.
Gallery Hours:
Monday 12noon – 3:30pm
Tuesday – Friday 10am – 3:30pm
Saturday 10am – 4pm
Sunday 11am – 3pm (Artist on site)
Sample Works:
