Now This
23 May - 16 June 2002

New camera-based works by Michael Nicholson

Michael Nicholson served as a Royal Armoured Corps officer in World War Two. Today he calls himself a ‘conscientious objector’ to most contemporary Western culture.

At 86, Michael remains one of New Zealand’s most uncompromising, inventive and important artists. Last year his installation at the Wellington City Art Gallery featured video art, sculpture, photographic collages and sound works.

A fulltime artist and art teacher for more than 50 years, Michael Nicholson has exhibited in London (where he was born) and in Sydney (where he produced large outdoor sculptures, murals and video installations), as well as widely in this country.

Michael’s new exhibition at Idiom Studio consists of photo-collages – coloured photographs assembled to create a large composite image. The individual photographs were mainly taken around the Wellington region and show what he unhesitatingly describes as ‘rubbish’.

"I have a real fascination with rubbish, the insignificant object," he says. "It’s non-political, non-racist, absurd, and its cheeky innocence amuses me." Michael sees these works as "a whisper of contradiction to the ugliness and mendacity" which he feels dominates present-day Western society.

Goto: www.citygallery.org.nz/mainsite/AhhaMichaelNicholson.html tosee earlier work by Michael.