Exhibitions
Auckland
JOHN TARLTON
RODNEY FUMPSTON Etchings and Collages
Rodney Fumpston has returned to New Zealand after an extended working period spent in England. This was his first exhibition since his return and consisted of twelve, large, angled-plate etchings entitled Sky-Marble Arch, six smaller etchings, Sky Studies, and three collages.
Through pastel-like colour blends of ink in connection with embossed white striations, Fumpston has attempted to explore visually the transient formations connotative of cloud movements, and the rainbow effects of atmospheric light. Both the Sky-Marble Arch and Sky Studies reflect an abstracted, personal response to natural phenomenon, and act as types of windows from which the viewer may observe the qualities of elongated white areas pictorially frozen in stratas of surface-rolled colours. The possibility of becoming pure decoration has been resolved by Fumpston's straightforward handling of intaglio techniques and minimised forms. Though all the works in the exhibition are similar in technique and subject matter, Fumpston has succeeded in sustaining a theme without having to fall into repetition or stylistic trickery. If perhaps the images are delicate rather than strong, Fumpston's sense of colour and technical efficiency are impressive.
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ANNE NOBLE Untitled photograph, 1977 from her exhibition Centrefold at Snaps Gallery |
The three collages, entitled Tourist Collages, consisted of overlapped, torn, and segmented pieces of paper. Portions of stationery were employed within the compositions as well as areas of lettering. The overall emphasis seems to have been the manipulation of surface areas and the ambiguous patterning and stripes obtainable through random placement. From this point of view they were highly successful.
Originally published in Art New Zealand 6 June/July 1977