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Colin McCahon’s eyes needed more than picturesque forest scenery. His peering out of the car window … was a vital part of his process of looking into ‘New Zealand’ … and figuring out how to show it to us. I have to acknowledge the many art-historical cartographers who have proved to be such able pathfinders and have preceded me in the endeavour of writing a book about Colin McCahon, in this case centring on just one painting.
The quote above is from environmentalist Geoff Park. His insights will be familiar to readers by the conclusion of A Potent Way of Talking: Colin McCahon and the Urewera triptych—as will those from scholars and curators Judith Binney, Gordon H. Brown, Wystan Curnow, Justin Paton, Laurence Simmons, Peter Simpson, Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku and Linda Tyler.
This project began in 2019, the anniversary of Colin McCahon’s birth, with a phone call from the then new kaitiaki of the Urewera triptych, and an invitation to write an essay that might illuminate the commissioning and creation of this striking canvas dating to 1975. From that point my research began, the wero (challenge) and kaupapa (theme) expanding as a fresh wave of publications, exhibitions and events landed, celebrating the life’s work of one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s great artists—each doing a bit more ‘figuring out’. I hope A Potent Way of Talking adds something to this discourse.
Colin McCahon’s eyes needed more than picturesque forest scenery. His peering out of the car window … was a vital part of his process of looking into ‘New Zealand’ … and figuring out how to show it to us. I have to acknowledge the many art-historical cartographers who have proved to be such able pathfinders and have preceded me in the endeavour of writing a book about Colin McCahon, in this case centring on just one painting.
The quote above is from environmentalist Geoff Park. His insights will be familiar to readers by the conclusion of A Potent Way of Talking: Colin McCahon and the Urewera triptych—as will those from scholars and curators Judith Binney, Gordon H. Brown, Wystan Curnow, Justin Paton, Laurence Simmons, Peter Simpson, Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku and Linda Tyler.
This project began in 2019, the anniversary of Colin McCahon’s birth, with a phone call from the then new kaitiaki of the Urewera triptych, and an invitation to write an essay that might illuminate the commissioning and creation of this striking canvas dating to 1975. From that point my research began, the wero (challenge) and kaupapa (theme) expanding as a fresh wave of publications, exhibitions and events landed, celebrating the life’s work of one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s great artists—each doing a bit more ‘figuring out’. I hope A Potent Way of Talking adds something to this discourse.
Pages - 192
Binding - Cloth Cover
Publisher -
Publication Date - 2025-07-31
ISBN - 9780473727949