Railway Souvenirs

Railway Souvenirs presents a new series of paintings and photographic works by well-known local artist, Raemon Rolfe, that are deeply connected to her past and to New Zealand’s history.

The term ‘souvenirs’ refers to the way in which the artist’s paintings and photographic compositions combine fragments of changing landscape features and historic rolling stock, particularly steam locomotives associated with the lower North Island. Images for the exhibition were gathered on research trips by road and rail and on visits to Feilding Steam Rail.

Raemon’s father, Bren Campbell contributed much to this project with his knowledge, expertise and archive of books, magazines, drawings, written memoirs and photographs. Raemon Rolfe’s use of monochromatic colour reflects the photographic origins of the historic images found in old books and magazines. Her works on canvas include the use of sand to create textured effects in many of the paintings and photographic images to acknowledge the importance of these materials to rail transport.

Railway Souvenirs features 21 oil on sand and gesso (acrylic emulsion) paintings on canvas; 3 oil, ink and acrylic on canvas works and 36 unique silver gelatine prints with sunlight printed photograms and blue-toned B&W prints on resin coated paper, all with oil glazes mounted on board.

Raemon Rolfe is a painter living and working in the Manawatu region. She is well known for her luminous, atmospheric oil paintings built up slowly with alternating layers of oil glazes and scumbles (Paint laid over another darker layer using streaks, dabs, smudges, stipples or any combination of marks which does not form a flat skin of paint). She has worked with this technique since the late 1970s; her work is grounded in the traditions of European landscape painting but with a contemporary approach. “My subject matter has been drawn mostly from the local landscape, sometimes they are deep and panoramic and at other times domestic and intimate. A sense of mood and emotion is sought through the treatment of colour and the manipulation of light as it is reflected off and through layers of translucent oil paint over a light ground.”

In discussing the current exhibition Raemon says: “Railway stories and images have always been a part of my life, particularly those relating to steam engines. My father, Breyton Campbell, worked for New Zealand Railways during the 1930s and early 1940s, operating locomotives between Palmerston and National Park. His interest had been stimulated in 1929-31 at the Public Works Camp at Tangarakau, which was established for workers on the construction of the Stratford-Taumaranui line. My grandfather operated the powerhouse steam powered generators and my father, as a twelve year old boy was able to watch and assist. He also had the opportunity to drive a little coal mine Barclay locomotive on one occasion thus sewing the seeds of his enthusiasm for steam power. In the early 1940s he enlisted in the 16th Railway Operating Company and spent the next three years in North Africa.” ‘Bren’ will be present at the opening of Railway Souvenurs.

Raemon recently retired as Head of Visual Arts at Palmerston North Girls’ High School, a position she held since 1995. Rolfe will now focus on her painting and photography as a full-time artist and an established contemporary painter, who has exhibited in public galleries in New Zealand and has works in public and private collections in this country and overseas.

Railway Souvenirs is the artist’s third solo exhibition at Taylor-Jensen Fine Arts. In 2007, Raemon was the Premier Award winner for painting at the Feilding and Districts Art Awards. The artist has participated in over twenty-five exhibitions since 1982 and has been a finalist in the prestigious Keliher Art Awards. The artist has also curated group shows at the Manawatu Art Gallery and at Pataka in Porirua.

Event listed by Stuart Schwartz

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