Gareth Price: Suburban Fantasy

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When:

Mon 11 Oct ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Tue 12 Oct ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Wed 13 Oct ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Thu 14 Oct ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Fri 15 Oct ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Sat 16 Oct ’10, 10:30am–4:00pm	Saving
Sun 17 Oct ’10, 12:00am–4:00pm	Saving
Mon 18 Oct ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Tue 19 Oct ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Wed 20 Oct ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Thu 21 Oct ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Fri 22 Oct ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Sat 23 Oct ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Sun 24 Oct ’10, 10:30am–4:00pm	Saving
Mon 25 Oct ’10, 12:00am–4:00pm	Saving
Tue 26 Oct ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Wed 27 Oct ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Thu 28 Oct ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Fri 29 Oct ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Sat 30 Oct ’10, 10:30am–4:00pm	Saving
Sun 31 Oct ’10, 12:00am–4:00pm	Saving
Mon 1 Nov ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Tue 2 Nov ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Wed 3 Nov ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Thu 4 Nov ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
Fri 5 Nov ’10, 10:30am–5:00pm	Saving
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Where: Pierre Peeters Gallery, 251 Parnell Rd, Habitat Courtyard, Parnell Show map

Restrictions: All Ages

Ticket Information:

Admission: Free

Website:

www.ppg.net.nz

Favourites:

Pierre Peeters

A collection of visually striking, enigmatic and meticulously detailed acrylic works on canvas that explore ideas to do with the mysteries of life within the suburban landscape of New Zealand.

Gareth paints in a style that is closely aligned to the magical realism tradition which acted as a portal to Surrealism. This is a form of art which originated as a literary term in 1925 when German art criticism, specifically that of the writer Franz Roh, began to focus on the mystery of life behind surface reality. It is a type of realism portraying everyday life in new and unfamiliar ways and often with a twist of the bizarre and unusual. While dreamlike and fantastic elements are added to the art, the subject matter always remains within the realm of the possible which is where it differs with surrealism. “With magical realism things are a bit more considered and recognizable objects are in places they wouldn't normally be. For instance one of my paintings has a dolphin above a house” is Gareth’s take.

Suburban Fantasy features intricately detailed paintings that contain mysterious and enchanting narratives. Creatures and elements seem to float or hover either above or within the façade of a suburban dwelling, creating an odd juxtaposition which has a dreamlike effect throughout all of his paintings.

The subject matter has as its focus domestic and everyday life which is symbolised by the façade of distinctive architectural suburban dwellings such as the bungalow, villa and brick and tile from the 1970s. These are suburban homes that are nostalgic yet grounded in reality and which the artist knows well having lived in some of them in his childhood and as an adult. The symbolism of the architectural façade is profoundly interesting and invites much interpretation. Price deliberately omits human participants in his paintings in favour of fantastical creatures. With geographical references such as One Tree Hill, are unique to the New Zealand landscape and signal Gareth development of his own recognisable and distinctive form of New Zealand inspired art.

“The battle to destroy inhibition is both won and lost over Pukekohe”

In a recent interview Price revealed that a deep sense of longing and yearning for the potentially unattainable is a theme and driving force in his art but as can be possibly gleaned from the above title... He doesn’t take himself overly seriously... Or maybe us!

“With my art I try to express the extraordinary within the ordinary”.

You are invited to attend the private preview opening of this exhibition - 5.30pm Tuesday 5 October 2010.

More details on this exhibition feature on our website: www.ppg.net.nz. I hope you are able to attend the opening and look forward to welcoming you to the gallery.