Chemigrams

Sometime ago a person suggested calling my work photochemical drawings, but I've come to realise that the proper name, for a work created by painting with photo chemicals onto photo paper, is Chemigram. It's interesting seeing the history of this approach. I do the painting and drawing onto the light sensitive paper in natural light; no darkroom.

Chris

Unique silver gelatin prints (1984/2015)

Apartments

Unique hand coloured silver gelatin prints, (1984/2015)

Apartments (detail)

Angie

Unique hand coloured silver gelatin print, 1984/2015

Changes

The little wars that never go away, 2013

Portrait of Andy Warhol from recent Bath St Gallery show

Armature for a Headland

I saw this painting in early 1986. It totally blew me away. I was eighteen.

It's quite big work-2110 x 2725 mm. Oil pastel on paper.

I saw it in Hamilton. I was in a gallery. I came around the corner and there it was. I froze. It hit me hard. It articulated a feeling in me I had no words for. I loved that a work of art could do that.

For so long, as a high school student, I'd loved looking at all those semi-rubbed out lines of chalk on the greeny-black blackboard. This work felt like that, writ large.

This work talked to something deep inside me. It made me feel I could be an artist.

I've never, to this day, been hit by an art work like this one.

That experience has stayed with me. It's a feeling I try to aim for when I make art.

The work is by New Zealand artist John Reynolds.

I met him later that same year and have done so since, every few years.

He's one of bubbliest artists I've ever met.