Tongue-in-cheek Graham Sydney says he has retired his brushes after seeing John Key's Beehive art work

New Zealand’s leading artist Grahame Sydney says he has laid down his brushes for good, after seeing the artistic talent of Prime Minister John Key.

Both artists have works entered in the Linwood College silent art auction in Christchurch which opens on Saturday and ends with a verbal under the hammer auction on March 26.

``The moment I saw the magnificent John Key work, "Beehive 10" I knew it was all over, I was a gonner,’’ Sydney, tongue-in-cheek, said today.

 `` My pencil is back in its box, my brushes are now retired and my easel stands barren, ignored, an instant refuge for spiders. This seemingly simple piece, a perfect jewel, utterly deceptive in its confident, bold, suggestive brevity, clearly ranks with the most hallowed masterworks of Colin McCahon, Colin Woolaston, Colin Angus, Colin Hammond, Colin Meads and Colin H. Clarke.

``It spans the turbulent, heaving oceans of post-neo-constructivist performance, one defiant foot on each continent, alludes none-too-subtly to the cursive manuscript biblical allusions of our greatest Colin of All, and is redolent with meaning.

 ``Does Key really see the Beehive as a poorly iced wedding cake? Or clumsy ship - for it is clearly floating on water, and by the direction of its flag would appear to be - the evidence is before your eyes - moving determinedly to the left.

 ``Is it some deep psychological need that the artist sees their own name write large, many metres high, across the entire second floor of the edifice in question?

 ``And that supposed "bee" hovering menacingly on the right: note it is dangerously bewildered, or possibly merely deformed with its identical antennae top and bottom, top and tail, what you will. Does Key expect us to ignore its tilting awkwardly left (again), its plainly improbable empty "wings" (mere noughts, clumsy zeroes) and featureless face? Is this the nation he envisages?

``Is this what we are to become? Faceless, anonymous, overweight, incapable of flight, boneless, spineless, incapable of standing upright here? At least there is hope: when reaching for the symbolism of a single colour - no easy decision for any artist, as I once knew too well ), Key 's trembling, instinctive hand grasped for green, a tiny smudge of future optimism glimpsed through the metaphoric denial of prison window bars. Perhaps there is hope.

 ``Art should linger in the memory, should baffle, mystify, delight, generate discussion, confuse, exhilarate, infuriate, demand immediate ignore. This new Key work does one, some or all of the above, depending on who you are. Take your pick. Me? I'm having a lie-down. I know when I'm beaten. At least the spiders are happy."

Among other entrants is a sought-after Andy Warhol-style piece by Christchurch’s Joanne Webber, showing Weet-bix, which has been the iconic Kiwi breakfast cereal since 1928.

Webber said she had drawn on American pop ideals that embraced everyday consumer items as art works. These ideals freely borrowed domestic motifs while questioning consumption, and domestic spending, she said.

``The Weet-bix design is well-known to all New Zealanders, and has been around for 80 years. Its ubiquitous influence has ensured that we regard the ‘old fashioned’ advertising with feelings of nostalgia. I have modernised the original design by introducing even more kiwiana.’’

Sixty artists and more than 130 works will be auctioned in Christchurch next week to help raise funds to send 60 Linwood College music students to Europe next year. Organiser Tom Davies said the event hoped to raise $25,000 for the college’s biggest ever overseas trip.