Internationally-renowned artist gives Queenstown building three-dimensional appeal

Guests at Queenstown Top 10 Holiday Park “Creeksyde” will be left wondering if seeing is believing thanks to the work of an internationally-renowned ‘trompe l’oeil’* artist.

And while his work has graced many public places around New Zealand, Australia and overseas, this time it will have a very much more ‘private’ audience – guests at the holiday park using its brand new ablutions block.

Marc Spijkerbosch, (43) picked up a paintbrush at an early age. Inspired by his early years filled with hunting, tramping and fishing the back-country, he has held a number of successful landscape exhibitions. Nineteen years ago he was appointed Supervising Artist on the Aranui Murals Project in Christchurch, which is where the journey into trompe l’oeil began.

Now thanks to the fact that his aunt and Uncle Erna and Tonnie Spijkerbosch own and operate the award-winning holiday park, he is busy adding his quirky touch to the men’s side of the ablutions block, decorating the floor to trick people into believing they are walking down stairs into the beer cellar at the Speight’s Ale House.

On the women’s side of the block, the floor will draw people into a ‘bush spa’, progressing from a wooden walkway onto stepping stones to a beach.

“I love doing what I do and seeing people’s reactions to my work for the very first time,” said Marc, who is visiting Queenstown for just over a week to complete the project.

“When Erna and Tonnie came up with the concept, I was more than happy to help out, and give visitors to Queenstown a talking point that’s somewhat different to its stunning natural scenery and activities.

“No doubt some people will be keen to spend more time in the ablutions building taking photos than having a shower or going to the toilet, but at least it’s something a bit different to put in your blog or up on Facebook!”

Mrs Spijkerbosch said the unusual floor paintings were just part of the theme for the new ablutions building, an Oasthouse-inspired design thanks to external features and a building style reminiscent of buildings designed for drying hops as part of the beer brewing process.

“When it’s finished it will have a number of unusual and fun features as well as the trompe l’oeil floors, which will all be revealed at its official opening later this year.”

In keeping with its environmentally conscious stance and its standing as an EarthCheck certified destination, Mrs Spijkerbosch said many parts of the new building had been recycled from materials already on site.

Creeksyde is world renowned for its commitment to sustainable practice and in 2003 was the world’s first holiday park to be environmentally Green Globe benchmarked. In 2004 it was the first to be Green Globe certified.

About Marc Spijkerbosch

In the last 20 years, Marc has painted some 500 trompe l’oeil works for hotels, restaurants, residential, civic and corporate clients. His work sees him travel extensively around New Zealand, with murals in Australia, India, and the United States.

Using the trompe l’oeil genre, Marc won the prestigious judge’s award at the International Muralfest, Sheffield,Tasmania in 2008, 2009 and again in 2010. He has been invited back this year to help judge the event.

* Trompe l’oeil is a technique used in realistic paintings to trick the eye, especially through the use of perspective to create an illusion of three-dimensionality