Massey lecturer curates Duchamp show

A Massey University lecturer is leading a major new exhibition exploring links between New Zealand art and the avant-garde French artist Marcel Duchamp.

Dr Marcus Moore, a lecturer in the School of Visual and Material Culture, is the guest curator of Peripheral Relations: Marcel Duchamp and New Zealand Art 1960-2011, at the Adam Art Gallery, Victoria University of Wellington. The show runs July 28 to October 7.

Duchamp (1887-1968) was an influential, even revolutionary, figure in early-mid 20th century art, often associated with Surrealism and Dadaism. He is perhaps most recognised by the general public for his “readymades” – where he presented common objects as works of arts, challenging the definition of art and the role of the spectator in the creative act.

The exhibition draws on Dr Moore’s research to showcase seldom-seen works by Duchamp held at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa gifted to the museum as part of the Isaacs Bequest (1983), as well as referencing the ground-breaking exhibition of the Sisler Collection of Duchamp’s works that toured New Zealand in 1967.

These instances of Duchamp in New Zealand are set alongside three generations of New Zealand artists who register a debt to his example. One of these, Dunedin artist Adrian Hall, was artist-in-residence at the Massey School of Fine Arts earlier this year, where he recreated two readymade works for the exhibition.

Massey senior lecturer in Fine Arts Maddie Leach is represented in the show with a full-size boat she made by hand (pictured) and another University staff member, Bronwyn Holloway-Smith will contribute to the public programme on her innovative three-dimensional replica printing works. The public programme also includes Professor Emeritus Wyston Curnow speaking on the work of Billy Apple at the College's new building Te Ara Hihiko.

The exhibition brings together works by 29 artists: Jim Allen, Billy Apple, Bruce Barber, g. bridle, L. Budd, Bill Culbert, Paul Cullen, Julian Dashper, Andrew Drummond, et al, Merit Groting, Adrian Hall, Terrence Handscomb, Christine Hellyar, Giovanni Intra, Betty Isaacs, Julius Isaacs, Darcy Lange, Maddie Leach, Len Lye, Kieran Lyons, Daniel Malone, Julia Morison, Michael Parekowhai, Roger Peters, Malcolm Ross, Marie Shannon, Michael Stevenson, and Boyd Webb.

This exhibition received funding from the Massey University Research Fund.
Exhibition details:
Venue: Adam Art Gallery (free entry)
Access: via Victoria University of Wellington Gates 2 or 7 or from Mount Street
Duration: July 28 – October 7
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 11am – 5pm (closed on Mondays)

Curator’s Talk: Saturday 28 July, 2pm (free)
Join curator Marcus Moore as he takes a special tour of the exhibition

Public Lecture on Billy Apple:
Wystan Curnow. Professor of English (Emeritus), University of Auckland
Thursday 2 August, 6.10 – 7.30pm
Te Ara Hihiko, Creative Arts Building
Massey University Wellington
Entrance E, off Tasman St

This lecture is part of the Victoria University of Wellington 2012 Lectures in Art History and Visual Culture.