NEW WORK/ NEW WORK at Solander Gallery is the first exhibition in which Rodney Fumpston and Alexis Neal have exhibited together and we are offering you a great opportunity to meet the artists and hear them talk about their work at this exhibition preview. Rodney and Alexis have enjoyed a long association which began as teacher/student and has progressed to teacher/colleague and friend. Both see their enthusiasm for prints as the cornerstone of their practice and both enjoy the relevance of print in contemporary art practice.
Rodney Fumpston
The exoticism of foreign travel and his relationship with the natural world, especially gardens, is explored in Rodney’s new suite of laser engravings and accompanying mezzotints.
Rodney Fumpston holds a BFA and MFA (First Class Honours) from Elam in Auckland, where he majored in Printmaking. Making prints for nearly three decades, Rodney is one of the few artists in New Zealand to focus on the print medium. He finds it uniquely suitable for the expression of his ideas and he remains physically involved with every stage of the painstaking process. Rodney’s works are held in many public and private collections, including the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and the Auckland Art Gallery.
Alexis Neal
The inspiration for the new body of work from Alexis was Pura Te Manihera McGregor (1855 – 1920, Ngā Poutama, Ngāti Ruaka, Ngāti Rangi), who was a prominent figure in the Whanganui community at the turn of the twentieth century.
Alexis holds a Masters in Fine Art Media, Printmaking and Mixed Media from the Slade School of Fine Arts, London, and Post Graduate Diploma in Fine Art Printmaking from the Elam School of Fine Arts.
As a practising artist Alexis explores defining a place for women’s cultural identity and predominately her work has looked at the duality of artefacts in terms of personal adornment and material culture.
Alexis has exhibited extensively in New Zealand in both group and solo exhibitions since the mid ‘90s. She has exhibited internationally participating in exhibitions in London, Melbourne, Sydney, United Sates and Norway.
Numbers are limited and registration is required. To register, use the ‘Book now’ button or phone the Friends’ office on (04) 381 7051.