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Max Gimblett

b. 1935

Max Gimblett is the grand master of abstract painting in New Zealand. On his frequent visits from New York (where he has been based since 1972), the New Zealand art world celebrates his return with a schedule of exhibitions and events countrywide. There are many causes for celebration; Gimblett exhibits widely in Europe, the United States, Asia and Australia, his work is represented in major public and private collections around the world, and recently Max has been selected to exhibit in a group show at the Guggenheim Museum, New York in 2009. Not bad for a small boy who sought inspiration from the hallowed halls of the Auckland Museum in the early 1940s.

But the real reason Max is welcomed with open arms is the pure sumptuous and richness of the art work that accompanies his arrival. For over three decades, Max has conducted a rigorous investigation of paint, painting and the role of the painter. His works are born from a well-spring of potent energy that is channelled onto the canvas support. But at every stage of production, he subjects his work to extreme risks, destructive processes and stringent editorship. As a result, his paintings carry a deep inner chord, born from decades of experience and critical evaluation of the type rarely heard in contemporary New Zealand art.

Bramante-Myth 2
2002
acrylic and vinyl polymers on canvas
15" quatrefoil (380mm diameter)

Clearing
2007
acrylic and vinyl polymers, canvas, gesso Japanese leaf and wood panel
40 x 80" or 1m x 2m

Cadillac Mountain
2004/07
gesso, polyurethane, metallic pigments, black clay, silver leaf, lacquer, gold leaf on wood panel
15" x 30" or 380 x 760mm

Mindfulness
1999/2001
Gesso, polyurethane, acrylic and vinyl polymers
15" x 30" or 380 x 760mm

Silver Wing
2004/07
Gesso, epoxy, pigments, black clay, silver leaf, lacquer, gold leaf / wood panel
15 x 30" or 380 x 760mm

The Golden Bough
2004/07
gesso, polyurethane, pencil, gold leaf / wood panel
25" diameter or 500mm

Wonder of Wonders
2005/07
gesso, silver leaf, polyurethane / wood panel
25" diameter or 500mm

The Other Side
2006/07
acrylic and vinyl polymers, metallic pigments, gesso, black clay, gold leaf / wood panel
25 x 50"

My Love For You Yves Klein
2004
gesso, red clay, 23ct swiss gold, pigment, epoxy, flash wood panel
25 x 50" or 630mm x 1200mm

The Way (detail)
2008
Polymer and acrylic on board
1.5m x 1.5m

The Way
2008
Acrylic and polymer on canvas on board
1500mm square



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