Dashper / Reynolds

In 1984 new works by Julian Dashper and John Reynolds were exhibited together at a gallery in Wellington. At the time it was noted that these works were "about living in New Zealand and living in the world at the same time. There is simultaneously order and disorder. Everything is in motion, and to survive change we abstract our experience. We reflect ourselves back on the world according to the abstractions we have made." (Virginia Were, Art NZ "John Reynolds/Julian Dashper", Autumn 1985. Number 34. P.17)

Nearly thirty years later this exhibition Dashper / Reynolds brings together works by these artists from this period and contemplates their relationship at a specific point in their careers. The pairing considers the rapport of two diverse artists, both of whom are significant figures in New Zealand art history in their own right, working in common territories. Naturally, over time their careers have diverged and such a pairing of newer work may not be so immediately palpable.  Dashper, who passed away in 2009, is widely known for his contribution to abstraction, conceptualism and minimalism while Reynolds more recent works are largely text based such as his 2008 Walters Prize Nomination work Cloud.