Inscription
C. McC 1976 (brushpoint, b.r.)

Kauri is a three-panel painted screen, expressively rendered in metallic pigment and polymer paint. One side features three strong vertical tree trunks, one to each panel, and gestural allusions to foliage painted in lush, golden hues. Inky dark areas signify the earth and shadowy undergrowth. The other side of the screen shows two further kauri trunks, one to each side, with the central panel an open plane of colour. A horizon line gives the impression of an open, sun-drenched field under a brilliant sky. The palette is brighter than on the flipside, dominated by reddish gold tones.

McCahon created Kauri in 1976. It was exhibited at Barry Lett Gallery and has been held in a private collection since. In the same year, the artist produced his Noughts and Crosses series, which used grids and numerals in highly structured compositions. By way of contrast, Kauri is a richly expressive work of painting. The work has a panoramic quality, as if immersing the viewer in a kauri forest. This is enhanced by the gestural application of paint, which gives an effect of dappled light through foliage. Kauri is largely monochromatic, and well-suited to a refined domestic interior. It is a stunning work that lucidly explores one of McCahon’s best-known themes – the kauri tree.