I just received from New Zealand the catalogue of the exhibition "Colin
McCahon: A Question of Faith," which I saw in Melbourne. I don't know if
it's still there; according to the catalogue its next, and last, stop will
be Sydney, and no one who has the opportunity should miss it. One of the
great art shows of a lifetime of seeing great art, and an astonishing
surprise: McCahon is close to unknown in the US.
Wystan Curnow, who I think is a list member, may have something to say--he
apparently knew McCahon (whoi died in 1987) and had something to do with
this retrospective.
Of the catalogue: there's an 80 page (double column) annotated chronology,
which functions as a critical biography. I haven't read the essays yet. The
illustrations convey better than most catalogues what the exhibit feels
like, despite the disparity in scale--many of the paintings are enormous,
but their elements tend to be simple. The catalogue brought back the
fullness of my emotional experience at the gallery.
Mark
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