"Helen Langley, Tina Bellamy and Bonnie Somerville: Uncut"
2006-08-08 until 2006-08-18
PPg Gallery
Auckland, , NZ New Zealand (Aotearoa)

Emerging artists Helen Langley, Tina Bellamy and Bonnie Somerville have their first major group show this month at PPg Gallery in Grey Lynn. Helen Langley's art practice is driven by her appreciation of form, texture and space and explores the interpretation of a given environment or subject. For as long as Tina Bellamy can remember she has had a keen interest in art, and so after several years of swimming with the sharks in the financial sector, finally made the decision to throw in her job and plunge into art school. Bonnie Somerville's practice focus's on both painting and sculpture; preferring to work in a non-referential manner, encouraging the viewer to make interpretations and connections without being directed by a narrative.

In 2005, as a mature student, Helen completed a Batchelor of Fine Arts Degree at Whitecliffe College of Art and Design. Currently Helen is working as a practicing artist from her home based studio, in the East Coast Bays.

Helen's practice experiments with the qualities of acrylic inks on drawings on watercolour paper. The images represent fanciful environments derived from experiment and observation. Primary and secondary colours imitate and exaggerate nature, suggesting perceived realities, while fields of colour extend the drawings to a deeper level of consciousness. A close relationship with the natural environment enriches Helen‚s life providing a conscious and unconscious framework for her art practice.

Recently Tina Bellamy completed a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree and is currently furthering her study in a Masters of Fine Arts at Whitecliffe College of Art and Design.

Tina's practice explores various methods of utilising paint and at present this involves a spray gun and the use of a computer. Interested in still life painting and the digital age, Tina's work is ultimately about abstraction. She presents propositions of a continual abstraction process where there may be an origin and through translation and interpretation there are many re-originations but no definable outcome.

Working as a pharmacist for a number of years but not finding it satisfying, Bonnie Somerville decided to make a career change. Recently graduating with a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree at Whitecliffe College of Art and Design Bonnie is currently doing a Masters of Fine Arts at Elam.

Meaning for Bonnie is generated through the process of creation and the connection of objects to each other and their surrounding space. For the viewer meaning is dependant on their knowledge and memories. Ambiguity and uncertainty are important elements in her work; just as they are in life.

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for New Zealand

Other Important Exhibitions in New Zealand