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Laurence Aberhart

LAURENCE ABERHART

Serial Works: Masonic Lodges. Taranaki Gow Langsford Gallery 21 March–14 April 2018 Auckland City
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An Aberhart photograph is one which is instantly recognisable. Laurence Aberhart captures the everyday, our past and our present all through atmospheric black and white photography. Despite the perceived quietness of his imagery, his ability to capture immense depth and detail is all down to the analogue process he employs along with a complex understanding on the effect of light, and an inherent ability to frame an image perfectly. This new exhibition features a selection of photographs with Masonic lodges as the protagonist taken from as far North as Kaitaia, down to Balclutha in Otago alongside photographs of Taranaki taken between 1986 to 2010.

Opening in September last year, the Christchurch Art Gallery exhibited unseen early photographs of Christchurch by Aberhart. In the corresponding publication, Aberhart Start Here, he discusses the importance of the Masonic lodges as a series that he has continuously worked on over the past 30 years - the very first photos of the lodges were initially taken in Christchurch in 1979. “The lodges have been neither a popular nor a commercial proposition for Aberhart, but he’s felt strongly about documenting them before they disappear completely from the social landscape,” writes Lara Strongman, senior curator at Christchurch Art Gallery. Throughout his travels across the country, he has captured hundreds of lodges in their various architectural forms and iterations.

The photographs of Taranaki are a stark contrast to the Masonic lodges; these are atmospheric and moody depicting a multitude of views of the mountain at various anchor points. Some of these are taken in what looks like a desolate, arid landscape, whereas others show the mountain in the background across a sea of city of lights, or seen across a cemetery.

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About the Artist

Born in Nelson Laurence Aberhart has been based Russell, Northland since the early 1980s. He held his first solo exhibition at the Peter McLeavey Gallery, Wellington, in 1978 and has exhibited regularly in Wellington, Auckland, Sydney and Hong Kong since, as well as in Los Angeles and Europe. A solo exhibition was held at the Stedelijik Museum Amsterdam in 2002, alongside Colin McCahon: A Question of Faith. A survey of his work was shown at the Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne, Australia, in 2005.

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About the Gallery

Gow Langsford is a commercial art space committed to fostering and promoting the best contemporary art from New Zealand and abroad. Located directly opposite the Auckland Art Gallery, Gow Langsford Gallery represents over thirty established New Zealand and international artists. Gow Langsford is one of the country’s most established galleries and is widely regarded as its most influential dealer gallery. Alongside a regular and varied exhibition schedule, Gow Langsford is a market leader in works on the secondary market.

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Address
28-36 Wellesley Street East
Auckland
New Zealand
Opening Hours
Monday – Friday, 10 am–5 pm
Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm
Closed Sunday
(1)
Auckland 28-36 Wellesley Street East
Gow Langsford Gallery contemporary art gallery in Auckland City New Zealand
Gow Langsford Gallery
28-36 Wellesley Street East, Auckland, New Zealand
+64 9 303 9395
http://www.gowlangsfordgallery.com

Opening hours
Monday – Friday, 10 am–5 pm
Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm
Closed Sunday
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