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Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Halves make a whole
Gretchen Albrecht (b.1943), Cardinal, 1981, acrylic on canvas. Bought in 1981 with funds from the Dunedin Public Art Gallery Society. Photo: Dunedin Public Art Gallery Gretchen Albrecht's (b.1943) Cardinal has a special place in the Dunedin Public Art Gallery's collection. It was acquired the same year it was made, in 1981, during her time as the Frances Hodgkins Fellow at the University of Otago. It is the first of Albrecht's hemispheres and stands as a key marker of the artist's distinctive visual language and a landmark in Aotearoa's art history. Piero della Francesca (c.1415/20-1492), The Resurrection, c.1460, fresco, Museo Civico di Sansepolcro, Sansepolcro. Photo: public domain At first glance, Cardinal might appear a straightforward yet compelling arrangement of purple and red in a semicircle format. However, in the art gallery's archives and collection, we can gain further insight into Cardinal's genesis and Albrecht's practice. A handwritten note accompanying a crayon sketch reveals the artist's deliberate calibration of word, meaning, form and image. Albrecht highlighted the dictionary definition for "cardinal", pointing to its "fundamental" and "important" implications — "on which something hinges". Albrecht's canvas hinges two parts together, bringing the violet and scarlet shades into conversation. Her notes reveal the symbolic associations of the colours of the robes of kings and cardinals (purple and scarlet). The contrast between the two colours found inspiration in Piero della Francesca's The Resurrection (c.1460) as Albrecht was struck by the "violet form curving over [the] scarlet/reddish shield" of the sleeping soldiers. Traces of historical European art are threaded together throughout Albrecht's career. During the late 1970s, Albrecht's travels to Italy influenced her conception and execution of Cardinal, as the Romanesque and Gothic architectural lunettes (semicircle shape) and Renaissance frescoes sparked creative impulse. Along with The Resurrection, Cardinal invokes elements of Piero della Francesca's La Madonna del Parto, a 15th-century fresco. This work features a pregnant Madonna gently placing her hand on her stomach, flanked by two angels who open the canopy, revealing the scene. The tear in the Madonna's dress mirrors the bifurcated canvas of Cardinal, where the two pieces are merged. Albrecht's division and subsequent union of the parts speak to the physical labour of birth and the duality of the mother/child relationship. The symbolism of the pomegranates in the canopy of La Madonna del Parto relates to Christ's Passion (his death), echoing the cyclical nature of life and death, and reflecting Albrecht's interest in dichotomies. Piero della Francesca (c.1415/20-1492), La Madonna del Parto, c.1460, fresco, Museo della Madonna del Parto, Monterchi. Photo: public domain Albrecht's artwork is energised by its rich layers of interpretation, giving colour, shape and gesture a painterly reality. Cardinal is on display in the "Fault Lines" exhibition at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. Anya Samarasinghe is a curatorial intern at Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
Otago Daily Times
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
University arts fellowships on ‘hold'
Artist Grahame Sydney, the 1978 Frances Hodgkins Fellow, said being awarded the fellowship was ''like a gold medal in many ways''. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY The arts community is reeling over the University of Otago's decision to "pause" two prominent fellowships which have launched the careers of some of the country's most notable artists. The Otago Daily Times has received an email from Otago University pro-vice-chancellor humanities Prof Hugh Campbell that said it would not have a Frances Hodgkins Fellow for arts or Mozart Fellow for music next year. The fellowships would have been worth about $97,000 for the recipients next year. Prof Campbell blamed the economic situation. "While it was initially thought that funding these fellowships for 2026 could go ahead, recent volatility in international investment markets has created unacceptable levels of risk to the ongoing viability of the funds should they have gone ahead. "This is a hold on these fellowship offerings and the university is committed to ensuring that these fellowships remain a long-term part of our community and the wider New Zealand arts landscape." Artist Grahame Sydney, a 1978 fellow, said for many artists it provided them the security of being able to employ their craft in a creative environment. "It is a wonderful gift, that ability to be nothing but a painter or a sculptor or whatever for a whole year without interruption and with some degree of financial support. "For me, it wasn't the gift of a full-time year — I was already doing that. "But it was certainly a huge contributor to the notion of your standing in the arts community. "The fellowship was the first of the arts fellowships in New Zealand and being given it was sort of like a gold medal in many ways." Many of the artists who were awarded fellowships ended up staying in Dunedin for longer than their tenure, Sydney said. "It had that magnetic attraction and a lot of people discovered how much they loved Dunedin and did not leave after having had the fellowship. "And that changed Dunedin in many ways, too." This year's Mozart Fellow Dr Simon Eastwood said the pause was hugely disappointing news. "The Otago Arts Fellowships are an absolute taonga for the arts in Aotearoa in so many ways. "At the most obvious level, they provide artists with the time they need to focus on their craft and develop new ideas away from the pressing needs of the gig economy and the need to pay the bills". Dr Eastwood, who moved to Dunedin about 18 months ago, said he had seen the impact the fellowships had on the city. "They also enrich the cultural life of the country as a whole. "A list of previous arts fellows includes some of the greatest creative thinkers our country has had and some of our best art has arisen directly from the time artists spend here in Ōtepoti — I'm not including myself on that list, by the way." The year-long Frances Hodgkins Fellowship began in 1966; its first recipient was Michael Illingworth. Notable fellows include Ralph Hotere, Grahame Sydney and Jeffrey Harris. It was named after Dunedin-born Frances Hodgkins, one of New Zealand's most distinguished painters. The Mozart Fellowship was first awarded to Anthony A. Watson in 1970; other notable fellows include Anthony Ritchie and Gillian Whitehead. At Otago University, arts fellows receive a studio or office space and not less than the minimum salary of a full-time university lecturer for the year. Dunedin Public Art Gallery director Cam McCracken said the Frances Hodgkins Fellowship held a significant place in New Zealand's arts landscape. "While it's a little disappointing to see the fellowship paused, I understand this is due to economic pressures. "I fully support the decision if it helps the university stabilise its resources and ensures the fellowship's long-term future." Prof Campbell said it was not a decision the university had come to lightly. "The trust funds that support these two fellowships have become increasingly at risk of over-allocation over recent years ... and the university was not in a financial position to supplement these fellowships, as it has in the past." The fellowships were originally established through endowments and have since been managed in trust funds by the university. "We are deeply disappointed that we have to pause offering these fellowships for the short-term," Prof Campbell said.
