Prints by Greg Straight get NZ Fine Prints recommendation

NZ Printmaker Greg Straight

Pop Art Tiki by Greg Straight [Edition of 100]

Recently contemporary New Zealand printmaker Greg Straight (pictured left) was profiled by Kiaora magazine's Matt Philp (Straight's "Neon Tiki" graced the cover of the inflight magazine for Air New Zealand in June 2011). “Art and design used to be very clearly distinct but these days there’s far more of a crossover. I think my generation is more open to that. But fine art takes itself too seriously sometimes, which is why I like pop art. I love the idea of taking objects from everyday life and putting them in a gallery.”

Greg is at the forefront of the movement that is finally adding a contemporary urban sensibility into the visual arts in New Zealand.  “It’s a real challenge with kiwiana though, because everyone has had a stab at it,” he told Kiaora's Philp “You have to find ways to put a new twist on it and keep it contemporary. That might mean breaking the thing down into geometric shapes and using bold colours." 

Straight graduated from the University of Auckland's Elam School of Fine Arts majoring in print making.  A fine art printmaker who also works as a T-shirt graphic designer for streetwear brands such as Huffer and Federation Straight's artwork is an exciting melding of high art with NZ pop culture.

We are cataloguing Straight's first series of prints including "Pop Art Tiki" shown here and Greg Straight's prints wholeheartedly get NZ Fine Prints' "buy" recommendation for astute collectors building their hoard of contemporary NZ editions.

Notable new releases at NZ Prints

New releases have been piling up at New Zealand Fine Prints while behind the scenes we have been occupied with sorting and re-shelving the thousands of prints shifted from our Hereford St gallery following the Christchurch earthquakes.

Home by Weston Frizzell  1000 x 515mm [Edition of 80 Prints]

Among the new prints that have arrived have been a couple of superb new letter series prints called "Home" and "Whanau" from the studio of Mike Weston and Otis Frizzell  (for disambiguation of the various Frizzell monikers check out our previous article on who is Weston Frizzell?) and the complete Weston Frizzell seasons series (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter) are now in stock with some matching numbered sets still available. 

Mike has also just sent us some previously unseen editions from the Auckland Supercity styles series, the last two editions of the Behave series and his latest solo work "Float" that we'll get catalogued onto prints.co.nz mid August - with a backlog of over 140 prints waiting to be photographed and described we are running several weeks behind schedule for new artwork submissions.  Artists submitting new prints with the images ready, dimensions measured and a great description of the artwork written with the customer in mind may find they are bumped to the top of the queue!

Two New Editions from Tony Ogle

Tony Ogle Print Hammock and Bach

NZ Printmaker Tony Ogle

Reputedly "Cathy's place at Bethell's [Beach]" "Hammock and Bach" was Tony Ogle's last print of 2010.  As with all of Ogle's fine art prints "Hammock and Bach" began as a detailed painting on board from which each individual colour is then hand separated. These separations became the stencils on the screens through which each colour is printed (some Ogle prints have up to 25 individually printed colours). The printing process involves a careful alignment and registration and constant checking for quality problems. The colours of all Tony's prints are hand-mixed and give the image a very real handmade feel and quality.  Hammock and Bach is an edition of 200. (NB for readers outside of NZ "bach" is the coloquial New Zealand expression for a holiday home).

Caravan Window, Tony's first print in 2011

Tony's first print of 2011 is "Caravan Window".  Here the kiwiana style beachside scene is cleverly framed by an oval window that echoes the shape of the caravan windows in the foreground.  A tyre rope swing hangs from the branches of the pohutukawa tree.  Edition of 180, image dimensions 450 x 180mm.   Tony subscribes to single edition productions only, he says "a true Limited Edition Fine Art Print [should be] limited to one edition, each being numbered and signed individually by the Artist. Once the Edition has sold out it should not be repeated otherwise the value of the works is compromised."   In the long term this is what gives the artworks value over time.

Christchurch earthquake photographer releases canvas prints

Gillian Needham, the Canterbury designer who took the famous photograph of the Christchurch skyline at the moment of the February 22nd earthquake, has signed an international distribution deal with photo library Getty Images and NZ art publisher Image Vault. This means that the famous Christchurch earthquake photograph is now available in a larger range of print formats including a stunning range of stretched (ready to hang) and un-stretched large canvas prints.

New Christchurch Earthquake Photo Canvas Print

Christchurch Earthquake - City Skyline From Cashmere 12:58pm February 22 2011   Photographer: Gillian Needham © 2011

Prices and size options for the new canvas prints are as follows:

600 x 200mm  $84.95 or $129.95 stretched (ie around a wooden stretcher frame ready to hang)
1000 x 330mm $219.95 or $299.95 stretched
1.5metre x .5metre $349.95 or $659.95 stretched

To place your order please call New Zealand Fine Prints on 0800 800 278.

New Zealand Fine Prints have just a few of the original giclee prints in stock of the earthquake image today and this print will be replaced in our catalogue by the Image Vault publication offset print which is in a slightly different size once stock runs out.