This exhibition is dedicated to the memory of David Exley.
In John Papas’ latest show The Remembrance of Things Past the artist further establishes his authority as a visual poet, blending universal themes around cultural and cyclical rhythms with historical and biblical associations. He effortlessly links an ancient past with a very real present and imminent future.
Papas’ Greek and Scottish ancestry combines to weave a unique historical thread with his identity as native born New Zealander in the South Pacific. In works like The Remembrance of Things Past (Disc I) timeless ideas mingle with elements of his own history and the culture of the South Pacific.
The palm tree is strongly symbolic of the South Pacific, but in Papas’ work it is also a symbol of life, death and rebirth. We are also reminded of ancient journeys across continents, of the spice and trading routes across northern Africa and biblical journeys like the “Flight Into Egypt”.
Importantly we are also reminded of the voyaging of Polynesians in the South Pacific and of the subsequent settling of New Zealand by Europeans. All Papas’ ancestors have had to journey here by boat as did Maori around 800 years ago. This work, and others in the exhibition, such as The Remembrance of Things Past (Disk III), makes a simple but powerful statement about man and his relationship to nature, history, and culture.
The ability to simplify and condense complicated ideas and cultural complexities is one of Papas’ greatest strengths.
The vigour of colour and forms reverberate with history, life and movement - the deep blue of lapis lazuli, a colour imbued with biblical and art historical associations particularly during the Renaissance; then the more changing blue of the ocean and sky. While the deep terra cotta colours speak of the rich history of the earth and clay, its role in building civilisations and their regenerative link to nature.
While man’s relationship to nature is implicit in the colours Papas has chosen, the complex circular patterns resemble at once sea creatures, flower heads and ancient man-made decorative patterns, and symbolically that of the moon and life cycles. These forms also remind us that the patterns of nature, and man through his civilising tendencies, represent a process of repetition and recycling across time and history.
On a more specific level, the many circular forms present in the recent works impart ideas of the cosmos and in particular the mandala which in Jungian terms is a symbol of our attempt to unify the self. Equally on a broader level, nature itself can be seen as a symbol of the idea of the cosmos as a metaphor for a unified, harmonious and regenerating universe.
Papas’ technique of blending and layering disparate ideas, imagery and periods is reinforced by his working method. This body of work continues to draw on his ability to present themes of interest to him through a combination of representational and abstract concepts, using a range of techniques such as painting, collaging, printing and drawing.
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