2009 - 2019
MICHAEL SMITHER:
THE NEXT TEN YEARS
Episode 2: Artist in Residence
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Director: Tony Hiles "As far as I'm concerned, the artist's place is to take part in society." |
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A Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man: Michael Smither, Gordon Crook
By Andy Palmer July 25, 2010
"... we observe him working on a commissioned piece, and chatting about the work. To this non-painter, it is an interesting process to watch. These scenes are alternated with ones following Smither around his Coromandel home, espousing his thoughts about the environment, its influence on his work, his plans for his land, and his concerns for the direction humankind is heading. "
" ...Artist in Residence is an intriguing watch, and one that, by rights, should screen on television in the not too distant future."
This lively visit with artist Michael Smither is the second in a series of 20 short documentaries planned by filmmaker Tony Hiles to chronicle one of the country’s most instantly recognisable painters at work through his eighth decade. As this film begins, Smither is expressing relief that his final, and less than commercially successful dealer show, ‘Shared Harmonics’, has come to an end, so he can retreat to his home on the Coromandel. There we see him working on a commissioned painting; walking the beach, sketchbook in hand; providing a detailed guided tour of the vegetation between the beach and his house; and pitching in for a local artists’ show. He waxes lyrical about aging, the economic realities of an artist’s life, and neighbours who poison ancient trees to improve their view of the sea; and perplexes potential customers by ascribing pitch to colour and picking out one of his paintings on the piano. A long time exponent of synesthesia in art, he also wrote and performed the score that accompanies this engaging slice of his life.
— Bill Gosden
Episode 1: Shared Harmonics Artist Michael Smither, CMNZ, is now focussing on completing his personal collection of unfinished works. He reckons it will take ten years - and this series of DVDs will follow the journey with two documentaries each year from 2009 until 2019. Not only will there be previously unseen paintings, there will be his original music, sculptures, reclamation projects, beach-watching climate change in Mercury Bay, and a host of other visual delights. This new series with Michael is up-close and personal, allowing you to be right there when work is under way. As a diary of one of New Zealand’s foremost successful artists, this series will be an invaluable resource both now and for the future. |
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