Maze - Tony De Lautour

Aptly titled "Maze", this elegant, deceptively modest painting consists of multiple symbols and motifs that float, surreal, on a black background. At first, the work appears to be an indecipherable maze of symbols, but on closer inspection reveals and encyclopedia or road-map of Lautour's pictorial language.

The artist has combined symbols from a variety of sources to create an artwork that generates multiple layers of meanings, as well as captures competing ideas that hover within darkness. These include crosses, the letter x, clouds and lighting, mountain ranges and smoking volcanoes, a cobweb bearing the inscription "new day" at its extremities, and a lion with a cross, amongst others.

Because the symbols in Maze are not ordered, with no definitive viewing perspective provided, the work demands the viewer's active involvement in teasing out its readings. The work can be viewed as a diagram - an insight to- the artist's mind. Ideas float around, jostling for attention, captured here in a moment of time, for all time. The network of lines, circles, letters and dots function like a map waiting to be read and deciphered, as well as referencing early computer games and blackboard diagrams.

A political element is often present in de Lautour's practice. Here, there imperial lion speaks of colonialism, with the crucifix in his paw, while the neatly segmented mountains blocks of two, three of four, illustrate the commoditisation of the land. The lightening bolts might somewhat humorously reference the artist's own punk rocker leanings, or perhaps, the wrath of God.

Maze is a significant work that connects broad aspects of de Lautour's practic. Tony de Lautour is an artist whose work is represented in the collections of Auckland Art Gallery; Govett-Brewster Gallery, New Plymouth; Museum of New Zealand Te Pape Tongarewa, Wellington; National Library of New Zealand, Wellington; Christchurch Art Gallery; Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui, and the University of Canterbury.

Buying Committee - Karina, Glen, Kate

Purchased in July 2010

Don't Look Back - Belinda Griffiths

Born in South Africa, moved to NZ in 1996. Studied graphic design at AUT and worked as designer for many years before making the decision to dedicate more time to art. Works primarily in acrylic. Works concentrate on the expressive qualities of mark-making and the conveying of emotion through the human form.

Exhibited widely and won a number of small awards including 3 time supreme winner at the Franklin Arts Festival and has been a finalist in the Iris Fisher Awards and winner of the Molly Morpeth-Canaday Art award in 2010.

Buying committee - Karina, Glen, Kate

Purchased June 2010

The Monarch - Stephanie O'Connor

Graduate of Auckland University of Fine Arts with a major in photography. She is a photographic and digital artist with a special interest in photo retouching. She has a recurring interest in the idea of theatricality and Carinvalesque, blurring the bridge between fact and fiction with hyper real images.

Buying committee - Karina, Glen, Kate

Purchased June 2010

Know we know what the artist looks like too!

Abstract IV - Antony Densham

Recent graduate from Elam School of Fine Art and prior to that gained a Bachelor of Graphic Design from AUT. The series from which this work comes explores the materialisation of form. He has work in the James Wallace Arts Trust private collection and last year was a finalist for the Anthony Harper Art Award in Christchurch.

Buying committee - Karina, Glen, Kate

Purchased June 2010

Numero Uno

This is the first post of what will be an archive record of the art purchased (and loved) by Articus. Each new piece of art will be photographed and posted along with a blurb and the price paid.