Tim Melville Gallery

Tim Melville Gallery (www.timmelville.com) is on 2 Kitchener street in the Auckland CBD. A very small gallery down the backstreets.

As I mentioned the gallery was very small. One little room that consisted of about 6 different pieces of art from different artists.

The first piece of art I would like to talk about is one of the first pieces I set my eyes on when I walked into the gallery. The picture was of a young girl in a dark setting, black with a barely visible face. Within this darkness the artist had covered the model water and as it has passed down over the contours of their face a picture has been taken as they hold the most soul less look on their face. A scary thought looking back in my memory at this image it is not something I would normally go out of my way to see but it was there and as disturbing as it can be I took my time to look and try to understand what meaning this brought across from the artists point of view.

Even with the time taken to think things over I cannot honestly see any meaning coming out of the sadness portrayed within the photograph. Maybe the sadness and discomfort someone is suppose to feel upon viewing it.

Onto more colourful and expressive was some art by an aboridginal lady of about 70. Her art his executed with creative strokes and vibrant colours, over exagerating the boarder of her work she looks to have enjoyed creating what some would see as a childs painting. Her art is obviously her own however and she understands and loves it which only brings forth the comfort in her paintings that she must feel while she works. The story behind the paintings and painter are something I must look into more often as hearing about this lady from the gallery owner/receptionist changed my opinion on her work dramatically.

I don't like to be judgemental but obviously thoughts like this come forward when you are dealing with art so simple. These simple things we underestimate and discourage and it is something that should be encouraged especially if it is bringing happiness into someones life, maybe not only to feed their family but because its something they love to do.

A lot of the other artwork in the gallery I passed over. Viewing things like a Skull which had been printed with a 3D printer and had marbals glued inside it. An interesting concept indeed, one which I find hard to understand but it was colourful more so than creepy.

Although small I got a lot out of the Tim Melville gallery and I would love to go back some time when they have a new display up to see the small but interesting range of art.