Art Consultancy Hong Kong | gretchen albrecht

Gretchen Albrecht

Gretchen Albrecht has exhibited in New Zealand and internationally for more than 35 years. Recent work has appeared in Valencia, Spain as part of the exhibition Ultramarte at the Casa Museo Benlliure, and throughout New Zealand in the group exhibition Diaspora: Pluralism and Singularity and the survey exhibition Returning, initiated by the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.

Since the 1970s, Albrecht’s work has evolved from the poured acrylic ‘stained canvases’ for which she first gained widespread recognition, into a pair of signature ‘shaped-canvas’ formats: the hemisphere (half circle) & the oval. These are shapes that Albrecht associates with particular meanings & states of mind. In the shaped-canvas paintings she has been producing since the early 1980s, resonant combinations of colour and geometry create images with a clear poetic impulse, in which references to landscape, family and the cosmos act as emotional points of departure.

The past five years have seen Albrecht’s artistic horizons broaden to encompass large-scale, stainless steel sculpture and have witnessed the inception of a new series of multi-panelled rectangular paintings featuring a rectangular ‘threshold’ motif. This motif has also been a key presence in recent oval works. In 2009, Albrecht began working on a new series of rectangular paintings, featuring oval-shaped vortices of colour and slender horizontal geometric figures . The first of these paintings were recently exhibited at Mark Hutchins Gallery, Wellington and Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown.

Chronology

1943

Born Onehunga, Auckland.

1960 - 63

Diploma of Fine Arts (Hons. Painting), Auckland University School of Fine Arts.

Awarded the Fowlds Memorial Certificate.

1964

First one person exhibition, opened by Colin McCahon.

1970

First exhibition in Sydney, Australia.

1972

Establishes studio in Titirangi, Auckland.

1972 - 73

Teaching Fellow in Painting, Auckland University School of Fine Arts.

1978

Designs and paints banners for the set of Tristan and Iseult, an opera by Gillian Whitehead.

1978 – 79

Travels through the USA and Europe, visiting major museums and art galleries.

1980

Designs and paints the set for Hotspur - a Ballad for Music, music by Gillian Whitehead, ballad by Fleur Adcock.

1981

Travels to England to assist with touring performances of Hotspur.

1981 – 82

Awarded the Frances Hodgkins Fellowship, lives in Dunedin.

1982

Visits Adelaide, South Australia to make lithographs at the Beehive Press.

1983

Visits New York to make paper-pulp editions with Lyn Forgach at the Exeter Press.

1984

Works at the Gertrude St Studios, Melbourne.

1985

Travels to New York for the exhibition NZ/NY.

1986

Travels to Chicago for the exhibition New Zealand Art Today.

1987

Establishes new studio in Grey Lynn, Auckland.

Travels to Germany to visit Documenta VIII, Kassel.

1988

One person exhibition, Todd Gallery, London.

1991

Tours England and France to visit museums and gardens.

1992

One person exhibition, Clare Hall, Cambridge University.

Accompanies the group exhibition Distance Looks Our Way to its venues in Spain and Holland.

1992 – 93

Works at studio in Whitechapel, London.

Two paintings selected for UK touring exhibition Reclaiming the Madonna.

1994

Produces 28 unique paper-pulps at Exeter Press, SoHo, New York.

Completes a suite of 5 lithographs at Limeworks Lithography Workshops in Christchurch, New Zealand.

1995

Travels to America.

1996

Visiting Artist, Painting Department, Nelson Polytechnic.

Works in New York and visits Britain.

1996 - 97

Curates Artist’s Choice: A Selection From The Collection, Auckland Art Gallery.

1997

Visits Walter de Maria’s The Lightning Field, New Mexico; Donald Judd

Foundation and Chinati Foundation, Marfa, Texas; Documenta X, Kassel;

Munster Sculpture Projects; Venice Biennale.

1998

Produces first lithographs at PaperGraphica, Christchurch with master printmaker, Marian Maguire.

1999

Receives Alumni Award Medal from the University of Auckland.

Crossing the Divide: a painter makes prints, survey exhibition of editions, at

Sarjeant Gallery, Wanganui and other New Zealand venues.

2000

Companion of the Order of New Zealand.

Produces etchings with Bartolomeu dos Santos, in Tavira, Portugal.

Group exhibition ‘4’ at the Het Koopmanshuis, Leusden, The Netherlands;

travels to the Kunsthal Hof 88, Almelo, and the Beeld & Aambeeld Gallery, Enschede.

2001

Two person exhibition with James Ross at Robert Steele Gallery, New York.

2002

illuminations, survey exhibition of ovals and hemispheres, curated by Ron Brownson,

Auckland Art Gallery.

Four person exhibition, Decades, at Robert Steele Gallery, New York, with James Ross, Lynda Benglis & Ron Gorchov.

2004

Establishes new studio in Camberwell, London and begins working in London for part of each year.

Makes first sculpture.

2005

Returning, survey exhibition of ovals and hemispheres, curated by Priscilla Pitts, Dunedin Public Art Gallery.

Travels to the City Gallery, Wellington in late 2005.

2006

Release of Reflections - Gretchen Albrecht, documentary film produced and directed by Karen and John Bates.

Gretchen Albrecht, survey exhibition of ovals and hemispheres at Michael Carr Art Dealer, Sydney, Australia.

Completes sculpture commission for the Brick Bay Sculpture Trail, Warkworth.

2007

Journey to Portugal, published by Holloway Press, University of Auckland, featuring poems by Michele Leggott and images by Gretchen Albrecht.

ULTRAMarte-Contemporary art from New Zealand, group exhibition, Casa Museo

Benlliure, Valencia, Spain.

Receives Arts Foundation of New Zealand Award for Patronage from Jenny Gibbs.

2009

Between Paint and Nature - Five Decades, survey exhibition at Nadene Milne Gallery,

Arrowtown.

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London.

Continues making Fine Art digital prints with Kevin Church, Opticmix, Auckland .

Produces Limited Edition Teaset, with Rimmington Vian, London .

Continues making wall and free - standing sculptures, CECO workshop, Auckland.

2010

‘Islandsong’, group exhibition, Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown .

‘ Art in the Woolshed’, Tawharanui Regional Park .

‘Open Studio’, Empress Mews, London . ‘NZ Sculpture on Shore’, Auckland .

2011

‘ Making Arrangements’ , two person exhibition with Eve Armstrong, Michael Lett Gallery, Auckland .

‘Not Far From Home’ , two person Exhibition with Elizabeth Thompson, Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown .

‘Falling on Grass’, solo exhibition, Sue Crockford Gallery, Auckland .

‘Shi mmer’ , solo exhibition, Black Barn Gallery, Hawkes Bay .

‘Painting’ , group exhibition, Sue Crockford Gallery, Auckland .

‘Call Waiting, a celebration of the new gallery 1995 – 2011’ .

Travels to Turkey to visit the International Istanbul Biennial .

Continues making Fine Art digital print s with Kevin Church, Opticmix, Auckland .

2012

‘A Luminous Shade’ , solo exhibition, Tauranga Art Gallery, Tauranga .

‘Walls and Corners’ two person exhibition, Mark Hutchins Gallery, W ellington .

‘Paper Jam, A rtists Between the C overs’ , group exhibition, Gus Fisher Gallery, University of Auckland .

‘Open Studio’, Empress Mews, London .

‘100UP, a snapshot of Dunedin life 1910 – 2010’, Hocken Gallery .

Travels to France, Italy and Scotland to v isit exhibitions and Art museums

Produces serigraphs with Don Tee, ‘ Artrite ’ , Auckland .

Produces lithograph with John Pusateri, Auckland Print Studio, Auckland .

‘ Celebrating Ten Years’ , group exhibition, Corban Homestead Gallery, Auckland .

2013

‘ Gretchen Albrecht – Violet Dusk’ , solo exhibition, Nadene Milne Gallery, Arrowtown

Line / Form / Colour / Intention , group exhibition, Page Blackie Gallery, Wellington

Continues annual work period painting in Camberwell studio, London.

After 27 years exhibiting with Sue Crockford Gallery, as from mid - 2013 Albrecht is now represented by Auckland dealer Gallery Two Rooms .

Solo Exhibitions

1964

Ikon Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand

1967

Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland, New Zealand

1970

Holdsworth Galleries, Sydney, Australia

Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland, New Zealand

1972

Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland, New Zealand

1973

Dawson’s Gallery, Dunedin, New Zealand

1974

Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland, New Zealand

1975

Brooke/Gifford Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand

Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland, New Zealand

1976

Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

1977

Barry Lett Galleries, Auckland, New Zealand

Bosshard Galleries, Dunedin, New Zealand

1979

Galerie Legard, Wellington, New Zealand

Elva Bett Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand

1980

Peter Webb Galleries, Auckland, New Zealand

1981

Bosshard Galleries, Dunedin, New Zealand

Hocken Library, Dunedin, New Zealand

Peter Webb Galleries, Auckland, New Zealand

Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Dunedine, New Zealand

1983

Janne Land Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand

1984

New Vision Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand

Brooke/Gifford Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand

1985