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449:, the winding, nine-metre work imitates the movement of the river, but various objects embedded into the wood (a river paddle, a brass compass, a MÄori adze-head) suggest the impact of both native and settler culture. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Nicholls created some of his largest and most recognised sculptures.
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In a 2007 interview, Nicholls explained his philosophy of art: "My work has always concerned the land. Travel and teaching has been an important part of this. The time and materials, and our use of all such resources, are a constant in my work. I never cut living trees on principle, being committed
201:
series had subtly begun to explore what would become
Nicholls's central interest in an artistically motivated kind of physics concerned with the matter, energy, motion and force of sculptural structure and its interactions with natural and cultural forces."
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A stroke in 2019 restricted
Nicholls' ability to sculpt, though he continued producing smaller-scale works. Nicholls suffered a second stroke in January 2021 from which he never fully recovered. He died in Dunedin on 3 February 2021.
354:) captures "the paradox of flight in that winged ponderousness and spine muscularity of the bird heaving its half ton-ness off the ground in a ruffle of massive feathers." Another major work,
543:, this publication illustrates Nicholls' 60 years of prolific sculpture work including his studio notes, drawings, photos, and quotes from writers who engaged with this work. Writers include
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In the 1980s, Nicholls produced a number of large-scale sculptures that "explored and related the socio-spatial effects of art and architecture." Several of these works, including
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to creating ānew lifeā from discards. Thus, in the materials and the forms, there is the dialectic of the ephemeral and the permanent, life and its short space within time."
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342:, on display in the Dunedin Harbour Basin), position large cuts of wood in ways that overtly reference skeletal movement. Academic Peter Leech has commented that
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for more than thirty years, until her death in 1999. They had four children. In 2001 he married Steph Bate, a registered nurse. He lived and worked in
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sculpture series. Produced at a time when New
Zealanders were reassessing their colonial history, the series explores the impact of
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sculptures, often combining steel and native timbers, commented on the New
Zealand landscape and its colonial history.
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timber to evoke the old log fences of rural New
Zealand. Works from the series were displayed in 1972 outside the
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524:. Alan Pearson's 1986 oil on canvas, "Portrait of the sculptor Peter Nicholls," is in the collection of the
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In 1989, Nicholls spent three months in Europe and found new inspiration in recent sculptural works like
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culture on the native landscape. Nicholls is himself a descendant of the writer and missionary the Rev.
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111:(27 April 1936 ā 3 February 2021) was a New Zealand artist who created large, outdoor works. His
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In 1978 Nicholls represented New
Zealand at a Sculpture Symposium held in tandem with the
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At least two portraits of
Nicholls are owned by major New Zealand national collections.
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808:
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Eggleton, David (2004). "Weight, Memory, Presence: The
Sculpture of Peter Nicholls".
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30:
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729:
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Dalgleish, Jodie "Sitings of Place in the
Sculpture of Peter Nicholls, 1971ā2010,"
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453:(1996ā97) is Nicholls's contribution to the international sculpture collection at
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520:ās 1985 photograph, "Peter Nicholls, Sculptor, Auckland 22.4.85," is held at the
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781:. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa website. Retrieved on 10 December 2018
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425:. This complex work was inspired by a journey undertaken by Nicholls's ancestor
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in
Edmonton. His time at the University of Wisconsin-Superior resulted in the
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732:. Sergeant Gallery Whanganui website. Retrieved on 20 November 2018
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417:. An important work produced in the wake of these experiences was
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707:. University of Auckland website. Retrieved on 18 November 2018
497:'s nine tributaries, is sited beside the river at Moutua Quay.
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756:. Whanganui District Council website. Retrieved on 3 July 2023
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Nicholls first gained critical notice in the early 1970s with
793:. Auckland Art Gallery website. Retrieved on 10 December 2018
672:. Auckland Art Gallery website. Retrieved on 10 December 2018
259:. While there, Nicholls created the thirteenth work in the
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and stands near the centre of the university campus. "In
169:, a major retrospective of Nicholls's career, in 2008.
598:. Fe29 Gallery website. Retrieved on 25 December 2018
805:
Peter Nicholls ā Sculptor: Dynamics / Memory / Grace
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Peter Nicholls ā Sculptor: Dynamics / Memory / Grace
185:, a series of large, outdoor works that used native
441:, and two woods introduced to the area by Taylor,
493:, his birthplace. The work, which references the
477:features prominently in the 2015 music video for
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461:(2005) is at the Connells Bay Sculpture Park on
197:. According to art critic Jodie Dalgleish, "The
485:. In 2013, Nicholls gifted another large work,
205:In the mid to late 1970s, Nicholls created his
127:, New Zealand in 1936. He was educated at the
765:Fusco, Cassandra "Constructions of Concern,"
291:(1981), today stands in the courtyard of the
779:"Peter Nicholls, Sculptor, Auckland 22.4.85"
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791:"Portrait of the Sculptor Peter Nicholls,"
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102:(died 1999) Stephanie Bate (married 2001)
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217:, who was present at the signing of the
146:. In the 1960s he spent some time as an
522:Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
469:(2009) stands near the railway line at
421:(1990), today in the collection of the
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802:
754:"Moorings - New Riverfront Sculpture,"
716:Leech, Peter "Exhibitions - Dunedin,"
658:The Journal of New Zealand Art History
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850:21st-century New Zealand male artists
840:20th-century New Zealand male artists
744:,. YouTube. Retrieved on 20 July 2022
681:
295:School of Architecture and Planning.
225:(1975), made from chiselled beams of
807:. Dunedin, New Zealand: Don Hunter.
610:"The land, the worker and the river"
572:
570:
568:
555:, Cassandra Fusco, and Peter Leech.
358:(1985ā86), was commissioned by the
248:School of Architecture and Planning
229:, wire, and steel, is today in the
153:Nicholls was married to the artist
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845:21st-century New Zealand sculptors
835:20th-century New Zealand sculptors
14:
891:
565:
547:, James Dignan, Jodie Dalgleish,
526:Auckland Art Gallery Toi o TÄmaki
263:series, which would serve as the
231:Auckland Art Gallery Toi o TÄmaki
742:Anthonie Tonnon, "Railway Lines"
870:University of Canterbury alumni
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784:
772:
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747:
735:
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608:Dignan, James (27 March 2008).
531:In 2022, the illustrated book,
193:in Auckland and in 1973 at the
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637:. 6 February 2021. p. 31.
626:
601:
589:
415:Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail
366:," writes poet and art critic
16:New Zealand artist (1936ā2021)
1:
682:Lonie, Bridie (Spring 1984).
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275:(1978), commissioned for the
433:. Made of two native woods,
330:Auckland War Memorial Museum
7:
535:, was published. Edited by
508:on the Whanganui waterfront
504:Peter Nicholls's sculpture
195:Mildura Sculpture Triennial
109:Peter Clement Fife Nicholls
45:Peter Clement Fife Nicholls
10:
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340:Dunedin Public Art Gallery
163:Dunedin Public Art Gallery
137:Auckland Teachers' College
596:"Theatre of the Non-Body"
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150:high school art teacher.
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40:
28:
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244:in the courtyard of the
144:Elam School of Fine Arts
257:1978 Commonwealth Games
131:School of Fine Arts in
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875:Elam Art School alumni
865:Artists from Whanganui
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293:University of Auckland
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246:University of Auckland
141:University of Auckland
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381:on the campus of the
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129:Canterbury University
123:Nicholls was born in
880:Artists from Dunedin
803:Hunter, Don (2022).
767:World Sculpture News
457:, north of Auckland;
277:Muttart Conservatory
35:Nicholls, March 2019
383:University of Otago
360:University of Otago
161:, New Zealand. The
539:and introduced by
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391:
318:
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219:Treaty of Waitangi
814:978-0-473-64437-6
730:"Whanganui 1990,"
635:Otago Daily Times
614:Otago Daily Times
489:, to the city of
377:Peter Nicholls's
302:Peter Nicholls's
240:Peter Nicholls's
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541:Priscilla Pitts
518:Adrienne Martyn
495:Whanganui River
479:Anthonie Tonnon
431:Whanganui River
326:Auckland Domain
191:Osborne Gallery
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70:3 February 2021
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660:31 (2010), 22.
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427:Richard Taylor
413:(1986) in the
368:David Eggleton
215:Richard Taylor
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133:Christchurch
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72:(2021-02-03)
860:1936 births
855:2021 deaths
328:, near the
285:Wisconsin 7
271:sculpture,
167:Journeywork
829:Categories
705:"Measure,"
619:2018-12-26
559:References
537:Don Hunter
455:Gibbs Farm
429:along the
407:Kier Smith
401:(1985) in
399:Sidewinder
287:, renamed
165:presented
155:Di ffrench
139:, and the
113:public art
100:Di ffrench
51:1936-04-27
491:Whanganui
419:Whanganui
411:Iron Road
352:albatross
350:word for
281:Wisconsin
125:Whanganui
90:Sculpture
59:Whanganui
506:Moorings
487:Moorings
481:'s song
475:Junction
471:New Lynn
467:Junction
283:series:
265:maquette
261:New Land
254:Edmonton
207:New Land
148:Auckland
387:Dunedin
338:(1989,
324:(1986,
314:Dunedin
308:on the
289:Measure
269:kinetic
242:Measure
211:settler
159:Dunedin
78:Dunedin
811:
465:; and
451:Rakaia
447:poplar
443:willow
439:totara
379:Bridge
364:Bridge
356:Bridge
332:) and
227:totara
187:kanuka
177:Career
135:, the
96:Spouse
585:: 80.
348:MÄori
346:(the
344:Toroa
335:Toroa
322:Spine
305:Toroa
199:Probe
183:Probe
809:ISBN
459:Tomo
445:and
437:and
435:rimu
405:and
119:Life
67:Died
41:Born
583:111
409:'s
397:'s
385:in
312:in
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49:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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