Variations on a Theme

Variations on a Theme, an exhibition that explores the later phase of Gordon Walters’ career, opens this Saturday 20 June. Bringing together a focused group of works from the Walters Estate loan collection held at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Variations on a Theme presents a close view of the development of Walters’ geometric language.

This exhibition investigates Walters’ approach in which select forms and ideas were developed through a process of repetition and refinement. His preparatory collages and gouache studies provided a method by which he could revisit concepts and work through a range of slight variations. By examining recurring themes within Walters' geometric constructions, such as the ‘Transparency’ and ‘En abyme’ series, Variations on a Theme highlights his exacting methodology and commitment to the potential of form.   


Noho ora mai,
Sarah McGaughran
Ihupukutaka Kairauhī Curatorial Intern
Dunedin Public Art Gallery

[above: Gordon Walters Untitled Geometric Collage date unknown. Cardboard, paper, metal. Dunedin Public Art Gallery loan collection. Courtesy of the Gordon Walters Estate.]