“66 years of Creativity” - a Douglas Chowns Retrospective Born into the social realist creative pre war aura of the Bushey Artists in Hertfordshire England Douglas has professionally pushed his creative boundaries since Art School in 1953. Drawing, Painting, Design, Typography, Photography, Film,Television and printing processes have backgrounded his ideas and day to day work. His Advertising campaigns in the late fifties and sixties are internationally remembered and established the financial base to paint full time in New Zealand after years of trouble shooting and travelling from London, Lisboa, Madrid and Barcelona his gateway to the Caribbean. War time, the 1951 Festival of Britain and later as resident in Iberia under Salazar, Franco and Balaguer in the Caribbean focused influence of the Bushey Professor of Slade Hubert Von Herkomer’s early social realism, that likely also influenced Vincent Van Gough in 1881. His powerful statements in oil on canvas meters across hang in the Presidential Suite in Timor Este and Gaelic University Sabhal Mor Ostaig in the Isle of Skye. - his preferred works are often “not very nice!”, however Douglas now age 72 and married 48 years has had to provide for his family since 1972 in McKenzie bay homestead and Atelier in Whangarei Heads. He often falls back on skills learnt prior to New Zealand so that this creative retrospective shows diverse examples of drawings, watercolours, illustrations, paintings and ground breaking video techniques for their day as well as High Fashion garments, Fashion photography, Serigraphy, Hand Printed Fabrics as well as Murals and Interior Panels even today unique as “direct process” media. The exhibition uniquely features the use of five wide screen television sets so that viewers may themselves select from menus their own areas of interest including films to watch of up to an hour in length. Sure to attract is a Northland promotional concept that travelled New Zealand by rail in 1987. A Dr Who experience disguised as a rail freight van arrives from outer space with window watching viewers in a tiger striped orange and peppermint green fuselage cabin completing a 30 minute journey around Northland before blasting off into warp from the Dargaville bandstand. Also 17 Whangarei Museum visiting Exhibitions are reviewed as through the eyes of Douglas, his visual commentary free from biased views of a presenter. Designed so that a student may make up their own mind, the communication of this expert is self evident. True to the tenet of Walter Gropius this artist is first an exhalted craftsman who has exploited his assignments and concepts in distinctive and exciting ways. The Life Class since age 15 and later working in the studio of a student of Agustus John dominates his drawings and oils as a figurative painter on a quest to discover the “sensitive line”. He says “If I draw roughly it is intentional and integral to communicating my feelings perhaps even of serious sorrow”. A neolithic water reflection spiral philosophy based in the cave presents the Artist as Shaman - Douglas has no use for decoration, design graphics appear as empowering forces often in motion and as ritual art. A practicing Gaelic speaker and Celt he is “Seanair” and co founder of the NZ Gaidhealtachd Feis and Summer School now in its 20th year annually attended from all over New Zealand. Sensorary experience and ritual Art have featured in his tutoring abroad. A Department ofEducation T3 Senior Tutor Douglas initiated Northland Tertiary full time study ofCrafts and Arts at the today Northtec College tutoring many of Northland most successful practicing artist and craftspeople from the 1980’s when he launched futures by taking them to France and Spain organising and tutoring a Study Tour, or by setting up weekend workshops and courses throughout Northland as well as the first full time Diploma in Craft Design. Other than the years to initiate full time tertiary Art training, Douglas is today the longest practicing Fine Artist in Northland having survived thirty seven years entirely from sales of his art and creativity without other income or assistance. He has been a member of the Nortland Society of Arts for 33 years, has exhibited in NZ and internationally since NZ House London 1975, has Civic and Corporate Commissions, with works retained in Museum and private Collections. He is proud to yet be numbered today with the school of the “Bushey Artists” although half a life time in New Zealand. |
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