Trevor Moffitt, Mackenzie with Dog Swimming in the Clutha River,
Mackenzie Series, 1966, oil on board, gifted by Enyth Good 2015

4 July - 6 September

Arguably this country’s most notable narrative painter, Trevor Moffitt (1936-2006) was born in Gore and raised in the neighbouring gold-mining town of Waikaia. He attended Southland Technical College in Invercargill before enrolling at University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts, graduating with Honours in Painting in 1959. 

His earliest images explored the rugged landforms of Southland but from 1962 figures began to appear in his landscapes and this coincided with a new preference for ‘outsiders’ and local heroes. Having admired Sydney Nolan’s Ned Kelly paintings, Moffitt dedicated much of his career to chronicling the exploits of ‘anti-heroes’ such as accused sheep stealer James Mackenzie, early gold miners, and those associated with colourful illicit industries such as Southland’s Hokonui Moonshine. Other works were more personal, such as My Father’s Life, The Big Fisherman, and Solo Father series. 

This presentation of Moffitt’s work has been made possible through a generous donation of 35 artworks, spanning four decades, from Auckland-based collector and benefactor Enyth Good.