THEATRE OF THE NON-BODY – DI FFRENCH

“I believe these works were conceived following completion of her seriously intense feminist studies which culminated in works such as ‘The Idea Becomes Extinct’. Her feeling of release is captured in the sheer beauty of the parkland in Spring, with masses of blooms expresssed in a painterly manner. Some of the works include architectural detailing, perhaps partly influenced by the proximity of Hagley Park to the Art Centre opposite. Christchurch is very much a Eurocentric city and, as she states in her writings on  the “Illustrations of Government” series, Di often included aspects of European culture as a polar opposite to NZ’s natural system. However, perhaps in this case, the inclusion of the arcades from the Art Centre is to emphasise the English style of the gardens.”     Peter Nicholls (Sculptor) – ffrench’s husband of 34 yrs