“In the past 50 years, Philippa Blair has been described as a traveller and a restless spirit, fluent in translating the tumultuous world around her into vibrant observations that are boldly autobiographical but also hum with the familiar rhythms of life.” Chloe Geoghegan, curator, Te Uru Contemporary Gallery, Waitakere. (In 2020, Philippa was the subject of a major survey exhibition, “Down Under Cover” at Te Uru Contemporary Gallery).
Celebrating her colourful life and personality, Vibrant Observations presents a selection of oils on canvas, small gouache works, and vellum & ink drawings, produced during the late 1990’s and early 2000s, in the Angelus Place studio, (Venice, CA) that Blair and husband, architect and painter, John Porter (1941-2018) made and shared. Created at what was a particularly happy and productive time in her life, these energetic and colourful works capture the rhythm and excitement of her new fast-paced life in the USA.
Also on show are a small number of Blair’s large, historic works (books and cloaks) on unstretched canvas, created prior to her move to California.
Click here to see individual works in the exhibition,