THE PAINTED GARDEN

Christopher Johnstone's superb new book was launched last evening at Parsons' Bookshop in Auckland.

Christopher's speech is reproduced here in part for the interest of those unable to be present; the photograph shows left to right, facing the audience, the author, Professor Michael Dunn, (who launched the book), and publisher Nicola Legat.

Thank you all so much for joining us this evening. So many friends and colleagues, and artists and owners of the wonderful paintings in The Painted Garden in New Zealand Art.

Firstly I thank my fabulous wife, Louise, the gardener in our family. Louise came up with the idea for this book when I was asked by Nicola what I wanted to do for Godwit after Landscape Paintings of New Zealand.
Always quick to ensure that I was fully occupied while she put in the hard yards here at Parsons, she imaginatively identified a niche in the market and a way of keeping my nose to the grindstone at the same time!
I can’t imagine where I would be without her.

My next thanks go to Nicola, who agreed with Louise – at least about the book’s potential because I don’t think she gave much consideration to how or whether it would occupy my time.
Nicola’s personal list at Random is the Godwit imprint without which independent art book publishing in this country would be in dire straits.
Nicola also brought Nick Turzynski on board for the design. His splendid job on Landscape Paintings was recognised by the industry and I think everyone will agree that this too is a very handsome and eye-catching production.

I would also like to recognise here the entire Random Godwit team involved in the book – editorial, marketing, sales and distribution.
It seemed that nothing was too much or difficult to be done and always in a good-natured way. Tracey Lowndes in particular relieved me of the burden of a lot of letter writing for permissions and my former art gallery colleague Jenny Balle – who can’t be here this evening – stitched up some great coverage up and down the country.

I could not have prepared and written the book without the help of a lot of people – the artists themselves and specialists in many fields. They are all, I hope, acknowledged by name in the book and I am immensely grateful to them.

Finally, I must warmly thank our very kind hosts this evening, Roger and Helen Parsons, supreme art booksellers in Australasia if not the entire southern hemisphere.
Not so long ago when I was director of the Auckland City Art Gallery, some of the more ambitious staff thought they could run an art gallery bookshop better than the Parsons. I was very quick to disabuse them of such an absurd idea.

Helen’s New Zealand and Pacific section is without equal and admired by buyers from around the world.

...................................The book begins at the beginning – in the Bay of Islands around 1830 – and ends up this year with a painting by Peter Hackett of Bev McConnell’s great garden, Ayrlies.
I would just like to think that The Painted Garden explores this new territory in a fresh and stimulating way, that it will introduce New Zealand art and art history to a wide range of people who had never thought of buying an “art book” and that some of my colleagues in the art history world will take the trouble to dip into it and read some of the new research which may add to the curious and fascinating intertwining of the history of New Zealand art and gardens.

Read my earlier piece on the book here.