Teapot Speaks

A small teapot stolen from a former Queenstown Mall restaurant makes a surprise comeback next week.

Local artist John R McCormack, who swiped the green teapot, has produced a 15-painting series based on what it “heard” while sitting on a table during the Westy’s Restaurant era – 1980-1994 – and beyond.

He’s called the exhibition “Before We Were Millionaires”.

It will open at Skybar on September 8 and prices range from $600 to $4000.

“Anybody who dined in that era, who had property here, will now be a millionaire, whether we like it or not,” McCormack says.

McCormack has set out to be “very provocative”, using political, social and sexual images, but also entertaining.

He also pokes borax at the two gay owners of Westy’s: “One painting has wording from the original Westy’s menu which only gay guys could have come up with.”

McCormack depicts events like the sharemarket crash, 1981 Springbok tour and the America’s Cup – in which the cup becomes a teapot.

He takes a pot-shot at the ugliness of wind-farming in “The Land of the Long White Blade” – propeller blades protrude from the teapot head.

Fifty-year-old McCormack, who’s lived here since 1980, has painted most of his life but only full-time since selling his paragliding business six years ago.

He says his art’s not well known locally as most of it sells on the internet – “the last sold in 25 seconds” – but he’s specially holding this exhibition in Queenstown as it’s “a local subject, for local people”.

A year ago he was short-listed for a four-month New York art residency.
Asked what he’d produce if he was selected he suggested “I will probably pick on some innocent thing people overlook and turn it in a satirical, political series”.

Although he missed out, McCormack says he decided to put himself under the same pressures as if he’d got the residency – producing the promised subject matter in about six months.

“I severely wound it up in May and June, which working in a cold old cottage was quite tricky.”

McCormack will be represented at the opening by Auckland-based Fishers Fine Arts director Simon Fisher, who came down to view the series this month.

Fisher comments: “Although John does not yet have an impressive resume of past exhibitions and formal training at art schools like Ilam and Elam, etc, he does have the art of an impressive and mature artist.

“It’s a tight exhibition, the paintings are well refined and they involve us.
“Go the teapot!”

A surprise special piece will also be auctioned at the exhibition opening, with proceeds going to child health research charity Cure Kids.

(this article was taken from scene.co.nz)