In Wonder Full, Pat Hanly reduces the image to emblematic simplicity. He imagines a paradise, where human relationships are based on wonder, love, joy, innocence and acceptance: ‘all races in harmony, love, live, despite greed and wars. Birds sing, stars appear. Moon and sun glow and life goes on’. This utopian vision is brought to our attention by a knowing infant, who points to the possibility of a fresh perception of an ideal world.
This life-affirming work was completed against a background of personal discovery and friction within New Zealand. A racially selected South African rugby team toured the country in 1981, resulting in social divisions and battles between anti-riot police and protesters. Racial tensions increased with the occupation and forced evacuation of Māori from disputed land.
Details
- Title: Wonder Full
- Creator: Pat Hanly
- Creator Lifespan: 2004
- Creator Nationality: New Zealand
- Creator Gender: Male
- Creator Death Place: Auckland, New Zealand
- Creator Birth Place: Palmerston North, New Zealand
- Date Created: 1983
- Physical Dimensions: w1235 x h1240 mm (Without frame)
- More Info: View this artwork on the Chartwell Trust website - View this artwork on the Chartwell Trust website - Chartwell Trust - http://www.chartwell.org.nz/Terms.aspx
- Description: Pat Hanly was born in Palmerston North in 1932 and died in Auckland in 2004. As an artist and teacher he helped to revitalise New Zealand art in the second half of the 20th century, and was a charismatic figure in Auckland's art scene for more than 40 years. The subjects of Hanly’s work range from the personal to the social and political.
- Type: Painting
- Rights: Chartwell Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, 1984
- External Link: Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
- Medium: acrylic and enamel on board
Get the app
Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more
