Surveying Eden - By Patrick Tyman

Surveying Eden is a selection of artist Patrick Tyman’s screen prints, from the 1980s until the present day. As Patrick’s childhood and teenage years were spent in India, it is perhaps no surprise that a Southern Asian aesthetic is expressed in his work. As on a highly decorated sari, patterns repeat and echo within each composition.

Since immigrating to New Zealand from England in 1996, Patrick has also been influenced by the flora of this country and the vibrant colours of the South Pacific, weaving new imagery into his more recent work.

‘Felix culpa’, or ‘happy accident’, is how Patrick describes the chance element of his screen prints. However, this is only one small component in the highly crafted printing technique Patrick has mastered. In fact the intricate colour combinations of each image have been carefully planned and painstakingly created.

Initially Patrick renders his vision in oil paints. Using the painting as a reference, he then develops each work through the layering of 10 or more colours. A separate stencil for each colour is hand painted onto a silk screen, blocking selected areas of colour. Each artwork requires a high degree of patience, foresight and precision.

Patrick introduces us to a world in which tigers run through fields of wild flowers and elephants wander through tropical jungles. Snow-capped mountains line the horizon while hibiscus blooms in the foreground. Bold colours complement and clash in a visual feast, and we are offered a view of Eden – vibrant, mesmerising and alive with energy.

Kath Purchas