Mike Rowland - This Time Around

We are pleased to announce that our first show solo show of 2010 will be This Time Around by Mike Rowland. Rowland is well known for his painstakingly detailed works depicting various facets of Mt. Eden. The show’s title, on one hand, references the iconic Time Out Bookstore. On the other hand, it suggests that, on broader scale, Rowland may be re-examining the way in which he looks at the subjects that he paints. It would not be totally fitting to describe Rowland’s way of working as hyper realist, nor would it be fitting to describe it as pointillist. It sits somewhere in-between.  When admiring his paintings from a distance, it is as if you are looking through a lens: Everything appears perfect, a blanket of smooth acrylic detail draped around a canvas. However, on closer inspection, they are a flurry of marks and strokes, a violent haze of opposing directions.

This Time Around is especially significant for Rowland because it marks a slight shift in his practise; As well as including some works in the style that he is well known for, it will also include some works that break the boundary between the real and the surreal. These works will depict scenery that is familiar to Mt. Eden residents, slowly drifting away from lucid coherence to a construction of imaginary truths. In addition to this, This Time Around is also significant because some of the works that Rowland is presenting are larger than anything else that he shown at nkb Gallery; the production of these large works has pushed both his physical and dextrous limits.

Rowland was born in Hertfordshire, England in 1949. After moving to New Zealand at a young age, Rowland went on to complete a Diploma in Graphic Art at A.I.T (now known as A.U.T.). In the years following, Rowland held a variety of jobs in the Creative Industries, including working in the TVNZ Newsroom. In 1970, Rowland decided to return to study. After attaining his Diploma in Fine Art from Elam School of Fine Art, Rowland went on to have his first solo show in 1977. The show was fittingly held in a basement gallery on Auckland’s K’rd. Since then, Rowland’s career has gone from strength to strength. Over the years he has held many more solo shows, been presented with a number of awards and has completed several large scale commissions. His work is also held in many private collections throughout the country.

Running from the 25th of February until the 16th March, This Time Around is essential viewing for both long time devotees and new admirers. Please join us at 6pm on Thursday 25th February to celebrate the opening of this exciting new exhibition.