Lot 58: Michael Hight Mototapu River: Wanaka oil on canvas

Michael Hight Mototapu River: Wanaka oil on canvas title inscribed and dated 10.II.01; title inscribed, signed and dated 10.II.01 verso 710mm x 2285mm Instantly recognisable as a landscape painting, the beehives are not only the subject of the work, but also stand as metaphor for the painting process. Like the process of bees making honey, the artist transforms paint on canvas, to create the image. While the subject in the Beehives series remains the same, there are infinite variations of season, light and architecture. Hight's earlier work used among other things, weatherboard with beeswax, revealing the materials now concealed within. Hight's beehives are strangely static; there is no sign of the occupants, either in or around their hives. Inside we can only assume they are beavering away, each individual insect, contributing to the relentless hum. Michael Hight is represented by John Leech Gallery, Auckland, Janne Land, Wellington and Milford Gallery, Dunedin. EF