One of the aims of the Sarjeant Gallery's artist -in-residence programme at Tylee Cottage is that the incumbent draws inspiration for a body of work from their new environs. On arrival, Auckland-based painter Adrian Jackman set about exploring his temporary home on bicycle looking for a series of reference points and frameworks that provide inspiration and a colour palette.
One way he did this was to look to Whanganui's impressive and diverse architectural heritage. One key bilding that struck the artist was the town's War Memorial Hall - this much celebrated example of Modernist architecture is situated near the Gallery. Jackman was drawn to this building and its perforated facade as a potential diagrammatic framework. The Hall, along with other local architecture, including the Savage Club and the Durie Hill Elevator provided inroads for learning about the town's history. Working from digital photographs he took of buildings and his new environs, Jackman created a palette of eighteen colours that he gave local names: 'Savage Pink', 'Durie Hill Green', 'River Gold', 'Kai Iwi Ironsane', 'Velodrome Blue' and 'Papa Clay Ground'.
For Jackman, coming to Whanganui also brought back childhood memories of making tghe long trip from Auckland to visit relatives in the town. As a result of the residency he has also begun to explore his own family history and maternal Maori heritage. Although this hasn't manifested itself in symbolism that specifically refers to his own tribal affiliations, Jackman has used an image of a tiki that also has connections with Tylee Cottage. The image is taken froma pair of bookends in the form of tiki that were gifted to the cottage in 1992.
These objects have inspired artists Peter Peryer and Bronwynne Cornish to make their own responses, and in turn Jackman has used the bookends as source material, adding to the visual conversation around them....
Greg Donson, Curator & Public Programmes Manager, Sarjeant Gallery. Sarjeant Quarterly volume 51 Dec 2013 - Feb 2014