Overview
If you haven't already been to check out the recently revamped Auckland Art Gallery, here's another good reason to go: British and French Modernism, an exhibition which opened September 3 2011. Modernism may be an acquired taste, but this exhibition is a great opportunity to see classic pieces from international masters.
The Modernist period is marked by experimentation with form, space, light and colour in order to create new languages with which to represent the world. It encompasses a variety of styles, beginning with Post-Impressionist art, moving through Pointillism, Fauvism, Cubism and Surrealism, most of which are well represented in the exhibition, Cubism in particular.
British and French Modernism promises luminous landscapes, beautiful bronzes by Rodin and Henry Moore, and an excellent collection of Cubist works, including a lovely little Picasso. You'll even find a Francis Hodgkins or two. Oh, and if you think the kids won't be into it, drop by the Learning Centre on the Mezzanine floor, which has a fantastic programme of creative activites designed especially for children.
[photo credit: Pablo Picasso, Verre et Pichet, 1944 - oil on canvas, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o T?maki, on loan from the Thanksgiving Foundation]