Red Spot Gallery - Rotorua Art Gallery supporting local artists
Rosemary Parcell
Born in Central Otago, New Zealand, Rosemary graduated from the University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts in 1972 and was a teacher of Art and Art History for many years.
The horse began as a form of life drawing, and then the scale demanded paint.
Always the brushwork should as important as the imagery.
“What I have always wanted to express in this imagery is the definition of the weight and mass of the horse, as well as the power and elegance in articulation. This is so clearly seen in dressage, itself an art form based on both physical and visual aesthetics. Dressage enhances the way a horse moves naturally, and at its best shows full harmony between horse and rider; horse and rider become a single entity. My intention is that my paintings should celebrate the athleticism and eloquence of this discipline, which demands a monumental approach, with simplicity and scale.
“Also, the point is to catch the intrinsic quality of the movement..not always technically correct, and mostly not evident in photo records, …which is why it is better to watch and draw, better to remember and construct, rather than to copy slavishly from photos, because this best expresses the way the horse actually goes.
“To answer the criticism of the cropped rider’s head, usually from non-riders: in fact if the rider is very capable s/he becomes invisible, and the horse appears to go miraculously of it’s own volition without evident direction, and really the rider is identifiable by their hands and seat alone, their position.. And further, the second face or psyche is such a distraction, a double point of focus, very diffusive and destabilising to the composition, and so often the human face betrays such effort and angst. Also it is then possible to imagine the rider to be anyone, even one’s self.
For some time Rosemary has often written for Judges at all levels of Dressage events, and finds that this positively influences her work. “My thanks to the generosity of both Judges and riders, in New Zealand and Australia, who have so informed me over the past years, and who so wholeheartedly encouraged me. The extraordinary response from the public, both the horse community and art collectors who do not necessarily like horses at all, to these large, totemic paintings, has restored the horse in contemporary imagery.”
“Also attending horse events and going face to face with the intended viewers, who should be the harshest critics of my work, has been an on-going source of pleasure and inspiration.” Rosemary enjoys the constructive criticisms along with the plaudits.
She exhibited in the London exhibition of the British SEA (Society of Equestrian Artists) in The Mall Galleries, Pall Mall.
Exhibitions
2010 Waitemata Champs. (Feature on Cover)
2010 Queensland Festival of Dressage.
2009 Horse Of the Year.NZ. Feature on Cover.
2009 Auckland Manukau Champs ( Feature on Programme cover) Tauranga Show Jumping Event.
2009 Queensland State Champs. Feature in Programme.
2008 NZ Horse of the Year Exhibition. Feature in Publicity Nationally.
2008 Australian National Dressage Champs.CDI 3*** Event International Equestrian Centre. Horsley Park. NSW.
2008 Puhinui 3*** International Event. Auckland
2006 British Equestrian Artist Society London Exhibition: The Mall Galleries, UK
2006 Hickstead CDI***, UK
2006 Horse of the Year: NZ
2006 Dressage National Champs: NZ
2006 Horse Exposition: NZ
2005 Europe Equitana: Essen, Germany
2005 Queensland Dressage Championships (Featured on Programme Cover): Queensland
2005 Australian National Championships (Featured on Programme Cover): Olympics Equestrian Centre, NSW
2004 Solo Exhibition: Horse of the Year, Hastings
2004 Solo Exhibition: New Zealand Dressage Nationals, Taupo
2003 Solo Exhibition: Arts Desire Gallery, Warkworth
2003 Solo Exhibition: Equitana Australia, Melbourne
1997 Group Exhibition with Pam Blok and Sue Symes: Gallery 16, Auckland
1996 “Nature Morte” Solo Exhibition: Gallery 16, Auckland
1996 Solo Exhibition: French Art Shop Gallery, Auckland
1996 “Paintings at the Quarry” Group Exhibition: Northland Craft Trust, Whangarei
1996 Solo Exhibition: Oedipus Rex, Auckland
1995 “Last Works” Solo Exhibition: City Gallery, Gisborne
1994 “Gisborne Printmakers” Group Exhibition: City Gallery, Gisborne
1994 Solo Exhibition: Muir’s Bookshop Gallery
1994 “Old Disciplines” Solo Exhibition: The Wharf Gallery, Gisborne
1993 “Cup of Tea” Solo Exhibition: City Gallery, Gisborne
1993 Solo Exhibition: Scrumples, Gisborne
1993 “Into the Light” Group Exhibition: City Gallery, Gisborne
1993 “Installation” Group Exhibition with Phyllis Underdown: City Gallery, Gisborne
1993 “Printmakers Retrospective” Solo Exhibition: The Wharf Gallery, Gisborne
1993 “Extremities” Solo Exhibition: The Wharf Gallery, Gisborne
1992 “Back to Work” Solo Exhibition: Scrumples, Gisborne
1992 “Friends” Solo Exhibition: Scrumples, Gisborne
1992 Solo Exhibition: Whitecliffs, Gisborne
1992 Solo Exhibition: Moray Gallery, Dunedin
1991 Solo Exhibition: Trish White Gallery, Gisborne
1991 Solo Exhibition: Oedipus Rex Gallery, Auckland
1991 Solo Exhibition: Scrumples, Gisborne
1991 Solo Exhibition: Whitecliffs, Gisborne
1990 Solo Exhibition: Gisborne Art Gallery, Gisborne
1990 Solo Exhibition: Scrumples, Gisborne
1990 Solo Exhibition: Whitecliffs, Gisborne
1990 Solo Exhibition: Scrumples, Gisborne
1989 Solo Exhibition: Flying Moas Gallery, Gisborne
1984 Solo Exhibition: Red Metro Gallery, Dunedin
1979 “Pink Series” Solo Exhibition: Fed Up Gallery, Auckland
1978 Group Exhibition: Invited artist August Arts Festival, Whangarei
1977 Solo Exhibition: Melbourne Community Centre, Melbourne
1976 Solo Exhibition: Gisborne Arts Centre, Gisborne
1976 Group Exhibition: Gisborne Artists in Wellington, Wellington