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Print of "Kahukura" by Gordon Walters
Print Code: L39
NZ$59.95
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- Product Details
Artist: Gordon Walters
Print Title: Kahukura
Image size in millimetres: 525 x 390
Open Edition | Fine Art Print | New Zealand Artist
Sold Out. This example of modernist māori art design was a classic New Zealand art print at an affordable price by a kiwi artist we all love and want to enjoy everyday, not just on an ocasional visit to an art museum. Published by the Capper Press (full disclosure: the family that owns New Zealand Fine Prints also ran this art publishing company back in the day) - but despite approval from the artist when he was alive for re-prints to be printed once the first print run sold out the trustees of the Gordon Walters Foundation were clear that they didn't want another print done when they were contacted as a courtesy about a re-print back in the early 2000s. There was a gracious backdown from the publisher in the face of the trustees unexpected response (it's a bad look for a publisher to get into a dispute with an artist's estate and for a pretty marginal quasi public good publishing project there was no commercial incentive to engage with a straight out of the blocks heavy legal letter - challenging the validity of the contract no less - from one of the trustees who was a lawyer. What was expected to be a straightforward rubber stamp process given the artist's intention was perfectly clear had gone pretty weird so we gave up and Walters work (apart from one print currently available for sale, see below) has been gradaully disappearing from New Zealand's homes and office walls.
Print Title: Kahukura
Image size in millimetres: 525 x 390
Open Edition | Fine Art Print | New Zealand Artist
Sold Out. This example of modernist māori art design was a classic New Zealand art print at an affordable price by a kiwi artist we all love and want to enjoy everyday, not just on an ocasional visit to an art museum. Published by the Capper Press (full disclosure: the family that owns New Zealand Fine Prints also ran this art publishing company back in the day) - but despite approval from the artist when he was alive for re-prints to be printed once the first print run sold out the trustees of the Gordon Walters Foundation were clear that they didn't want another print done when they were contacted as a courtesy about a re-print back in the early 2000s. There was a gracious backdown from the publisher in the face of the trustees unexpected response (it's a bad look for a publisher to get into a dispute with an artist's estate and for a pretty marginal quasi public good publishing project there was no commercial incentive to engage with a straight out of the blocks heavy legal letter - challenging the validity of the contract no less - from one of the trustees who was a lawyer. What was expected to be a straightforward rubber stamp process given the artist's intention was perfectly clear had gone pretty weird so we gave up and Walters work (apart from one print currently available for sale, see below) has been gradaully disappearing from New Zealand's homes and office walls.
New Zealand Fine Prints (and NZ art fans generally) would love to see this print (and many more titles) back in print again but until the Gordon Walters Foundation's trustees change their policy of not allowing affordable open edition reproductions of Walters artworks that can be framed and enjoyed in your home or office fans of artwork by this very significant NZ modernist artist we all may just have to wait until his works leaves copyright in a couple of decades time.
The only print available of a Gordon Walters painting is a large modern giclee print of "Mākaro", this was only possible because the vendor (presumably the Estate, or the Walters Foundation as only they would have been able to do this) sold the copyright to the artwork as well as the physical painting to the gallery that now owns it.
Related Categories:
Gordon Walters Prints
Maori Art and Design
New Zealand Art History
Related Categories:
Gordon Walters Prints
Maori Art and Design
New Zealand Art History
