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MAURICE LYE – Homeward bound – 19 Oct-11 Nov 2021

National, Maurice Lye, Photograph taken in 2015, archival pigment print on cotton rag paper, 310 x 380mm

In this exhibition Maurice Lye captures domesticity and displacement through a nostalgic lens. Homeward Bound spans several decades with some works being as recent as 2020 and old as 1978. Each photograph offers a glimpse into strangely familiar yet unfamiliar settings. Some were taken away from home, when occupancy is temporary; others were taken within home, where residence is particular.

Blow, by Maurice Lye, Photograph taken in 2014, archival pigment print on cotton rag paper, 310 x 310mm Purge, Maurice Lye, Photograph taken in 1983, archival pigment print on cotton rag paper, 310 x 310mm Furnish, by Maurice Lye, Photograph taken in 1981, archival pigment print on cotton rag paper, 310 x 310mm Sheen, by Maurice Lye, Photograph taken in 1978, archival pigment print on cotton rag paper, 310 x 310mm

Tame, by Maurice Lye, Photograph taken in 1979, archival pigment print on cotton rag paper, 630 x 480mm Vitreous, Maurice Lye, Photograph taken in 1982, archival pigment print on cotton rag paper, 630 x 480mm

Throughout his career Maurice Lye has contributed to multiple publications and exhibited across New Zealand. His themes are diverse but there is a common thread: ‘I’m a scavenger, forever on the lookout for situations that appeal to my vision, sense of humour and irony. How people affect their environment, the traces they leave and their responses to the creatures and plants we co-habit with, intrigues me and provides fertile ground for exploration.’
Candid, human curiosity is prevalent although people are absent in Lye’s images. The viewer is content being caught in the detail of the belongings left on display.
Hottie, Maurice Lye, Photograph taken in 1981, archival pigment print on cotton rag paper, 480 x 630mmFold, by Maurice Lye, Photograph taken in 1981, archival pigment print on cotton rag paper, 310 x 380mm Ring, Maurice Lye, Photograph taken in 2020, archival pigment print on cotton rag paper, 380 x 310mmStrangle, Maurice Lye, Photograph taken in 2013, archival pigment print on cotton rag paper, 380 x 310mm
ARTIST TALK: Tues 26 Oct, 12pm