Neil Pardington – New photographs

Media Release 2 November 2005

From The Clinic – Te Whare o Rangiora

The interior spaces of hospitals – described by the artist as a stage for life and death – provide Wellington photographer Neil Pardington with the subject matter for his new exhibition opening at Bartley Nees Gallery next week [Tuesday 8 November].

Medicine continues to provide inspiration for artists as it has over the centuries says Pardington. “It is a subject that engenders strong reactions and emotions, because whatever happens, it is about life and death, and we know the stakes could not be higher.”

The images - of operating theatres, postmortem rooms, a dissecting theatre and anatomy museum - seduce the viewer to project their own stories into the photographs. Unease, disease; ease, cure: these images suggest an anxiety about the unknown – what is around the corner, what has happened or is about to happen?

Pardington’s photography has been described as photography with a twist, photography that exposes the boundary between the documentary and conceptual- telling stories that can never be known.

The Clinic – Te Whare o Rangiora, which has been supported by Creative New Zealand, is an ongoing project by this talented photographer, designer and film-maker. Images from the series were selected for the two major public gallery surveys of contemporary New Zealand art last year: Public/Private-Tumatanui/Tumataiti: The 2nd Auckland Trienniale and Telecom Prospect 2004 at the City Gallery Wellington. A postmortem room image was purchased this year by leading British artist Damian Hurst for his collection.

ENDS

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