On Now: William Hedley

Thistle Hall is a vibrant community centre in the heart of New Zealand's cultural capital. We provide a community hall, meeting room and Wellington's only community gallery showcasing a range of artists and crafts people, from the established to the emerging. Thistle Hall is located one the corner of Cuba and Arthur streets. The shows on at Thistle Hall Community Gallery are run by the artists who hire it.

On Now

21 – 28 APRIL 2008

WILLIAM HEDLEY

Liam Grant.Art
William Hedley. Arrr...
Anzac Photographs
Exhibition Opening Wed 23rd April 5:30

Up Next

29 APRIL - 4 MAY 2008

YIPPEE-KI-YAY
Richard Simmonds

Opening 29 April 5.00pm - 8.00pm. Gallery Hours 11.00am - 6.00pm.

Yippee-Ki-Yay is a collection of works by Wellington Artist Richard Simmonds. The works represent a narrative of American pop and movie culture. The art works are a commentary on the influence of American iconic pop and action heroes on Western Society. The art works illustrate the continuing trend towards things American particularly in the entertainment industries over the last part of the twentieth century. These years saw the trend away from the Western movie genre towards the fight against space villains and the combating of global terrorists by the new breed of action heroes. The works on display represent the strong influences felt by the artist in his childhood and adolescent years; from thrash heavy metal bands to the far fetched super-strong, muscled up Rambo type wrestlers and movie action heroes.

Why was Yippee-Ki-Yay chosen as the title for this exhibition? Yippee-Ki-Yay an exclamation of joy popular with cowboys, was immortalized in the Bruce Willis action movie Die Hard. When terrorist Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) taunts hero John McClane (Bruce Willis), “Who are you? Just another American who saw too many movies as a child?" and asks this "Mr. Cowboy" if he really thinks he stands a chance, McClane's answer—"Yippee-Ki-Yay Mo…"—marks the moment that McClane, an everyman, assumes the mantle of America's archetypal heroes: Roy Rogers, John Wayne, Gunsmoke's Marshall Dillon, and others who have been so vital to American boyhood”.

The exhibition also includes some pop art Wellington cityscapes and pencil drawings by the artist.

ENDS

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