About Duane Moyle
My art practice is about wondering, in both senses of the word. I am hoping to speculate curiously about new ideas and traditional modes of art making while also capturing the mystery of life and the world around us, within us and beyond us. My work is an embrace of that mystery, a willingness to journey to enchantment. I am increasingly interested in ancient wisdom, myths, legends and timeless truths. Not from a wistful nostalgia, but to ensure we don't forget the lessons of our ancestors and all the good things humanity has learnt.
There are 2 subjects that are recurring themes in my practice. Understanding the history and cultural significance of geographic landmarks of my home city of Tauranga has continued to hold my attention. These places represent a collision of cultures, worldviews and values, hidden beneath layers of scenic beauty. They are events, stories, and personalities. In the history of New Zealand, mountains and rivers are characters in epic narratives and love stories. I am interested in framing, surveying and structuring these sacred places that I have a deep affinity for. Through the lenses of geometry and colonial landscape ideologies, I am hoping to find access to distant realms and new ways of seeing familiar landmarks.
Domestic Astronomy is a body of work that extends previous investigations of sacred crafts and domestic decoration. Geometric, architectural, letterform or symbolic structures aspiring to transcendence are painted onto domestic surfaces and ordinary dinnerware. This play of utility and magnificence attempts to connect the ordinary to the wondrous and realise their connection. They have some connection to Christian iconography but are not orthodox. They are meditative aids, points of contemplation and portholes into another dimension.
EXHIBITIONS:
16.02.2024 Moana Waterscapes. Tauranga Art Gallery
14.04.2023 NZPPA finalist exhibition. Hamilton, NZ
25.11.2022 TAG Team V3, Pop Up Space, Tauranga NZ
21.01.2022 TAG Team V2, The Peoples Gallery, Tauranga NZ
21.10.2021 TAG Team, Gallery Te Puna, Tauranga NZ
23.10.2019 Chrysalis Collection, Pop up Gallery, Tauranga NZ
03.11.2017 Domestic Astronomy, solo exhibition, Zeus Gallery, Tauranga NZ
17.12.2016 Koula Collection, Tauranga Art Gallery, Tauranga NZ
13.12.2015 Lighten Up, Xmas group exhibition, Zeus Gallery, Tauranga NZ
05.09.2015 Chrysalis Collection, Zeus Gallery, Tauranga, NZ
08.06.2013 Painting Mauao, Tauranga Art Gallery, Tauranga NZ
29.10.2011 Objective Art Awards, Mangere Arts Centre, New Zealand
16.12.2010 Chasing Daylight, NKB Gallery, Mt Eden.
24.04.2010 Preambles and Perambulations, Charles Dickens Museum, London.
05.03.2010 Te Awanui, solo exhibition, Fisher Brown Gallery, Tauranga, NZ.
04.12.2009 (N)Everland, The Nunnery, London.
28.11.2009 As The World Turns, Tooting Bec, London.
03.09.2009 Creed is Good, Acquire Arts, London.
28.08.2009 Bethlehem College Art Exhibition, Tauranga, New Zealand.
27.06.2009 Kingston on the Edge Arts Festival, Kingston, Jamaica.
23.03.2009 Easter Group Show, NKB Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand.
22.01.2009 Toku Ipukarea, solo exhibition, Fisher Brown Gallery, Tauranga, NZ.
07.03.2008 Approaches to What? The Nunnery, Bow Arts Trust. London.
11.02.2008 Deutsche Postbank, City of London.
05.01.2008 Influence, group exhibiton, Bath.
2004 COEX, AUT St Paul St Gallery, Auckland.
2004 Eclectic Collection 2004, Mt Eden Picture Framers Gallery, Auckland.
