JEWELLERY, ANTIQUE & ART AUCTION Tuesday, 7 July 2020 - 10:00 AM start
Ian Robert McMillan (1965-2016) carved panel
Lot Details
full paua shell inset eyes. Double sided, carved from a found log section. L.1000mm. Provenance: The Ian McMillan Estate Collection. Aged ten McMillan was introduced to carving by Bruce Manley and continued to develop a love, knowledge and understanding of Maori and New Zealand history and culture. Ian spent the latter years of his life based at Parnell, Auckland. Using only traditional hand tools and carving techniques to produce wood carvings that expressed Maori mythology his work reflected on Maori art. Using found timber enabled Ian to portray work that revealed the piece as if it were possessed of properties of myth and legend, age and use. Ian celebrated the ability to incorporate naturally occurring damage from pepetuna, the boring grub of a pūriri moth; the hollowing effects of decay; the cavities left by colonist’s nails that had completely rusted away, or the remnant of their paint on the timber to enhance those properties. His carving and thoughtful surface detailing elevate his work above that of replica to those of fine art.
