Rei Hamon - Artist of the New Zealand Bush
From time to time an artist appears suddenly, almost spontaneously,
from the most unlikely surroundings,
and with the most unpromising background. Such a one is Rei Hamon.
Consider his story (which he tells personally in this book). It starts in the Gisborne area of New Zealand, with the most elementary kind of education. It con-tinues, with a period in and out of the bush - which covers the Ureweras and other large mountainous areas
- during which he received the second stage of his education - how to live in, and make a living out of, native forests of such density that people can get lost and die within a few hundred yards of a main road.
Later, while working with a roading gang, his back was so badly injured that manual work became im-possible. He set up shop in the Coromandel Peninsula, working with his wife to make and sell simple jewellery incorporating semi-precious stones, all found locally and polished.
During this time he started drawing, not from the nature that was all around him, but from the seemingly inexhaustible store of mental photographs impressed on his mind while he worked and lived in the bush.
The earlier results of his drawing were remarkable - but even more remarkable were the giant strides he made in technique over a few short years. His work is brilliant, and almost fantastically accurate.
Kees Hos, of the New Vision Art Centre, Auckland,
writes:
"The early drawings by Rei Hamon struck me as being both more primitive and more sensitive than one would expect from a mature person, who merely embarked on a new hobby. And it was only after he returned with very unusual drawings that I became aware of the possibility that something special could emerge.
"Within less than one and a half years Rei Hamon had produced a series of 16 drawings which stunned the Auckland art world.
"After reading Rei's book one understands how this could happen, and where all this came from: he has the power to relate simple facts and make us feel that we witness a miracle."
Comes with exhibition leaflet, New Vision Gallery 1971
Dust cover shows wear, pages very good
From time to time an artist appears suddenly, almost spontaneously,
from the most unlikely surroundings,
and with the most unpromising background. Such a one is Rei Hamon.
Consider his story (which he tells personally in this book). It starts in the Gisborne area of New Zealand, with the most elementary kind of education. It con-tinues, with a period in and out of the bush - which covers the Ureweras and other large mountainous areas
- during which he received the second stage of his education - how to live in, and make a living out of, native forests of such density that people can get lost and die within a few hundred yards of a main road.
Later, while working with a roading gang, his back was so badly injured that manual work became im-possible. He set up shop in the Coromandel Peninsula, working with his wife to make and sell simple jewellery incorporating semi-precious stones, all found locally and polished.
During this time he started drawing, not from the nature that was all around him, but from the seemingly inexhaustible store of mental photographs impressed on his mind while he worked and lived in the bush.
The earlier results of his drawing were remarkable - but even more remarkable were the giant strides he made in technique over a few short years. His work is brilliant, and almost fantastically accurate.
Kees Hos, of the New Vision Art Centre, Auckland,
writes:
"The early drawings by Rei Hamon struck me as being both more primitive and more sensitive than one would expect from a mature person, who merely embarked on a new hobby. And it was only after he returned with very unusual drawings that I became aware of the possibility that something special could emerge.
"Within less than one and a half years Rei Hamon had produced a series of 16 drawings which stunned the Auckland art world.
"After reading Rei's book one understands how this could happen, and where all this came from: he has the power to relate simple facts and make us feel that we witness a miracle."
Comes with exhibition leaflet, New Vision Gallery 1971
Dust cover shows wear, pages very good
From time to time an artist appears suddenly, almost spontaneously,
from the most unlikely surroundings,
and with the most unpromising background. Such a one is Rei Hamon.
Consider his story (which he tells personally in this book). It starts in the Gisborne area of New Zealand, with the most elementary kind of education. It con-tinues, with a period in and out of the bush - which covers the Ureweras and other large mountainous areas
- during which he received the second stage of his education - how to live in, and make a living out of, native forests of such density that people can get lost and die within a few hundred yards of a main road.
Later, while working with a roading gang, his back was so badly injured that manual work became im-possible. He set up shop in the Coromandel Peninsula, working with his wife to make and sell simple jewellery incorporating semi-precious stones, all found locally and polished.
During this time he started drawing, not from the nature that was all around him, but from the seemingly inexhaustible store of mental photographs impressed on his mind while he worked and lived in the bush.
The earlier results of his drawing were remarkable - but even more remarkable were the giant strides he made in technique over a few short years. His work is brilliant, and almost fantastically accurate.
Kees Hos, of the New Vision Art Centre, Auckland,
writes:
"The early drawings by Rei Hamon struck me as being both more primitive and more sensitive than one would expect from a mature person, who merely embarked on a new hobby. And it was only after he returned with very unusual drawings that I became aware of the possibility that something special could emerge.
"Within less than one and a half years Rei Hamon had produced a series of 16 drawings which stunned the Auckland art world.
"After reading Rei's book one understands how this could happen, and where all this came from: he has the power to relate simple facts and make us feel that we witness a miracle."
Comes with exhibition leaflet, New Vision Gallery 1971
Dust cover shows wear, pages very good