Friend of Artfull, Wallace Chapman, talks about why art matters

At Artfull, we are firm believers in the beautiful concept of Whanaungatanga: community, connection and fostering relationships. One of the ways we express this by getting together with people from different facets of the arts and creative sectors, and indeed people from outside creative industries all together, to talk with them about art, life, and everything in between. You could say we like to get all deep and meaningful. And we do. Because ultimately that’s what really counts: understanding, connection, meaning and the stories that help us all make sense of the world. 

Artfull/Jessica Agoston Cleary: Hi Wallace, first of all, thank you for taking the time out of your hectic schedule to chat with me. I have to say, I love the way art has this ability to stop time and bring people together. By that I mean that when it comes to art, truly good art, you literally do stop to take it in. And when you get to talking to people about it, it can be like you’ve known the other person, or even the artist, for a lifetime. 

So tell me, What was it about art that drew you towards it in the first place? And why were you drawn toward working in the creative field of broadcasting and journalism?

Wallace Chapman: "Looking back I always enjoyed art at school, with great teachers like Warren Richards and Mark Dunstan at Nelson College. My 6th form folio was pretty weak - chocolate box images of churches. My 7th form however was extremely strong, addressing issues of colonialism through shattered images of the Union Jack. 

Later in life, 1999, myself, along with 4 others, started a small gallery in Dunedin to address what we saw as a gap for showing strong young emerging contemporary art. It was called The Blue Oyster Gallery. And its still going! Hard to believe, but it’s truly wonderful."

JAC: That’s amazing. The fact that The Blue Oyster is still going (it’s actually one of my favourite community and artist led spaces. They’re not afraid to shy away from engaging with big social and cultural themes) proves how important art truly is for so many people. Thinking about today though, what role does art play, or take up in your day to day life? How do you continue to engage and enjoy art on a personal level?

WC: "The role art plays for me is one of solace and reflection I guess. I have a pretty busy job in media, where I am intensely focused for much of the day. It is just a joy to take a moment to go to a gallery, or sit at home with a cuppa, and reflect on a work in front of you."

JAC:  I’m sure a lot of our Artfull community can relate to that. For artists and those of us who share our home with artworks, there is just something about gazing at an artwork that brings you into the present moment, at the same time as it takes you somewhere else. Let’s go deeper. Can you tell me why you’re drawn to art on a personal level?

WC: "I think it’s a way of viewing the world. A great piece of art can really jump out and speak to you. I kind of learned that from Peter McLeavey in his gallery, in Cuba street*. I would visit on a Thursday when I was in town doing a TV show. I can recall he wanted me to come and view this Colin McCahon work on hessian. He said to me as I sat looking at it. - “Can you feel it Wallace? Can you FEEL it? “ He was deeply and visibly moved by the work. It was quite an astonishing moment. It’s like he was plugged in directly to the work."

JAC: Having spent a year deep in the Colin McCahon Research and Publications Trust Archive, I absolutely know what Peter was talking about. McCahon’s work captured something almost beyond words. It's phenomenal the impact he had. I unearthed so many beautiful stories from people who were deeply moved by McCahons work. Good art does that. It makes you feel. We have this tendency, as humans, to want to put words around feelings. I guess it helps us make sense of things. Sometimes you just have to let go and go of logic and fall into your emotions. Which leads me to my next question - what is art to you? How do you personally define it?

WC: "In its broadest sense, art really is communication isn’t it. A dialogue designed to evoke a response in the viewer or participant. That can be passive, or it can be visceral."

JAC: Exactly! It’s about communication. Silent communication, about an infinite and unknowable number of things. So tell me, what does art do for you? What does it do to you? 

WC: "Art makes me think of place actually. I connect works with places  - I can’t take it out of the locale or context. So for example seeing a large Hotere exhibition in Dunedin years back was very special, knowing that some of the places that meant a lot to him, Aramoana, for example were just down the road. Toss Woollaston the same. I love how he returns to Nelson in his works. What does art do TO me? Sparks joy, sparks curiosity."

JAC: I have a personal obsession with place. Which sounds a bit weird when I say it that way, but place is about identity and connection. One of the first questions you ask someone you haven’t met before is generally where are you from. Art, particularly public art (but that’s a conversion for another time) really does have a truly unique capacity for place making. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons artists keep making and we all continue to fall in love with it. Because it helps us figure out who we are collectively. That’s one of the reason I think art matters. I’m curious to know why, in your view, does it matter? 

WC: "It would be, needless to say, a barren world without art, in all its forms. It’s fundamentally what makes us human, and it has been that way from time immemorial. To korero through paint, charcoal, dance, a moving image - through a painted wall on a street, to a bust in a town square. Art matters because people matter."

JAC: That is beautiful Wallace. Art matters because people matter. So, on that note, can you tell me about your favourite piece of art that you’ve encountered in an institutional gallery or public, outdoor setting? What was it about this piece that resonated with you?

WC: "One work that comes to mind right now is the five story high  mural on a wall in Britomart Auckland by Shane Cotton. Called Maunga, it features a number of adorned urns or vases. It’s arresting in its scope and size. I can recall seeing Shane work on it over weeks on this cherry picker. It is a must see.

Internationally, going to the Whitney and seeing a huge work by abstract expressionist artist Willem de Kooning was a special moment. As well as some key pieces by Andy Warhol. I’m not a huge Warhol fan, but as I said earlier, it’s about locale. And seeing his Elvis image at the Whitney in New York by Warhol. That was a moment."

JAC: I have to admit I was not the biggest Warhol fan either until recently. Ok, well I wouldn’t say I’ve been converted to being a fan, but I have a new appreciation for him after watching the recent Netflix series about him. Learning about who he was as a person, on a human deeper human level helped me connect to his work. Owning a Warhol, or artists of that league is a dream for most of us, so can you tell me about a favourite artwork which you own personally? What was it about this piece that resonated with you, to the point that you had to own it?

WC: "It’s a work on paper by Julian Dashper called ‘Blue and red and Green’ (1989). It just has this cool post-minimal pop aesthetic. To me Julian Daspher is quite an enigma. Playful yet quite mysterious at the same time. This work is just amazing I think. It’s quite hard to come by Dashper’s work."

JAC: You might say that Warhol and Dashper are not dissimilar on the enigmatic front. So, how did you come to own this Dashper work?

WC: "I saw the exhibition online at Sumer Art gallery in Tauranga.** And when I saw the exhibition I just had to have it, so I asked if I could pay it off over two years! Dan [du Bern, director of Sumer Gallery] was very gracious in letting me do so. That’s one thing I must say. ALWAYS ask if you can pay it off. They will nearly always let you. Not many of us have money sitting around. Then you can spend the year looking forward to getting it. MyArt also has a fantastic service where you get a loan and pay off over nine instalments."^

JAC: What is the one piece of advice you might give to someone new to collecting art, or engaging with art in general? 

WC: "That you need money to collect art. Everyone has their own level. Just do what you can IF you’re able. I said to my little son who was three at the time, and on a trip to Wellington - you get to choose a little canvas by John Reynolds. So off Mum and Jnr went and bought this colourful gorgeous little canvas from Mcleavey Gallery. 250 bucks ( pictured ).  It all helps to make the world just that little bit brighter. We sure need it."^

JAC: Thank you Wallace, as always it has been a pleasure talking and connecting over this sometimes mystical art thing we both love. 

*Peter McLeavy Gallery is now known as McLeavy gallery. Peter had a lasting influence on the shape of the Aoteroa New Zealand art world, launching the careers of some of our best and most significant artists. McCleavy gallery continues to represent leading artists.

**Sumer Gallery is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s newer contemporary dealer art galleries. Director Dan du Burn has a particularly unique eye for bold, graphic contemporary art. 

^Accessibility is a bit part of Artfull’s ethos. We will be partnering with MyArt, and you can also contact us directly if you have any questions about paying off a piece of art the way Wallace did. You’ll also find pieces on Artfull to suit almost any budget. As Wallace says, it makes the world just that little bit brighter, and we sure need it.