Victoria University of Wellington Emeritus Professor John Davidson will discuss how the presence of James K. Baxter is reflected in works by his friend Colin McCahon in a talk at the University’s Adam Art Gallery.
McCahon’s major painting Walk (Series C), which features in the Adam Art Gallery’s current exhibition, The Specious Present, was made in the year after Baxter’s passing as a homage to the great New Zealand writer and poet.
John Davidson specialises in ancient Greek drama, researching the relationship between Sophocles’ and Euripides’ tragedies and the Homeric texts, with a related interest in performance issues associated with Greek theatre.
This interest in Greek mythology carries into his writing on New Zealand poetry and opera. His 2011 book The Snake-Haired Muse: James K. Baxter and Classical Myth, co-authored with Dr Geoff Miles and Paul Millar, argues that such mythologies were at the heart of Baxter's poetic vision.
For information about the full public programme associated with this exhibition, visit: www.adamartgallery.org.nz.
What: Professor John Davidson discusses the work of James K. Baxter. Public programme event for The Specious Present; Andrew Beck, David Claerbout, Colin McCahon, Keith Tyson
Where: Adam Art Gallery, Victoria University of Wellington, Gate 3, Kelburn Parade
When: Saturday 8 August, 2pm, free entry