Johnny Turner - 'Space'
Canaday Gallery, 10th February–7th March 2010
Christchurch-born sculptor Johnny Turner has consistently crafted works that resolve the tension between the material and spiritual nature of the world in which we live. Typically, the artist’s works establish an imposing presence as tactile, physical and dramatic objects, yet the surfaces that Turner crafts and refines are smooth, meditative and ethereal. The images included in ‘Space’ are similarly informed by this paradox. ‘Space’ references time, flight, journeys and travel, yet the sculptures that make up this exhibition are formed from inanimate stone, intimate in the detail of their surfaces, yet sublime in their scale and aesthetic intentions.
Since 2003, Turner’s work has been recognised nationally through a series of national art awards. These include the Mercedes Benz Marquee Gold Medal (2003), the Forsyth Barr Canterbury Art Award 2004, the International Stone Symposium Award 2004, and the Premier Award in the 9th Manukau Vessel and Sculpture Exhibition in 2006. Turner has work in public and private collections throughout New Zealand and overseas.