Artists through Marti Friedlander's lens

13 May 2021

Vintage photographs by celebrated artist Marti Friedlander will be on display at a new Waikato Museum exhibition set to open on 14 May.

The exhibition is toured by New Zealand Portrait Gallery and has been curated by Friedlander’s friend and former lecturer Dr Leonard Bell.

The prints chronicle New Zealand’s social and cultural life from the 1960s into the twenty-first century. Friedlander’s subjects are artists, writers, craftspeople and actors, including Ralph Hotere, Maurice Gee, Dame Robin White, Wilf Wright, Darien Takle, Michael King, Evelyn Page and Gaylene Preston.

Waikato Museum Director Cherie Meecham said the exhibition is a unique opportunity for visitors to appreciate the stunning work of one Aotearoa’s most prominent and highly regarded photographers. “Marti Friedlander’s compelling photography is recognised here and around the world for its invaluable insights into our socio-cultural history,” she said. “It’s a privilege to be hosting a showcase of her expressive works, which reveal her brilliance and range in terms of style, format and lighting.”

Friedlander emigrated to New Zealand from England in 1958 and began taking photographs in a quest to document and understand her new home, its people and social movements. The late photographer’s career spans nearly 60 years and covers a variety of genres, from documentary reportage and street photography to rural landscapes and portraiture.

Marti Friedlander: Portraits of the Artists runs until 25 July, daily from 10am to 5pm. Entry is free.

Image: Detail, Marti Friedlander, Don Driver in his studio, New Plymouth, 1978. Image copyright Gerrard and Marti Friedlander Charitable Trust

For more information:

Elias Koronis, Communications Advisor

07 245 0072 | elias.koronis1@hcc.govt.nz