Exhibition Four, 4 July – 8 August 2025
Artist: Barbara Grace
Ink and watercolour on paper
These cartoons reflect my liking to comment on cycle culture in Auckland. This is often referred to as a culture war. Some say it is a proxy for a bigger national battle between Left and Right. I’d agree but I’d also say it is also, as nearly all wars are, a war over territory.
If you frequently cycle around Auckland as I do, it’s impossible to not be aware that many think that cars still own all the space on the road. And boy are they taking up huge amounts of space! Gigantic UTEs, huge SUVs. More and more weight on the roads and more congestion. Will we ever achieve a more mature culture such as Paris and Copenhagen? Not in my lifetime unfortunately.
Bio: I was born in 1943 in Christchurch. Art didn’t feature in my school life and no one in my family took any interest in art. It wasn’t until I was in my 20s and living in London that I discovered art galleries. Fast forward – I’m in my 50s and living in Auckland. I did a short painting course and was hooked.
Since graduating from AUT in 2000, art in all its aspects has played an important part in my life, now and then including something bike related. For instance, I founded a performance cycling group called The Velociteers for the first Art in the Dark in Western Park in 2012.