Colin McCahon

Colin McCahon was born in Timaru in 1919. He was educated at the Dunedin School of Art and in 1937 enrolled part time at the King Edward College Technical Art School. McCahon began exhibiting in 1939. He moved to Auckland in 1953 to work at the Auckland City Art Gallery where he became Deputy Director until his departure in 1964. McCahon lectured at Elam School of Fine Arts from 1964 to 1971. McCahon was quoted as saying, ?Most of my work has been aimed at relating man to man to this world, to an acceptance of the very beautiful and terrible mysteries that we are part of. I aim at very direct statement and ask for a simple and direct response. Any other way the message gets lost.? Depiction of Landscape, in a way that departs from previous painting traditions in New Zealand and a preoccupation with simplicity are common themes articulated in his works. His painting is considered to be biographical showing where he was at any given point, where he was living and the direction he was taking. McCahon died in 1987.