Arty brothers bonded with clay

Paul Rayner Paul Rayner is nine years older and left home when his brother Mark was just eight. Now they live next door to each other in Wanganui and chat over the fence, as well as sharing an art gallery and studio.

The two have been playing with clay this summer and made most of the works in the Hot Stuff show at their Rayner Brothers' Gallery in Guyton St. The work is up until February 11.

The Hot Stuff title is a play on ceramics and the fearsome heat of the kiln, plus the fact the works are new and that it's summer.

It's an all-ceramic show, and also has three works by former Tylee Cottage artist-in-residence John Roy, three by John Parker and three by Rick Rudd.

The Rayner brothers' fascination with clay is only about eight years old. Before that Paul was mainly a painter and Mark was in theatre. He did some ceramic night classes in Auckland, brought the techniques back to Wanganui and shared them with his brother.

In the Whanganui Artists' Open Studios 2004 event, small ceramic works sold well and the brothers realised they were on to a winner.

In this show Paul begins a series of despot mugs - which are not designed for drinking. He's done Muammar Gaddafi and will move on to Robert Mugabe, Kim Jong-Il and Saddam Hussein.

Mark began his work The Twins one night and had to keep going until two figures were finished. "Like many twins, they evolved naturally together. I just had fun making them alike but different," he said.

Both the brothers have other artistic interests. For Paul it's painting, and he hopes to have a show again soon. Mark does photography and mixed media, and also directs shows at Wanganui's Repertory Theatre.

Paul has regular shows at Bowen Galleries in Wellington and Mark shows at Seed in Auckland. They have a window for their clay creations at Thermostat Art Gallery in Palmerston North.

The two started their Guyton St gallery in August, 2007. "Initially, it was just to use as a studio space and show our own work on a very casual basis. It developed into a more structured routine, focusing mainly on ceramics. We keep our profile relatively high by contributing work to each show."

Their shows usually change monthly, often have quirky themes and have involved a wide range of local and national artists.

The back room of the gallery is their studio, and they work there when there are no customers to attend to. The gallery doesn't make them enough to live on, but they each have other income and it's a productive place to spend time.

Paul was the first of the Rayner family to live in Wanganui, arriving first for a job at radio station 2ZW. After his return in 1998 his parents, brother and sister Ann all moved there as well.

All members of the family take an interest in their gardens. "We all have very different gardens too, which is nice. Our parents have just won a silver award for their garden," Paul said.

The brothers and their parents enjoy living in Castlecliff.

"It's nice and quiet, and particularly at this time of year it's lovely the way the sun comes in the front in the evening," Mark said.

The Rayner family emigrated from England to live in Taupo in 1973. Paul worked at 2ZW, at the Sarjeant Gallery and during the formation of Te Papa. He finished a degree in art in Auckland in 1988 and returned to Wanganui 10 years later.

Brother Mark arrived in 2002, after spending the previous 17 years in London working in stage management and with touring theatres.