Rob McLeod Mixing different heavens

The Planet Heads, The Angels and The Hats, are among a colourful cast of cardboard cartoon characters in Mixing Different Heavens, the latest large scale work in Tauranga Art Gallery's Atrium.

Wellington artist Rob McLeod designed his work especially for the gallery's atrium, after visiting the gallery for the first time about six months ago.

The atrium, which McLeod describes as "a breathtaking cathedral", presented challenges for the artist but he says he relished working on the new concept.

"When I first saw the space I thought it was just breathtakingly beautiful, just an absolute cathedral.

"It did represent a huge challenge for me with 7m high walls, as the highest I can get is 3m in my studio, but it was a challenge I was more than willing to accept," he says.

"This project was done solely for me, so I could really loosen up and explore different areas.

"It was a very free process, once I got going."

The figurative work has several groupings including The Planet Heads, who sit above everyone, The Crowd, The Bombers, and The Angels.

The Small Man is at ground level, living his life beneath all these groups and trying to make sense of his universe.

McLeod says Mixing Different Heavens took about four-and-a-half months to create, working six days a week in the studio attached to his house.

Rob McLeod: Mixing Different Heavens runs from June 1 to September 30.