From a clutter of paint tubes covered with ancient clay dust and shimmers of oils, works rise like mirages at all angles from the depths of John Madden's studio.
A lifelong reverence for the land is obvious in his work.
His expression of isolated, rugged and emotionally tortuous landscapes onthe canvas draws in the viewer, inviting them to begin a journey which captivated Madden as he prowled the hills, listening to the voices of the land. "It speaks to me," he says, "It says all sorts."
Madden's Land of Cadence exhibition at Orexart in Arch Hill has many examples of this expressive relationship. The show features landscapes from areas Madden insists he can't stop returning to, such as Anawhata and Pararaha. He is fixated on recording the landscape as it changes day to day. One standout piece is Solitude Of The Dunes. Textured slashes create varying shades of vivid, frantic reflections. A depth of solitude creates a striking contrast within the work itself, and allows one to appreciate Madden's special brand of precision.
"It happens pretty quick," Madden says as he paces with a cigarette (which he says he's giving up) when explaining his creative process. "I go back and tweak things ... But you only really know something is complete if you just can't go any further."
Having grown up in Greymouth in a mining family, he confirms that his upbringing added to his fascination with hills and the depths of their existence. The hills and valleys of Auckland's west coast haunt him and his work is a method of exorcism in which he is well practised. "There are so many angles and ways to show it, it doesn't look like the same place."
Madden has long been on the Auckland art scene and continues to tramp its west coast region as his mentor, Toss Woollaston, once did in Nelson. Although he keeps to himself and appreciates the solace out west, he has many stories gathered over a long career and the collection of precious things in his studio is testament to this. The studio could reflect parts of his mind, with memories and excerpts packed deep inside, visible when they need to be but otherwise blending into palettes and piles of brushes which look like they're giving each other directions.
Overseeing it all is a pack from mountaineering days hung high on the wall, inviting memories of journeys past, but sitting ready. Madden says that the idea of a journey was important to the Land of Cadence exhibition. His raw, honest portrayal of the exploration of a changing landscape makes him the perfect candidate to transfer the poetry of the land to colour on canvas.
