MASTERTON artist Robin White says she is more bemused than flattered after a picture she painted more than 30 years ago was named at the weekend as one of the 10 contenders for the title of New Zealand's greatest painting.
Fish and Chips, Maketu, painted in 1975, is one of the
finalists in a poll being conducted by the Television New Zealand arts programme Frontseat to find our best painting ever.
The winner will be determined by votes cast on the programme's website.
"Maybe it's one of those things where you can get your whole whanau to cast a vote, like NZ Idol ? heaven forbid," White said with a laugh.
The poll has come in for considerable flak from the arts community, with commentators saying the notion that a single painting can be described as the greatest is a nonsense. There were also complaints that some of New Zealand's most widely acclaimed artists, including Ralph Hotere and Toss Woollaston, didn't make the final cut.
Others included in the final 10 were works by Petrus van der Velden ? the only 19th century artist on the list ? Rita Angus, who had two paintings selected, Colin McCahon, with four paintings, Bill Hammond and Grahame Sydney.
White agrees that it is impossibe to declare a single painting the best ? "there is no such thing as New Zealand's greatest painting" ? and says she finds the idea of ranking paintings as strange. "They are all all like your children, they all have different aspects and you would never choose between your children."
She she wouldn't have regarded Fish and Chips, Maketu as that special ? "I wouldn't even put in the top 10 of my own paintings."
The top 10 list was determined by viewers of Frontseat. White says she has no idea why Fish and Chips, Maketu, caught the voters' attention.
"Perhaps it's just that New Zealanders like fish and chips," she said.
