 I have just returned from Art in the Park at Eden Park, and I am still buzzing. This year was wildly successful – in fact, I sold out of all my works. That result is, of course, gratifying on a personal level, but what really stays with me are the people, the conversations, and the energy of the event. The team behind Art in the Park deserve enormous recognition. Cary, Sophia and Linda are the beating heart of this exhibition – smart, energetic, inclusive and fun. They foster a culture of camaraderie that runs right through both the nationwide and regional arts communities. Their commitment has built an environment where artists can thrive and the public can engage in genuine and joyful ways. And none of this would be possible without the leadership of Nick, CEO of Eden Park, whose vision makes it possible for art to fill such an iconic venue. I am deeply grateful to them all. One of the most fascinating things about exhibiting is watching how the public interact with my work. Time and time again people stop, drawn by a sense of mystery, trying to figure out what the medium is. When I tell them that it is photography – photographs of material taken with a slow shutter speed – I often see a moment of recoil as they realise their mind has been fooled. Then comes curiosity, and they lean closer, discovering the folds, textures and tiny details of fabric that underpin each image. What follows are the conversations I love most: people sharing what they see, what they feel, and sometimes even a story from their own life that a piece has unlocked. Again and again, I have watched people fall in love with one specific artwork that speaks to them, and these moments are the true reward for me.
The fiscal outcome of selling out my works is valuable, but it is the human connections and cultural enrichment that matter most. And that leads me to a national issue that I cannot ignore – the proposed removal of Art History from the New Zealand curriculum.
To cut Art History is to cut away an entire dimension of how we understand ourselves. This subject is not just about names and dates – it is about cultural literacy, empathy and critical thinking. It is about understanding how societies express themselves and how creativity reflects – and shapes – human life. When students are denied access to Art History, they lose an opportunity to see themselves within the sweep of culture, and to recognise their place in the ongoing story of humanity. The decision is not only culturally impoverishing, it is economically short-sighted. My own career as a Graphic Designer, singer and exhibiting artist is a direct result of discovering Art History at school. The arts are a significant contributor to GDP and exports in New Zealand, and the knowledge embedded in art history strengthens that contribution. To diminish it in our education system will reduce both cultural understanding and fiscal benefit to our nation. Art in the Park reminded me again of the hunger that exists for art, for story, for connection. Thousands of people came through Eden Park because they wanted to be part of that. They wanted to be moved, surprised, challenged and delighted. It is proof that art matters, and that cultural knowledge enriches not only individual lives but our collective national identity. So while I celebrate the extraordinary success of this year’s exhibition – and give thanks to Cary, Sophia, Linda and Nick for creating such a brilliant platform – I also raise my voice in protest. We must protect and preserve Art History in our schools. To lose it is to risk raising a generation with narrower horizons and diminished cultural understanding. We owe our future artists, designers, musicians, thinkers and audiences more than that.
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 The New Zealand Government’s proposal to remove Art History from the education curriculum deeply troubles me. This decision will not only reduce the richness of our humanities education but also diminish our ability as a nation to contribute meaningfully to the global arts conversation. I speak from lived experience. My early education was, frankly, uninspiring. Nothing lit me up until I encountered Art History. That subject unlocked a passion that shaped my entire life and career. Today I work as a Graphic Designer, a profession directly born from my love of the arts. I also sing jazz on the national stage, drawing from a deep knowledge of cultural music history and the American Songbook tradition. Alongside this, I exhibit abstract artworks nationwide, many of which reference historic art pieces fundamental to our shared cultural story. None of this would have been possible without the foundation that Art History provided me. Art History is more than memorising names and dates. It teaches us how cultures speak across time, how ideas evolve, and how creativity reflects – and shapes – society. It is a discipline that fosters critical thinking, empathy, and cultural literacy. Removing it risks encouraging a less dimensional, less informed, and more culturally impoverished generation. Some argue that Art History can simply be absorbed into wider visual arts subjects. But this approach misses the point. Not all students will take visual arts, meaning many who might have discovered a lifelong passion for Art History will never encounter it. For me, it was the standalone subject that changed everything – and I know I’m not alone. As a nation, we pride ourselves on creativity and innovation. Our artists, musicians, writers, and designers contribute to New Zealand’s international identity and influence. To remove Art History is to weaken the very roots from which that creativity grows. I urge the Government to reconsider. Preserving Art History in our schools is not about nostalgia, it is about investing in a richer, more humane, and more culturally aware future for New Zealand. If you share my concern, I urge you to act. Write to your local MP, contact the Minister of Education, and make your voice heard. Share this post, talk to friends and colleagues, and raise awareness about what is at stake. Art History is not a luxury – it is a vital part of how we understand ourselves and our place in the world. Together, we can ensure it remains part of New Zealand’s future.  My personal story reflects the transformative impact of Art History. I experienced a fairly ordinary and uninspiring education until Art History was offered. That subject lit a spark in me which has shaped my entire life. The enrichment it provided has been fundamental to my success. I now work as a Graphic Designer directly because of my love of the Arts. I am also a jazz singer with a deep knowledge of music history, and an exhibiting artist with many shows to my name, using unique systems and processes that grew out of my grounding in Art History.
Absorbing the subject into other visual arts programmes will render Art History inaccessible to many students, as those who do not choose visual arts would otherwise miss it entirely. The Value of New Zealand Art History Knowledge on the World Stage Why it Matters
Projected Value
Intangible Returns
Pathways to Growth
Forecast With strategic investment, New Zealand can expect measurable export and GDP uplifts in the hundreds of millions of NZD within 3–5 years, and potential billion-dollar scale effects by 2030. The nation will also gain significant global influence, stronger cultural partnerships and deeper recognition of mātauranga Māori and Pacific histories. When most people think of photography, they imagine clear windows into reality: portraits, landscapes, snapshots of life as it is. Abstraction, by contrast, often belongs to painting or sculpture - art that distorts, simplifies, or escapes the real. But can photography ever be truly abstract, or does it always remain tied to what was in front of the lens? This question was at the heart of Shape of Light: 100 Years of Photography and Abstract Art, a landmark exhibition at Tate Modern. The show set out to explore the history of abstract photography and its relationship to other art forms, tracing a century of experiments in bending light, shadow, and form. Photography in Dialogue with Abstraction The exhibition paired photographs with abstract paintings and sculptures, revealing striking similarities: spirals, grids, shadows, and rhythmic patterns. These juxtapositions showed how artists across disciplines were chasing the same ideas of balance, form, and motion. At times, however, the connections felt superficial. Simply placing a photograph next to a painting didn’t always explain why abstraction mattered to photography itself. Still, the dialogue raised a crucial point: photography has always been more than a tool for representation. Highlights of Abstract Photography
These highlights demonstrated that photography brings unique tools to abstraction. Unlike painting’s blank canvas, the photographer begins with light, shadow, and time - reshaping them to reveal hidden patterns and structures. The Challenge of Scale Covering a century of work was an ambitious task, and at times the exhibition felt sprawling. Repetition risked dulling the impact, and the show occasionally lost its narrative thread. Yet, despite this, the sheer breadth of works reminded viewers how deeply photography has contributed to the story of abstraction. Abstract Photography Today Even if Shape of Light was uneven, it raised questions that feel more relevant than ever. Abstract photography continues to thrive, from fabric blurred into landscapes to AI-generated distortions of reality. The digital era has expanded its possibilities, proving that photography is not bound to realism. Abstraction in photography isn’t about escaping reality altogether. It’s about discovering new ways to see it - uncovering moods, patterns, and textures hidden in plain sight. Closing Reflection Abstract photography may never replace painting or sculpture in the canon of abstraction, but it has carved out its own essential role. Shape of Light reminded us that the lens doesn’t just record the world; it can transform it. In the end, abstraction isn’t about turning away from the real - it’s about finding beauty in unexpected structures, and reshaping the way we see. - "Shape of Light: 100 years of Photography and Abstract Art" was a 2018 exhibition at Tate Modern that explored the connection between photography and abstraction from the early 20th century to the present, featuring artists like Man Ray and Barbara Kasten, and showcasing how photographers used light and camera techniques to create abstract works. The exhibition featured over 350 works by more than 100 artists, demonstrating innovation and originality through a variety of techniques, from traditional photo-montage to contemporary digital art. Key Aspects of the Exhibition:
Why "Shape of Light"? The title reflects photography's fundamental nature: the capturing and shaping of light. The exhibition explored how photographers manipulated light, the lens, and the photographic material itself to create images that prioritized abstraction and the visual properties of light over literal representation. |
AuthorChris Melville is an award-winning abstract photographer based in Auckland, NZ. Archives
November 2025
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