Agnes Wood | |
---|---|
Born | Agnes Rosetta Eady 26 May 1921 |
Died | 12 December 2013
Auckland, New Zealand | (aged 92)
Alma mater | Elam School of Fine Arts |
Spouse |
Edward Phillip Wood
(
m. 1944; died 1986) |
Relatives | Alfred Eady (father) |
Agnes Rosetta Wood (née Eady, 26 May 1921 – 12 December 2013) was a New Zealand artist and writer. [1] She is known for her research and writing on the life of fellow New Zealand artist Colin McCahon. [2]
Born Agnes Rosetta Eady on 26 May 1921, Wood was the daughter of Lewis Alfred Eady, a music retailer, and Agnes Amelia Eady (née Adams). [3] [4] [5] On 2 December 1944, she married Edward Phillip Wood at the Congregational Church in Beresford Street, Auckland. [4]
Wood initially trained and worked as a milliner but later studied at the Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland, graduating with a master's degree in 1973, aged 52. As a student there she was influenced by her tutors Robert Ellis and Colin McCahon, and her early work explored the structures and patterns of cityscapes. [6] [7] Her figurative paintings, which often depict geometrical portraits on abstract backgrounds, frequently feature figures wearing hats, headpieces or simplified floral headbands — a probable result of her previous training in millinery. [6]
In 1997, Wood published Colin McCahon: The Man and the Teacher, which was based on correspondence and interviews with McCahon. [8] [9]
In 2009, an 88th birthday exhibition of Wood's work was held in Auckland. [10] Paintings by Wood are held in the collections of Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and the University of Auckland. [11] [12]
Wood died in Auckland on 12 December 2013, and her body was cremated at Purewa Crematorium. [1] [13]