Wednesday 18 July 2012
Ron Brownson
One of the finest portraits of Teuane Tibbo, the brilliant Samoan/New Zealand artist, was made by Robin Morrison about 1978 when she was in her mid 80s (I am still researching the exact date of this photograph). This rarely seen image is now housed among his collection of photographs at Auckland Museum.
Teuane is wearing her painter's smock adjacent to her easel and painting trolley. Robin's portrait shows just how seriously Teuane took her painting work. Her tenacious character and determination are caught with Robin's acute ability to empathise with the people that he photographed.
By the way, this is a variant portrait from the one that is reproduced on page 45 of Richard Wolfe's All Our Own Work - New Zealand's Folk Art, Viking, Auckland, 1997.
CREDIT
Robin Morrison
Teuane Tibbo circa 1978
black and white photograph
Courtesy of Auckland Museum
and the Estate of Robin Morrison