Artwork Information

Margot Philips depicted the lush Waikato countryside as a largely empty space, except for the occasional farmhouse or stand of trees. Some have read the sense of isolation her work conveys as reflecting her experiences as a Jewish émigré; of someone who sees her adopted homeland as uninhabited and lonely. Philips fled Europe with members of her family and arrived in New Zealand in 1938. A largely self-taught artist, Philips attended several summer schools with Colin McCahon during the 1950s where he encouraged her to experiment, to pursue her own directions – a maxim which she followed with powerful results. Philips’ closely scrutinised the verdant Waikato, depicting the rolling country in finely knitted together layers of green.