Colin McCahon’s Numbers and Stations: A Convergence in the 1970s

In this talk, Peter Simpson, a leading authority on Colin McCahon, provides an informative context for the paintings included in Safety in Numbers; Colin McCahon’s Dark Equations.

Numbers/numerals (whether Arabic, Roman, or spelled out) were a common element in McCahon’s work, which frequently references the 14 Stations of the Cross – the sequential narrative of events leading up to Christ’s crucifixion and burial.

Both numbers and the Stations of the Cross have a long history in McCahon’s work going back to the 1940s and 1950s. Peter talk will trace the evolution of McCahon’s interest in numbers and their increasing presence in his 1960s and 70s works with the aim of enhancing understanding and appreciation of the exhibition and McCahon’s art in general.

About Peter

Peter Simpson has curated five exhibitions (two of them at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki), written numerous articles and published five books about Colin McCahon, including his two-volume centennial study published by Auckland University Press in 2019 and 2020. His most recent publication is Dear Colin, Dear Ron: The Selected Letters of Colin McCahon and Ron O'Reilly (Te Papa Press, 2024).