My sculptures are of people, made with several ideas that connect them to their backgrounds. One connection is made by cutting away the shape of a face form the edge of a work, and then what is behind becomes a figure in itself. This interplay gives a sense of situation.

Another relationship to the ground is made with the horizontal human form. As a maker of figure sculpture, I only recently found a way past Moore’s ownership of the reclining pose, and that is by visualizing a person lying down as though divided into the flats of an eighteenth century theatre set. This transforms them into a landscape, and thus the figure becomes ground.

Terry Stringer 2011

Terry Stringer is a leading New Zealand sculptor. He trained at Elam School of Fine Arts graduating with Honours in 1967 and in the following years received virtually every significant scholarship and award available to New Zealand artists. In the late 1970s he was awarded the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council Scholarship three times.

He is a key figure in the history of art in New Zealand, a sculptor with an established reputation. This was acknowledged in 2003 when he was the recipient of the country’s national honour, the ONZM (Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit). His signature works have become synonymous with high profile public sites throughout Aotearoa/New Zealand, including The Risen Christ in Christchurch’s Cathedral Square, his Grand Head in Wellington. He has just completed The World Grasped for Newmarket, Auckland.

In addition to public and private sculpture commissions, Terry Stringer has been involved in various theatrical projects. Downstage Theatre, Wellington commissioned him to design sets and costumes for Cabaret, and the Royal New Zealand Ballet for Images of Desire.

Throughout his career Stringer has exhibited extensively, with solo shows in Auckland, Sydney, Los Angeles and London. He lives and works at his sculpture park Zealandia, north of Auckland, New Zealand.

Dr Robin Woodward
Department of Art History
University of Auckland