Toss Woollaston

Toss Woollaston (1910 - 1998) was among the founders of modern art in New Zealand and was recognised as such when knighted for his services to art in 1979 - the first artist in New Zealand to be given this honour.
One of New Zealand’s foremost landscape painters, he is known particularly for his landscapes of the Nelson region where lived most of his life. These works are characterised by energetic brushstrokes and tones of brown and ochre. Because of the earthy palette, these landscapes were initially a challenge to the conventional New Zealand landscape which was typically painted in a spectrum of greens.
While contact with local artists such as R. N. Field and Flora Scales helped shape his direction, it was the influence of Paul Cezanne that was to have the most profound influence on Woollaston’s career. From him he learnt new modernist theories about space-construction and colour and adapted his ideas into his own work combining the techniques with his own emotional and expressive approach to the New Zealand landscape. As a landscape painter Woollaston sought to “invent new strategies for reproducing not nature, but the emotions felt before nature’ (Woollaston, 1983).
Painting without the use of conventional perspective, Woollaston maintained that as the viewer never sees in true perspective the artist has no need to use it. Instead he would often tilt the picture plane to suit the subject and support it with the energy of his paint application. Based on an intimate understanding of his surroundings, this technique was learned through years of intense observation and was also employed to capture the energy and atmospheric qualities of the landscape.
While Woollaston is perhaps best known for his large-scale oil paintings, he also was prolific in watercolour and works on paper. He used these mediums not only for preparatory sketches, but also considered them complete works on their own. His watercolours show freshness and immediacy, reflecting his spontaneous approach to painting. He also made numerous figurative studies focused mainly on his wife and people close to him which often led to commissioned portraits.
Critical recognition for Woollaston developed through a series of national touring retrospective exhibitions beginning in 1958. During his long career he received a number of fellowships and grants further recognising his invaluable contribution to New Zealand art. His work is held in many private collections and all major public collections through out the country.