JOHN PANTING |
Sculptor John Panting was born and raised in Palmerston North. He studied sculpture at Ilam, University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts before moving to London in 1963 to further his sculpture study at the Royal College of Art.
John Panting is considered to be one of the innovators of New Zealand’s postmodern art practice. While mainly known as a sculptor, drawing and printmaking were an integral part of his process. He produced many editions of silk-screen prints, showing an on-going interest in the effects of refracted light on objects and abstracted forms. He used materials such as steel, Perspex, aluminium and wire cable in his sculptures, investigating their linear properties.
Although his career was short, it was prolific. He exhibited throughout Europe, the United States and New Zealand and was considered “a leading light in the new wave of British sculptors”. His sculptures are held in museums in New Zealand and abroad, including four owned by the Tate.
John Panting was a teacher at the Royal College of Art and the Central School of Art and Design until his death in a motorcycle accident in 1974.
Image: Photographer unknown, image Courtesy of the Estate of John Panting and Poussin Gallery London.
