ANDREW DRUMMOND | "My work is primarily concerned with the relationship between the body and the land. In recent years the works have been kinetic and often are interactive with the environment. At present I am working on an arcade that is interactive and embraces the viewer within the work." |
Andrew Drummond was born in Nelson. Raised and educated in Palmerston North, Andrew studied at Palmerston North Teachers College before heading to Waterloo University in Ontario, Canada where he earned an honours degree in sculpture.
Known primarily as a sculptor, his work is diverse, integrating video, drawing and photography. He is considered a pioneer in New Zealand performance art and, while some of his works are for traditional gallery settings, he often creates public and private commissions for outdoor locations that explore the relationships humans have with technology.
Andrew has produced many public sculptures including two for the Wellington Sculpture Trust. His Tower of Light converts wind speed into light; the lighter the wind, the fewer number of neon rings are lit. The neon rings go through the spectrum from green to red. As a result, he says, the viewer is able to read wind speed through colour, a method for them to re-sense their environment.
A full time artist based in Christchurch, Drummond, was a senior lecturer in sculpture at the University of Canterbury School of Fine Arts from 1992 – 2003. He has exhibited widely in New Zealand and internationally including in Sydney, Barcelona, Edinburgh, New York City and Paris.
Palmerston North is my school city. I was a foundation pupil at Winchester Primary, next to Intermediate Normal, Palmerston North Boys High and onto Palmerston North Teachers College. My memory is of a very open place to live with the riverbank our playground. I loved the fact that one could bike everywhere which afforded a sense of freedom, a prerequisite for artistic endeavour.
