Patronised painter

By Gena Tuffery, November 8, 2007 @ 5:56 am

Leonardo da Vinci had one. So did Raphael. Now our own Kelcy Taratoa is flourishing under the creatively liberating breeze of the patron’s dollar. Taratoa has become the first New Zealander to secure a long-term contract to paint exclusively for an overseas market.

The American art benefactor—“Let’s just call him David, he doesn’t want to be hassled,” says Taratoa—discovered the artist’s work while holidaying in Queenstown last year, and flew him down for a chat. The informal meeting netted an impressive result: a five-year deal to supply the American market with Taratoa’s distinctive ‘graphic street art’, starting with a challenging 12-works-in-12-months brief.

These works are scheduled to slot into a group exhibition next year, touring the major US galleries to garner an American fan base. Meanwhile, Taratoa will be in his Palmerston North studio furiously—but very happily—painting more works to meet predicted demand.

Taratoa is confident he can cross the cultural divide without having to do it literally. “I don’t want to move to America,” he says, “but because of globalisation, I don’t have to. American culture is everywhere—McDonald’s, Wendy’s, BK … if you depict modern society it’s recognisable anywhere.”

If all goes to plan, in five years Taratoa’s work will also be recognisable anywhere. He already has a unique sans-brushstroke style—deliberately designed to reference the rise of technology, while retaining a traditional acrylic on canvas medium. “I want to blend what we understand to be real and unreal,” he says. What, like a Palmerston North artist securing a wealthy American patron? Good work.