1995 E Noho Rā de Chirico

E Noho Rā De Chirico comes from a period when Dibble was exploring New Zealand’s unique position as a nation apart from Europe yet steeped in European art traditions.

In part it is a mockery of traditional European sculptures. For it is the drawing of a classical nude, suggested in the round, but from the side view we discover it is little more than a relief - undermining traditional modelling techniques, and more in keeping with South Pacific and Māori sculpting.

The elegant figure is paired with a large leaf shape, the apparently unrelated motif used for contrast, and not dissimilar to the mixing of unusual, unrelated imagery as seen in the metaphysical paintings produced by Italian artist Giorgio de Chirico in the early 1900s.

The work was first exhibited in an outdoor grouping where three large Dibble pieces were placed outside the City Gallery Wellington in Civic Square. It was purchased by the Robert McDougall Gallery, sited then within the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. It was an apt fit for the building, with even the empty prebuilt plinth structures either side of the columns being of a perfect size for the work’s display.

When the new Christchurch Art Gallery was built on Montreal Street, the work was moved to one side of the new building. Some ten years later the decision was made to move the work back to the original building. Currently this building is undergoing earthquake strengthening and installation of base isolators, so the sculpture is in storage.