1960 - 1975 The Church Works

The Church Work

The transition from art school graduate to artist is never simple. There are problems of where to show art (Barry Lett Gallery in Auckland was one of the fledgelings), and where to make it. Sometimes the biggest hurdle is how to finance it. Determined not to take on teaching in the early stages, Paul hoped his skills in bronze casting might enable him to produce sellable works. He had developed these skills during his time at art school. Paul often worked off site with bronze caster Ron Ramsby at his foundry. Ramsby had produced several significant works in Auckland, many of which Paul lent a hand with. The most notable was probably Molly McCallister’s Māori Warrior. Located at the bottom of Queen Street, in the central business district, this was a work Paul had much admiration for. From this start, he began building his own furnace in the backyard of his Mt. Eden flat. He produced brick dust moulds (a process more cumbersome than current casting methods), and convinced a few of his flatmates to help with some of the pushing, shoving, and pouring.

Concurrent with this, Paul kept in touch with his art school contacts. One late afternoon, at the Kiwi pub before six o’clock closing, his art school lecturer Colin McCahon introduced him to architect James Hackshaw about a job. Hackshaw worked at a practice known as The Group, which was part of a pivotal change in the architecture of New Zealand. The Group held the aim of developing a style that reflected a New Zealand identity, different to all the other prototypes that had washed up in New Zealand. They wanted to make something pertinent to this young country of harsh light and practical pragmatism. Something that was new while also being raw and distinctive. Mostly, the work they produced was in keeping with ‘50s modernism, but with a rugged twist. They often used materials like concrete block and corrugated iron, generally more associated with crude farm buildings and sheds than with domestic housing. Detailing, like architraves and kickboards, were simplified or cast out entirely.

A lucrative part of Hackshaw’s business was designing a series of churches for the Catholic diocese; Hackshaw himself was a practising Catholic. His approach to developing these churches was inspired by the new doctrines of ‘Vatican 2’, or the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. The Council ushered in an ethos which sought to make church buildings community gathering places instead of formal and formidable monuments. Hackshaw’s vision dovetailed with this perfectly. 

What followed from this development was locally designed and built churches, extended through to the internal fittings. Craftsmen from the local area were employed to build these fitting, instead of shipping in pre-made items from Rome. So Hackshaw worked with McCahon to get stained glass windows designed, a big shift from their European counterparts. McCahon then introduced Paul who, with casting prowess, could make the candlesticks, tabernacles, and statuary. The deal might have been made over a jug of beer, but it stuck. This provided several years of work for the young artist.

During this time, Paul produced an array of church items from water fonts, crucifix figures, candleholders, candelabras, and tabernacles – many were lined with gold sheet. The items produced were entirely different from the former manufactured imports. They had qualities of mass and solidity, and a styling that seemed distinct to the 1960s, along with coarse, strong modelling. Some larger crucifixes were made in fondue cement, and a bronze bust of Bishop Liston was commissioned.

This period lasted only been a few short years - although the odd job continued into a later time bracket. More importantly than the much-needed income, it sowed a seed, which in another 15 years would begin to grow and then bloom. It gave Paul the knowledge and confidence to pursue a career as a full time artist.