Chartwell Reflections by Chris Booth

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Being

Creative visual thinking is fundamental to us all as human beings as we strive to understand our sense of self and the world. Chartwell seeks to deepen understanding about the importance of art and creative thinking for our future and our wellbeing.

Seeing

Chartwell is an explorer of the visual world. We want to know more about how and what we see. When both the eye and the mind are active, the creative process opens to the artist and viewer. The Chartwell Collection provides the viewer many examples of creative visual thought in action.

Making

Chartwell supports artists as they make and think. Making is an active and connected process, involving the interaction of intention, intuition and intellect with the mediums of the world. Chartwell is making too - making a difference through philanthropy and enabling access to creative activities and research.

Thinking

Chartwell encourages everyone to think about art and the creative process with a commitment to drive an understanding about the significance of the visual arts to general creative thinking. We share a curiosity to know and learn more: an imaginative, ongoing investigation.

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9 January 2025

Installation view of 'Forest Proverb' (1985) by Chris Booth in the exhibition 'Proverb Series' at the CFCA, 1985. Image courtesy of the artist.

Chris Booth, 'Forest Proverb', 1985, Horse dung and molasses mould for casting bronze into the impression of platted nikau fronds. Photographed at the artist’s studio, Kerikeri, Northland. Image courtesy of the artist.

Chris Booth, ‘Forest Proverb’, 1985, Bronze ‘Spirit Bird’ and fronds. Photographed at the artist's studio, Kerikeri, Northland, 1985. Image courtesy of the artist.

Installation of Chris Booth's 'Stone Proverb I', using a Hiab crane unit for the exhibition 'Proverb Series' at the CFCA , 1985.

Chris Booth, 'Karuhiruhi and Nikau', 1985, Bronze, crystalline sandstone. Photographed at the entrance to the Centre for Contemporary Art, Hamilton. Image courtesy of the artist.

Chris Booth, ‘Stone Proverb II’, 1985, Bronze, crystalline sandstone, manuka. Image courtesy of the artist.

Installation view of 'Forest Proverb' (1985) by Chris Booth in the exhibition 'Proverb Series' at the CFCA, 1985.

1985 was an astonishingly varied year for Centre for Contemporary Art (CFCA) exhibitions. They ranged from Peter Peryer, Philippa Blair, Rodney Fumpston, Terence Handscomb and Julia Morison and Jeffrey Harris to Chris Booth among others.

Chris recently recalled the works he showed at the CFCA in a 1985 exhibition titled 'Proverb Series':

“I loved the rush of memories from back in 1985 and am very excited at your vision for the 50th celebration. The works I showed featured in my 1993 book, Chris Booth Sculpture, published by David Bateman Ltd.”