Damian Skinner

Having read this biography of the artist Theo Schoon, I feel a great sense of achievement because as a subject for a biography he is not a likeable subject. The author does not pull any punches on this and indeed Schoon knew himself to be difficult to get on with and indeed live with.

Damian Skinner has used his thesis as the basis for this biography and his extensive research is evident. The lack of a bibliography was a major drawback of this work. His sources are given extensive end-noting by chapter but that is so time-consuming to follow and breaks up the reading significantly. It would be nice to be able to see a list for example, of the people he interviewed for this biography. He may have interviewed Schoon's sister-in-law but unless I followed up every note I haven't picked that up.

Having expressed that quibble, this is a fine production from Massey University Press. It is excellently illustrated with both Schoon's own photographs and those in other collections.

By the time I reached the section of his life where he is taken in by Helen Mason - potter in Tokomaru Bay - I was getting annoyed by his expectations of others and that he seemed to take their very evident generosity for granted. The faithfulness of people like Gordon Walters and Len Castle to mention just two was admirable.

The key themes of the biography that resonated for me were his
'work' in bringing to the NZ public the rock drawings done by Maori in both islands of New Zealand. Secondly was the gourd phase and the associated ideas of what was 'Maori art' and the condition and future of Maori art. Significantly it was a Maori potter Baye Riddell who was one the people who helped him leave Tokomaru Bay.

Skinner's biography gives what seems to be a passing parade of New Zealand artists and to some extent this reflects the influence that Schoon had on many of them. Who was the Palmerston North potter Steve Schofield?

I felt that there were some loose ends, for example - we don't find out how John Money's relationship with Schoon ended up. Certainly Money's role in collecting Schoon's work and then donating it to the gallery in Gore is an important one. Nor do we find out about his relationship to his brother Pieter and his family towards the end of both their lives. It is ironic then that his ashes are buried with his brother at Green Park Cemetery in Green Island.

I did enjoy this work and I am sure I would benefit from re-reading it. He wouldn't appreciate the fact that I have given this book the tag 'New Zealand artists!!… (más)