George Baloghy: Urban Pastoral

The Pastoral is a historical genre of landscape painting going back at least four centuries, revelling in the beauty and romance of the rural countryside. The title of this exhibition, ‘Urban Pastoral’, appears contradictory, however when applied to Auckland City, large swathes of the environment do look like the countryside. Auckland’s sprawling parks, volcanic cones and the profusion of trees through suburbia make it look like a giant garden.

In this exhibition Baloghy focuses on the beauty and interplay between the built environment, the natural landscape and the harbour. It is done with the familiar eye of someone who knows the area intimately and whose personal life has evolved to the rhythm and pulse of the city. Baloghy has painted Auckland over many decades, recording its changes over time. New apartments and towers pop up and one could regard these paintings as a record of the evolution of Auckland.

They are actually more than that – they are the story of an artist’s lifelong romance with his city.