Check out Pat Basse's latest exhibition
At Real Living we have lots of residents with an artistic talent, and some of them have participated in professional exhibitions. That’s the case of Pat Basse, one of our Pakuranga Park Villagers. Pat’s work has been exhibited around New Zealand over the years and her latest exhibition is currently showing at Uxbridge Arts Centre.
Dreaming in Colour is a collection of pieces that grew from one of Pat’s earliest childhood memories in England. As a 4-year-old, Pat was evacuated from her parents’ house due to the war. In her new home without any of her family, she experienced extreme unhappiness and hardship from which the only respite was when she slept. In her dreamworld, Pat found that her environment was colourful and excitingly theatrical in stark contrast to her living world. She remembered those dreams and as an adult could write them down and recreate them in her art.
Recently, Pat has experienced age related Macular Degeneration, a gradual loss of sight. Loss of her central vision has significantly reduced her ability to sense the depth of colour and detail in the real world. She finds though, that visual decline is not mirrored in the dream world – that images are clear and colourful. Pat remembers colours and is able to draw on her knowledge. Pat demonstrates how art can continue to develop despite obstacles such as sign impairment and age. In the picture Imagine, Pat has abandoned her fine brushes and pens and uses larger tools and sometimes even her fingers to mix the colours.
Dreaming in Colour invites the spectator to consider a memory of landscapes as bodies and bodies as landscapes in beautiful textures and vibrants colours. This exhibition displays a collection of pieces that grew from the artist’s memories as a 4-year-old evacuee during WW2. During these troubled times she found solace in her dreams, and as an adult Pat was able to recreate them in her art. Come to view her captivating paintings at the Uxbridge Centre until the 12th of May.
If you’d like to know more about joining our community contact Syvlie on 027 314 5767 or email sylvie.borrett@realliving.co.nz
