Bill Hammond (artist)
Encyclopedia
William Hammond (born Christchurch
, 1947) is a New Zealand
artist.
Hammond attended the School of Fine Arts at the University of Canterbury
from 1966 to 1969, and has worked as a full-time painter since 1981 (in between times working as a toymaker). His paintings feature two common themes - reference to popular music (often in the form of the liberal use of quoted lyrics within the structure of the paintings), and gaunt creatures with avian heads and human limbs.
Hammond's canvases make liberal use of the flow of paint, with rivulets of colours running vertically down the backgrounds. These dark canvases, coupled with the anthropomorphic bird forms, have led to comparisons with the likes of Hieronymus Bosch.
His best known work is probably the 1993 painting "Waiting for Buller", which pays reference to the noted ornithologist Walter Lawry Buller.
painting in 1981. Hammond’s work tackles social and environmental issues, conveying messages about
humanity and its status as an endangered species.
Endangerment
Hammond has looked back into New Zealand’s environmental history for his subject matter, drawing inspiration
from the study and attitude of Sir Walter Buller. The well-known Buller paintings reveal some of the grim ways
in which birds have been forced to relate to us. Hammond has read widely on the perverse practice of Victorian
ornithology. Walter Buller’s ‘A History of the Birds of New Zealand’ with illustrations by John G. Keulemans,
provided a source of inspiration for some of these paintings. Buller was a prominent lawyer and ornithologist,
whose studies of native birds are still regarded as definitive today. He believed that the native people, plant and
birdlife would inevitably be rendered extinct by European colonists. Although he was
involved in campaigns to protect some species of bird, Buller did so reluctantly and
continued to collect specimens for his own research. In paintings such as Waiting
for Buller, Hammond moves away from mutated forms and renders the birds in a
painstaking, accurate manner reminiscent of scientific illustrations.
Birdlife
Birds in all cultures across time feature in creation myths, sagas, parables, liturgies
and fairy tales. They have come to represent among many things, the realm of the
spirit world. They are harbingers of both fortune and evil, and in dream mythology
they represent the personality of the dreamer. Shape-shifting, zoomorphism and
anthropomorphism too are recurrent features found in stories both old and new
and Hammond has invented his own range of hybrid bird, horse, human and
serpent figures that change and morph before our eyes. A major shift in
Hammond’s practice came in the early 1990s after he returned from a trip to the
remote Auckland Islands, where there are no people and birds still rule the roost.
Inspired, Hammond imagined himself in Old New Zealand, before even Māori had
arrived.Environments under threat, the vulnerability of life in a precarious world and complex relationships between
Māori, Europeans and nature are expressed through Hammond’s strong graphic ability.
and architecture, ancient Assyrian and Egyptian art, decorative arts and Japanese woodblock prints, through to
an impressive knowledge of New Zealand history can be detected in Hammond’s work.
Ancestors
Hammond’s Ancestral paintings are like underwater or forest scenes – all floaty golds and greens, with sea
serpents and sea horses, lush foliage and reefs. Amphibious birds and winged fish pose in choreographic union
surrounding ancestral figures finely decorated with fern and leaf patterns. These ancestral figures though
perhaps represent Tāne, (God of the forest, all creatures) ancestor in Māori mythology of both man and bird.
Reaching further back into the ancient world of Egypt and Assyria, Hammond’s version of Horus Lord of the skies
is in fact the extinct giant New Zealand eagle. Narrative stone bas-reliefs from Nimrud, in particular Protective
Spirit in Sacred Tree 875-860 BC, depicting a winged eagle-headed magical figure, inform these paintings along
with burial sites, rock drawings, moa in pre-historic New Zealand (prey for the giant eagle), and the shape of the
landscape in and around Banks Peninsula.
Composition
Hammond’s paintings show a collapse of foreground and background that provides a sense of infinite space in
the art of traditional Chinese painting and Ukiyo-e. Often reminiscent of Italian Renaissance painting and
tapestries, Hammond’s compositions combine a graphic ability with delicate decorative qualities.
Auckland Islands trip
The three-week trip (part of the ‘Art in the Subantarctic’ project in 1989) to the remote, windswept islands had a
significant impact on Hammond. The Auckland Islands, where the severity of the climate has allowed littlehuman impact on the natural environment, was something of a revelation.
In an interview with Gregory O’Brienfor ‘Lands and Deeds’ (Godwit, Auckland, 1996), Hammond spoke of the islands as a kind of lost world, ruled
over by beak and claw: “The Auckland Islands are like New Zealand before people got here. It’s bird land.”
Pre-historic New Zealand has been one abiding interest for Hammond, who imagined himself in a primordial
New Zealand before the arrival of humans. He developed surreal paintings of birds-becoming-people influenced
by ornithological illustration, colonial topological landscape painting, comics, children’s books, history painting,
Hieronymous Bosch, Grandville, Max Ernst’s Lolop and, crucially, Buller’s Birds.
Patterning
The intricate textiles of the Middle East and Asia and the effects of golden filaments embroidered on clothing and
metallic backgrounds stamped onto fine fabric are echoed in Hammond’s embellishments.
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, 1947) is a New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
artist.
Hammond attended the School of Fine Arts at the University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
from 1966 to 1969, and has worked as a full-time painter since 1981 (in between times working as a toymaker). His paintings feature two common themes - reference to popular music (often in the form of the liberal use of quoted lyrics within the structure of the paintings), and gaunt creatures with avian heads and human limbs.
Hammond's canvases make liberal use of the flow of paint, with rivulets of colours running vertically down the backgrounds. These dark canvases, coupled with the anthropomorphic bird forms, have led to comparisons with the likes of Hieronymus Bosch.
His best known work is probably the 1993 painting "Waiting for Buller", which pays reference to the noted ornithologist Walter Lawry Buller.
Artist influences and themes
Lyttelton artist William (Bill) Hammond spent the 1970s working in design and toy manufacturing, returning topainting in 1981. Hammond’s work tackles social and environmental issues, conveying messages about
humanity and its status as an endangered species.
Endangerment
Endangerment
In US law, endangerment comprises several types of crimes involving conduct that is wrongful and reckless or wanton, and likely to produce death or grievous bodily harm to another person....
Hammond has looked back into New Zealand’s environmental history for his subject matter, drawing inspiration
from the study and attitude of Sir Walter Buller. The well-known Buller paintings reveal some of the grim ways
in which birds have been forced to relate to us. Hammond has read widely on the perverse practice of Victorian
ornithology. Walter Buller’s ‘A History of the Birds of New Zealand’ with illustrations by John G. Keulemans,
provided a source of inspiration for some of these paintings. Buller was a prominent lawyer and ornithologist,
whose studies of native birds are still regarded as definitive today. He believed that the native people, plant and
birdlife would inevitably be rendered extinct by European colonists. Although he was
involved in campaigns to protect some species of bird, Buller did so reluctantly and
continued to collect specimens for his own research. In paintings such as Waiting
for Buller, Hammond moves away from mutated forms and renders the birds in a
painstaking, accurate manner reminiscent of scientific illustrations.
Birdlife
Birds in all cultures across time feature in creation myths, sagas, parables, liturgies
and fairy tales. They have come to represent among many things, the realm of the
spirit world. They are harbingers of both fortune and evil, and in dream mythology
they represent the personality of the dreamer. Shape-shifting, zoomorphism and
anthropomorphism too are recurrent features found in stories both old and new
and Hammond has invented his own range of hybrid bird, horse, human and
serpent figures that change and morph before our eyes. A major shift in
Hammond’s practice came in the early 1990s after he returned from a trip to the
remote Auckland Islands, where there are no people and birds still rule the roost.
Inspired, Hammond imagined himself in Old New Zealand, before even Māori had
arrived.Environments under threat, the vulnerability of life in a precarious world and complex relationships between
Māori, Europeans and nature are expressed through Hammond’s strong graphic ability.
Techniques and processes
An enormous range of references that encompasses everything from folk art, popular culture, Renaissance artand architecture, ancient Assyrian and Egyptian art, decorative arts and Japanese woodblock prints, through to
an impressive knowledge of New Zealand history can be detected in Hammond’s work.
Ancestors
Hammond’s Ancestral paintings are like underwater or forest scenes – all floaty golds and greens, with sea
serpents and sea horses, lush foliage and reefs. Amphibious birds and winged fish pose in choreographic union
surrounding ancestral figures finely decorated with fern and leaf patterns. These ancestral figures though
perhaps represent Tāne, (God of the forest, all creatures) ancestor in Māori mythology of both man and bird.
Reaching further back into the ancient world of Egypt and Assyria, Hammond’s version of Horus Lord of the skies
is in fact the extinct giant New Zealand eagle. Narrative stone bas-reliefs from Nimrud, in particular Protective
Spirit in Sacred Tree 875-860 BC, depicting a winged eagle-headed magical figure, inform these paintings along
with burial sites, rock drawings, moa in pre-historic New Zealand (prey for the giant eagle), and the shape of the
landscape in and around Banks Peninsula.
Composition
Composition (visual arts)
In the visual arts – in particular painting, graphic design, photography and sculpture – composition is the placement or arrangement of visual elements or ingredients in a work of art or a photograph, as distinct from the subject of a work...
Hammond’s paintings show a collapse of foreground and background that provides a sense of infinite space in
the art of traditional Chinese painting and Ukiyo-e. Often reminiscent of Italian Renaissance painting and
tapestries, Hammond’s compositions combine a graphic ability with delicate decorative qualities.
Auckland Islands trip
The three-week trip (part of the ‘Art in the Subantarctic’ project in 1989) to the remote, windswept islands had a
significant impact on Hammond. The Auckland Islands, where the severity of the climate has allowed littlehuman impact on the natural environment, was something of a revelation.
In an interview with Gregory O’Brienfor ‘Lands and Deeds’ (Godwit, Auckland, 1996), Hammond spoke of the islands as a kind of lost world, ruled
over by beak and claw: “The Auckland Islands are like New Zealand before people got here. It’s bird land.”
Pre-historic New Zealand has been one abiding interest for Hammond, who imagined himself in a primordial
New Zealand before the arrival of humans. He developed surreal paintings of birds-becoming-people influenced
by ornithological illustration, colonial topological landscape painting, comics, children’s books, history painting,
Hieronymous Bosch, Grandville, Max Ernst’s Lolop and, crucially, Buller’s Birds.
Patterning
Patterning
Patterning may refer to:*Photolithography*Pattern formation...
The intricate textiles of the Middle East and Asia and the effects of golden filaments embroidered on clothing and
metallic backgrounds stamped onto fine fabric are echoed in Hammond’s embellishments.