Welcome to episode two and three of The Good Oil, conversations with Aotearoa painters. In this episode (part one of a two part interview) I visit Sir Grahame Sydney at his home and studio in the Cambrian Valley in the Maniototo, Central Otago. In over 50yrs of practice Grahame has made a huge contribution to NZ art, receiving a knighthood in 2021 for services to art. His work is held widely in public and private collections including Te Papa, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Taamaki, Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, Dunedin Public Art Gallery and the Ballin Collection.

I know this is a bit presumptuous doing this so early in the life of this podcast, but the conversation with Grahame was a long one, with it being so entertaining and interesting I’ve decided to present all of it, but split it into two episodes.

In this, part one, you’ll hear Grahame talk about his early years and discovering Central Otago, his miserable move to London, establishing his practice, agonising over if $200 was too much to try to sell a painting for, his close proximity to so much of New Zealand contemporary art history including encounters with Derek Ball, Ralph Hotere, Jeffery Harris, Brent Wong, Colin MacCahon, Michael Smither and Peter Webb, and the bewildering experience of security not letting him into his first Auckland exhibition because he didn’t have a ticket.

Sir Grahame Sydney Web Page