Edith Collier

‘A great book to read, a book to leave open and stare at, and I reckon a lead contender for next year’s Ockham Book Awards’ — David Hill, RNZ

‘A particular strength of the book is the detailed contextual information about the many factors — financial, cultural, geographical, and sociological — that supported or hampered Collier’s development as an artist … Andrew Clifford, director of the Sarjeant, expresses his hope that the book “will draw more attention to Edith Collier’s work, increase our understanding of her practice, and contribute further to the significant reputation she deserves”. The book succeeds on all counts.’ — Anne Kerslake Hendricks, NZ Booklovers

‘The quality of writers heaping praise upon Collier in the book is remarkable, including (of course) Joanne Drayton, Jennifer Taylor, Gretchen Albrecht, Priscilla Pitts, Lizzie Bisley, poet Arini Beautrais and her nephew Gordon Collier, whose short piece is called “Aunt Edith”.’ — Linda Herrick, Kete Books

‘A portrait as vivid and lively as one of Edith’s own artworks’ — Jenny Partington, takahē

Jennifer Taylor works closely with the Edith Collier Trust Collection on a daily basis as Curator of Collections at the Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui. She has managed projects to photograph and catalogue Edith’s collection and archive, as well as this publication. Jennifer has curated a number of exhibitions of Edith’s work at Sarjeant on the Quay, regularly responds to research enquiries or viewing requests, and presents public talks about Edith and her legacy.

Greg Donson has been Curator and Programmes Manager at the Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui since 2007, and is responsible for the development and implementation of the exhibition programme, including publications. For the gallery’s successful artist-in-residence programme he has worked with close to 50 New Zealand artists. In 2012, he was awarded the Clark Collection/Creative New Zealand Scholarship in the United Kingdom, attending the Attingham Summer School and undertaking internships at the Victoria & Albert Museum, the National Trust and English Heritage. In 2021, he was co-curator (with Lucy Hammonds and Lauren Gutsell) of the major touring survey exhibition and publication Joanna Margaret Paul: Imagined in the context of a room, developed by the Dunedin Public Art Gallery and the Sarjeant Gallery.

Jill Trevelyan is a writer and curator who first encountered the art of Edith Collier at the Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui during the 1990s. Her books include Toss Woollaston: A Life in Letters (2004), Rita Angus: An Artist’s Life (2008), Peter McLeavey: The Life and Times of a New Zealand Art Dealer (2013) and Robin White: Something is Happening Here (with Sarah Farrar and Nina Tonga, 2022).