BIOGRAPHY

CHRIS BOOTH, b. 1949 Kerikeri

After studying at Ilam School of Fine Arts, Canterbury University, New Zealand in 1967 and 1968, Booth undertook two years of specialist sculpture study with prominent sculptors including Barbara Hepworth, Denis Mitchell, John Milne (UK) and Quinto Ghermandi (Italy). Between 1978-2001, solo exhibitions of his works were held in all the major public galleries in New Zealand and in prestigious NZ, Australian and Italian galleries. His work was also included in collective exhibitions throughout NZ and Europe, and in Singapore and Australia.

As his work became increasingly sought-after internationally, Booth began to focus on commissioned work. From New Zealand to Europe, in North America and Asia, stunning examples of his sculptures can be found. Ranging from the monumental to the ethereal in appearance, some appear to defy gravity while others use organic processes to allow a shifting in their position over time. Whether towering above, or ensconced at ground level, Booth’s sculptures inspire a sense of spiritual connection with place and, with their enduring materials, provoke thoughts of future generations. Booth always creates his sculptures for specific sites. They are inspired by and honour each site’s local history, mythology and cultures and require intensive research, and consultation with local indigenous people. Usually gigantic in proportion, these phenomenal sculptures are amazing feats of engineering and balance that assert their presence yet sit comfortably within their surroundings. Chris Booth has most recently completed the major commission 'Echo Van de Veluwe' at the prestigious Kröller - Müller Museum, Netherlands.
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CONTACT
To see more examples of Booth’s sculptures, visit his website, www.chrisbooth.co.nz.
To commission a sculpture, email Chris Booth direct.
Visit the Links page (Sculptors) on this site, for more information about Chris Booth.

RETAIL PRICE GUIDE
Simple 2m high sculpture $NZ 20,000 (+ GST in New Zealand).

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Art New Zealand 12 ‘Wellington, Christopher Booth: Three Large Works’, Neil Rowe, 1979
Art New Zealand 15 ‘The Aotea Square Water Sculpture’, Paul Little, 1980
Art New Zealand 15 ‘Chris Booth’s Design for the Theatre’, Brian McNeill, 1980
Art New Zealand 16 ‘Twenty-One Sculptors in Masterton’, Neil Rowe, 1980
Art New Zealand 19 ‘Chris Booth: Northland and Auckland Sculpture’, Gordon H Brown, 1981
Art New Zealand 25 ‘Chris Booth at The Dowse’, Anne Kirker, 1982
Art New Zealand 30 ‘Chris Booth’s Nga Tamariki a Tane’, Malcolm Ross, 1984
Art New Zealand 33 ‘Nga Rimu o Puketi’, Susan Foster, 1984
Chris Booth: Aspects of Recent NZ Art – Sculpture 2, Alexa Johnston
Art New Zealand 41 ‘The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery Sculpture Project – River Proverb’, Priscilla Pitts and ‘Baby Seal at Kaimaumau’, Susan Foster, 1986/87
Art New Zealand 43 ‘Chris Booth at Fisher Gallery’, Priscilla Pitts, 1987
Art New Zealand 51 ‘Three New Zealand Artists in Italy’, Laura Safred, 1989
Art New Zealand 56 ‘Chris Booth’, Garth Cartwright, 1990
Art New Zealand 63 ‘Chris Booth in Trieste’, Hone Tuwhare, 1992
Chris Booth Sculpture, David Bateman Ltd, NZ, 1993
Movements in Art Since 1945, Edward Lucie-Smith, Thames & Hudson, 1994 (reference)
Artoday, Edward Lucie-Smith, Phaidon, London (reference ‘In Celebration of a Tor’), 1994
Contemporary New Zealand Art 1, Elizabeth Caughey & John Gow, David Bateman Ltd, 1997
Art New Zealand 85 ‘Urgent Columns, All Rain: Recent sculptures by Chris Booth’, Gregory O’Brien, 1997
Balanced Stone, Lincoln University Press, NZ, 1998
Contemporary New Zealand Sculpture: Themes and Issues, Priscilla Pitts, David Bateman Ltd, 1998
Chris Booth: Sculpture in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Random House, New Zealand, 2001