The Painter

Unlike most of his contemporaries, Lee-Johnson embraced isolation. Long before it was fashionable, he lived in a series of remote communities – including Piha, Mahurangi, Waihi and the Hokianga – far away from the creature comforts of the city and the fads of the art world. He was more interested in developing a distinctly regional imagery than in imitating European models, and this is reflected in his well-known paintings of derelict farmhouses, butchered macrocarpas, and other aspects of the rural landscape.

However, his oeuvre is by no means limited to scenes from the backblocks. A formidable technician, he was relentlessly innovative, as evidenced by his pioneering work with abstraction and Maori motifs.