Tina Barton Explained

Christina Joy Barton (born 1958), known as Tina Barton, is a New Zealand art historian, curator, art writer and editor. She was director of the Adam Art Gallery between 2007 and 2023.

Education

Barton completed a Masters of Art in art history at the University of Auckland in 1987. Her thesis topic was the history of post-object art in New Zealand between 1969 and 1979.^{[1] [2]} She was awarded a Higher Doctorate for her published work in art history in 2022.

Career

After completing her MA, Barton joined the Auckland Art Gallery as a research assistant. She worked as Assistant Curator at Auckland Art Gallery from 1988 to 1992, and as Curator of Contemporary New Zealand Art at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa from 1992 to 1994.^[3] During her time at Te Papa Barton curated Art Now, a major survey exhibition of contemporary New Zealand art practice intended to become a biennial event, a hope which did not materialize.^[4] She also co-curated, with Deborah Lawlor-Dormer, Alter / Image: Feminism and representation in New Zealand art 1973–1993, an exhibition organised to mark the centennial of women's suffrage in New Zealand.^[5]

From 1995 to 2007, Barton lectured in the Art History department at Victoria University of Wellington.^[1] During this time she continued to curate exhibitions, including Guests and Foreigners, Rules and Meanings (Te Kore), a major installation by Joseph Kosuth at the then-recently opened Adam Art Gallery at Victoria University.^[6]

Barton was appointed director of the Adam Art Gallery in April 2007.^[1] Significant exhibitions she has curated for the gallery include:

• I, HERE, NOW: Vivian Lynn (2007)^{[7] [8]}
• Anthony McCall

Drawing with Light (2010)^{[9] [10]}

• Dark Sky (2012) (with Geoffrey Batchen)^[11]
• Beautiful Creatures: Jack Smith, Bill Henson, Jacqueline Fraser (2013)^{[12] [13] [14]}
• Simon Denny

The Personal Effects of Kim Dotcom^{[15] [16] [17]}

In 2014, Barton co-edited a major anthology of art critic Wystan Curnow's writing with curator Robert Leonard. The Critic's Part: Wystan Curnow Art Writings 1971–2013 was published by Victoria University Press and described by critic Jill Trevelyan as 'more than a collection of essays: it serves as an insight into the development of New Zealand art, illuminating a period of rapid change'.^{[18] [19]} In the same year she was a juror for the 2014 Walters Prize.^[20]

In 2015, Barton curated Billy Apple®: The Artist Has to Live Like Everybody Else, a survey exhibition of Billy Apple's work for Auckland Art Gallery.^{[21] [22]} Barton has worked consistently with Apple; previous exhibitions include The Expatriates: Frances Hodgkins and Barrie Bates in 2004 and Billy Apply: New York 1969–1973 in 2009, both at the Adam Art Gallery.^{[23] [24]}

In the 2021 New Year Honours, Barton was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to art history and curation.^[25]

Publications

• Billy Apple® : a Life in Parts, Auckland: Auckland Art Gallery, 2015.
• Tina Barton and Robert Leonard, with Thomasin Sleigh, The critic's part : Wystan Curnow art writings 1971–2013, Wellington: Victoria University Press, 2014.
• Beautiful Creatures: Jack Smith, Bill Henson, Jacqueline Fraser, Wellington: Adam Art Gallery, 2013.
• I, here, now / Vivian Lynn, Wellington: Adam Art Gallery, 2010.
• The expatriates: Frances Hodgkins and Barrie Bates , Wellington: Adam Art Gallery, 2004.
• Ground/work: The art of Pauline Rhodes, Wellington: Adam Art Gallery & Victoria University Press, 2002.
• Joseph Kosuth Guests and Foreigners, Rules and Meanings (Te Kore), Wellington: Adam Art Gallery, 2000.
• Art now : the first biennial review of contemporary art, Wellington: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 1994.
• Tina Barton and Deborah Lawler-Dormer, Alter/image : feminism and representation in New Zealand art, 1973–1993, Wellington: Wellington City Art Gallery, 1993.
• Surface tension : ten artists in the '90s, Auckland: Auckland Art Gallery, 1992.
• Louise Henderson : the cubist years, 1946–1958, Auckland: Auckland Art Gallery, 1991.
• After McCahon : some configurations in recent art, Auckland: Auckland Art Gallery 1989.

Articles

• 'Image/World : recent work by Andrew Beck', Art New Zealand, no. 156, Summer 2015/2016, pp. 68–71 ^[26]
• 'Round table : the state of art and discourse in New Zealand', Reading Room, Auckland: Auckland Art Gallery, 2009 ^[27]
• 'Not getting it', New Zealand Books, vol. 18, no. 3, Spring 2008, p. 7^[28]
• 'New horizons : New Zealand in Venice', Art New Zealand, no. 101, Summer 2001/2002, pp. 41–44,90–91^[29]
• 'Hammond's place', Art New Zealand, no. 97, Summer 2000/2001, pp. 66–69^[30]
• 'Joseph Kosuth in New Zealand', Art New Zealand, no. 96, Spring 2000, pp. 60–64^[31]
• 'Slipping through the net of art history', New Zealand Books, vol. 8, no. 4, October 1998, pp. 8–9^[32]
• 'Pushing the envelope : developments at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery', Art New Zealand, no. 87, Winter 1998, pp. 56–59^[33]
• 'Vivian Lynn's Semi(r)otics', Art New Zealand, no. 79, Winter 1996, pp. 54–57 ^[34]
• 'Uncanny spaces : recent paintings by Caroline Williams', Art New Zealand, no. 75, Winter 1995, pp. 57–59 ^[35]
• 'Ten years on : reviewing the terrain for women in art in New Zealand', Art New Zealand, no. 68, Spring 1993, pp. 50–52 ^[36]
• 'David Tremlett at Artspace : a model for cultural exchange', Art New Zealand, no. 65, Summer 1992/1993, pp. 60–63 ^[37]
• 'Pleasures and dangers', Stamp, no. 29, March 1992, p. 30^[38]
• 'The last small world : Jim Allen's NZ environment No. 5', Midwest, no. 1,1992, pp. 29–31 ^[39]
• Christina Barton and Priscilla Pitts, 'Unearthing nature : land projects by 4 artists, 1969–1980', Antic, no. 5, June 1989, pp. 75–96^[40]

Further information

• Interview with Tina Barton, RNZ National, 14 September 2009

Notes and References

1. Web site: Staff profile – Christina Barton. Victoria University of Wellington. 19 December 2015.
2. Barton . Christina . 1987 . Masters thesis . Post-Object art in New Zealand 1969-1979 Experiments in art and life. v. l. Experiments in art and life -- v. 2. Documentation. . ResearchSpace@Auckland, University of Auckland . 2292/17035.
3. Web site: Staff and Advisory Board. Adam Art Gallery. 19 December 2015.
4. Sayles. Jane. In Search of Wonderland: Art Now at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Art New Zealand. 1994. 73. 62–65.
5. Web site: Alter/Image. City Gallery Wellington. 25 December 2015.
6. Web site: Guests and Foreigners, Rules and Meanings (Te Kore). Adam Art Gallery. 19 December 2015.
7. Web site: I, HERE, NOW: Vivian Lynn. Adam Art Gallery. 19 December 2015.
8. Web site: Hurrell. John. Vivian Lynn Publication. EyeContact. 20 December 2015. 15 October 2010.
9. Web site: Anthony McCall: Drawing with Light. Adam Art Gallery. 19 December 2015.
10. Web site: Hurrell. John. Anthony McCall: Drawing With Light. EyeContact. 20 December 2015. 2 March 2010.
11. Web site: Dark Sky. Adam Art Gallery. 19 December 2015.
12. Web site: Beautiful Creatures. Adam Art Gallery. 19 December 2015.
13. Web site: Amery. Mark. Nuances at surface depth. Dominion Post. 22 December 2015. 5 June 2013.
14. Web site: Morgan . Ashworth . Beautiful Creatures and Fantastic Fantasies . 13 June 2013 . 22 December 2015 . Salient.
15. Web site: The Personal Effects of Kim Dotcom. Adam Art Gallery. 19 December 2015.
16. Web site: Tappenden. Alice. Battle of the Brands: Simon Denny vs Kim Dotcom . EyeContact. 20 December 2015. 7 November 2014.
17. Web site: Oliver. Henry. 0 Simon Denny: The Fine Art of Success. Metro. 22 December 2015. 11 December 2014.
18. Web site: Trevelyan. Jill. Multiplying the angles. NZ Listener. 20 December 2015. 22 January 2015.
19. Web site: Daly-Peoples. John. The critic's role in the art scene explored. NBR. 20 December 2015. 28 February 2015.
20. Web site: 2014 Walters Prize. Auckland Art Gallery. 22 December 2015.
21. Web site: Billy Apple®: The Artist Has to Live Like Everybody Else. Auckland Art Gallery. 19 December 2015.
22. Web site: John. Hurrell. Billy Apple® Retrospective. EyeContact. 20 December 2015. 1 April 2015.
23. Web site: The Expatriates. Adam Art Gallery. 19 December 2015.
24. Web site: Billy Apple: New York 1969–1973. Adam Art Gallery.
25. Web site: New Year Honours List 2021 . 31 December 2020 . . 31 December 2020.
26. Web site: Image/World : recent work by Andrew Beck. Index New Zealand. 20 December 2015.
27. Web site: Round table : the state of art and discourse in New Zealand . Index New Zealand. 20 December 2015.
28. Web site: Not getting it. Index New Zealand. 20 December 2015.
29. Web site: New horizons : New Zealand in Venice. Index New Zealand. 20 December 2015.
30. Web site: Hammond's place. Index New Zealand.
31. Web site: Joseph Kosuth in New Zealand. Index New Zealand.
32. Web site: Slipping through the net of art history. Index New Zealand. 20 December 2015.
33. Web site: Pushing the envelope : developments at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery. Index New Zealand. 20 December 2015.
34. Web site: Vivian Lynn's Semi(r)otics. Index New Zealand. 20 December 2015.
35. Web site: Uncanny spaces : recent paintings by Caroline Williams . Index New Zealand. 20 December 2015.
36. Web site: Ten years on : reviewing the terrain for women in art in New Zealand . Index New Zealand. 20 December 2015.
37. Web site: David Tremlett at Artspace : a model for cultural exchange . Index New Zealand. 20 December 2015.
38. Web site: Pleasures and Dangers. Index New Zealand. 20 December 2015.
39. Web site: The last small world : Jim Allen's NZ environment No. 5. Index New Zealand. 20 December 2015.
40. Web site: Unearthing nature : land projects by 4 artists, 1969–1980 . Index New Zealand. 20 December 2015.