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Overview
This is a view of Houghton Bay, on Wellington’s south coast. The print is shaped by large planes of colour and simple line – capturing the freshness of sea and sky. The glow of golden light in the distance suggests sun rising on a summer morning.
In the 1930s and 1940s there was a big revival of printmaking in both the UK and in New Zealand. Prints were often valued as a democratic type of art. They could be produced in multiples and were more affordable than paintings. A lot of interwar artists turned to wood-cutting, and a new technique of lino-cutting also became popular. This print is influenced by the style of lino-cuts, particularly in its simple design and fresh colours.
William Joseph Cooch was born in Ireland and trained as an architect. In 1922 he emigrated to New Zealand with his wife Mary, his parents and his siblings. He got a job in Wellington as a government architect, but also made prints and designed stamps. Several of his stamps are held in Te Papa's collection.