Edith Collier: Early New Zealand Modernist

I was delighted to be commissioned to write a poem for this book edited by award-winning art writer Jill Trevelyan, with Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua curators Jennifer Taylor and Greg Donson.

I grew up not far from Edith’s family farm, Ringley, in Otamatea, Whanganui. We often saw her work exhibited at the Sarjeant. For me, she was a quiet but powerful local legend.

Now, I continue to be inspired by Edith’s innovation, her commitment to her creative work, and also her dedication as an Aunty.

The painting I chose to write a poem about is ‘The Bathers.’ This painting dates from around 1918, and I feel that it depicts the vulnerability of the human body in a historical moment where humanity had been through the horrors of WW1. The bathing figures are positioned in a pond that feels mystical and idyllic.

Edith Collier: Early New Zealand Modernist was shortlisted for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, for Illustrated Non Fiction, in 2025.

You can purchase it from Massey University Press.