Toss Woollaston was born in 1910 in Taranaki, but spent a great deal of his early life in Nelson. In 1950 he moved to Greymouth in search of what he called an easier life. He has had numerous grants and visited Melbourne and Europe, enriching his painting through experience.

A great deal can be said of his paintings and the exhibition shows his versatility in the field of fine art. There are 83 works in the exhibition ranging from his earlier works of 1936 to the present day works. It is apparent that over the years he has developed a characteristic style, one that is not common to present day New Zealand painters. He is distinctive for his simplicity, his spare, isolated forms and his sheer beauty of colour.

"Rodney G"

Of his subjects much variance is apparent. He has painted landscapes, figures and portraits and even made his own impressions after great European painters such as Corot, Poussin, Bellini and others. "Rodney G" has been a great source of inspiration and the four paintings of this subject rank amongst the better works.

Impressive

Although painted in 1948, "Bellinis Christ and Lyttelton Harbour," with its rich colour mixture and Bellini overtones, is impressive. Other notable works include oils, water colours, and pen and washes of landscapes—the best of which is perhaps "Mountain at Sunset." a large oil painted this year.

Woolleston's work is largely expressionism—a movement started around the turn of the century by French and German painters in search for expressiveness of style by means of exaggerations and distortions of line and colour in order to create a more emotional impact. He has developed in this mode of artistic expression a monumental sophisticated simplicity which remains individual and distinct from the mainstream of New Zealand Art.