By Jessica Rowe
A Christchurch artist is in a race with demolition crews cleaning up after February’s quake.
Painting from the edge of the red zone, Wayne Seyb is trying to get as many of the city’s iconic buildings down on canvas before they’re demolished.
“It was just a sense of urgency when everything was changing so quickly and it was obvious the buildings were not going to be standing around much longer. I just wanted to make a record of local Christchurch before it all disappeared,” he says.
Seyb has now painted more than 30 damaged buildings and streets from the edge of the red zone.
His works include the CTV building, the Baptist church on Madraas St and scenes from High St.
“It was my way of dealing with the destruction. My own way of coming to terms with it,” says Seyb. “By making images of the destruction was my way of handling it.”
Eight of Seyb’s paintings will be exhibited at the Canterbury Earthquake Royal Commission of Inquiry next week. The commission hopes it will make the hearings more inviting.
“I’m also pleased that painting can act in a real way in a society, here they can fulfil a social function, which I think is really great,” says Seyb.
Art experts believe Seyb’s work can fill that function.
“He’s really captured elements of that intense experience and then that helps the community to share and eventually to heal,” says Loraine North.
In the meantime, Seyb will continue to paint amongst the rubble, in his ongoing race against demolition.
3 News