‘In Memoriam’
108 Green Leaves $1,800 framed Status: Available
John Armstrong Snr $NFS Status: Not For Sale
Entropy $2,500 framed Status: Available
Elysian Fields $2,500 framed Status: Sold
Momento Mori $2,500 framed Status: Available
The Requarium $1,500 framed Status: Sold
Flying Fish $1,500 framed Status: Sold
Thunder Falls $1,600 framed Status: Sold
Serenity $1,000 framed Status: Available
Floating Man $1,600 framed Status: Available
Linden Cutting $1,800 framed Status: Available
The Vortex Trees $1,200 framed Status: Available
Fountain of Leaves $1,500 framed Status: Available
Tree of Light II $1,500 framed Status: Sold
We Are The Soul Of The Hummingbird $1,000 Status: Available
The Path Tree $1,200 framed Status: Available
‘In Memoriam’
John Armstrong
enquiries: ron@exhibitionsgallery.co.nz
My father and I connected quite deeply through my art. Our relationship was often not easy, but over the last five years or so he developed an ability to respond to my work in ways that I think surprised us both.
Most of the paintings in this exhibition have been completed over the period of a year or so, during which time my father, John Wayne Armstrong, became ill and died, in February 2025. I was very fortunate to be able to spend a lot of time with my dad during the final weeks of his life. Seeing him go through his illness was at times very confronting, but there were also many moments of intimacy and care.
While my dad could be emotional, he was rarely comfortable talking about his emotions. But he felt comfortable talking about my paintings. He carried a dog-eared copy of my first exhibition catalogue with him wherever he went, and would show it to anyone who expressed the slightest interest. He gave me insights into my work that I hadn’t noticed, and his enthusiasm was both touching and encouraging. He was also perfectly comfortable telling when he thought they didn’t work. His honesty made me trust him.
In various ways, my father is in all of these paintings. Moments we shared have become symbols of his life, and his illness, and his death.
The goldfish in these paintings come from the little aquarium in the waiting room in Waikato Hospital’s radiotherapy suite. The falling leaves and flowing water might symbolise the natural cycles of life. The hills, clouds, and trees mainly reflect my love for nature, and the strong sense of gratitude I feel for simply being alive on this planet.
But there’s also a lot in here that I don’t understand, because it’s emotional or subconscious and not really prone to understanding. And that’s okay. For me, it’s the feeling that matters.
