Russell Moses' art has long revolved around evocations of the natural world. His arrays, created from draughtsman-precise forms, feature deeply impressionistic suggestions of land and water. We experience the light filtering through forest canopies to glimmer on the surfaces of ferns, or penetrating to the profound depths of open water. Flat planes of pearlescence capture the moment, suggesting light and movement more than any representational image could, producing a haunting, memorable effect.

In Moses' latest exhibition, Glass Harbour, the surfaces have changed. No longer flat sheens, here his tesserae are marked by iridescent ripples. Along with these raised ridges he has mixed and blended colours far more than in his previous work, the golds and greens of works such as Ata-Marie blending and mixing like the reflection of Otago Peninsula on the waters of the harbour.

This is no surprise, for these waters have been a major inspiration for the Port Chalmers-based artist. The ever-changing reflections flowing across the harbour's surface are as therapeutic as they are beautiful, something the artist refers to as chromotherapy.¹ An analogy is also drawn between this changing light and the awe inspired by southern New Zealand's occasional celestial displays in Aurora.

Moses' inspirations come not only from the glimmers of light on the water, but also from the melodies and rhythms of music. This is symbolically reflected in his work by stylised chords, triplets and couplets of flat white and silver reflecting a calm harmony on the surface of the waters.² There is also a nod to the art of long-time friend Ralph Hotere in the stark mirror black of the midnight pieces Beacon and Glass Harbour.²

Through all of the artist's creations, a deep love for the environment shines through. Our impact on, and interconnectivity with, our surroundings is a delicate one, as Moses is well aware. In his two Whales Have Ears works, we are reminded of the inadvertent harm that our marine activities can have on nature. As Moses himself says, "Our haven, our taonga is in our hands."¹

1. Artist's statement, 2025.

2. Conversation with the artist, April 2025.