Rodney Eric Kennedy
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Rodney Eric Kennedy (20 August 1909 – 14 October 1989) was a New Zealand artist, art critic,
pacifist Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ''a ...
and drama tutor. He was born in
Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...
.


Early life

Rodney Kennedy was the son of Alexander Kennedy and Lillian Ellice Brown. From the age of 6 to 8 Kennedy suffered from the muscle wasting disease
polio Poliomyelitis ( ), commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe ...
myelitis. He attended the George Street and
Anderson Bay Anderson Bay is a bay of Atlin Lake in northwestern British Columbia, Canada, located southwest of Pike Bay. The landscape surrounding Anderson Bay lies in the Atlin Volcanic Field of the Northern Cordilleran Volcanic Province. During the Mio ...
Schools in Dunedin and in 1928 he became a full-time student at the art school attached to the
King Edward Technical College King Edward Technical College is a former technical college in Dunedin, New Zealand. The college was established in 1889 as the Dunedin Technical School when the Caledonian Society of Otago instigated Night school, night education classes. B ...
in Dunedin to study under R N Field. The same year Kennedy was a founding member of W.H.Allen and Field's art group, the Six and Four Club (six women, four men) a mix of teachers and students. The meetings required students to produce a work at the meeting followed by discussion. (A.K.C.Petersen ''R.N.Field: the Dunedin Years 1925–1945'' Manawatu Art Gallery 1989, pg 26 ) While he was a student at the art school Kennedy met MT (Toss) Woollaston in 1932 and the two form a romantic relationship that lasted until Woollaston moved to Māpua. Kennedy and Woollaston remained life-long friends and in 1938 joined the
Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
(Quakers) together. In 1938 Kennedy and
Colin McCahon Colin John McCahon (; 1August 191927May 1987) was a New Zealand artist whose work over 45 years consisted of various styles, including landscape, figuration, abstraction, and the overlay of painted text. Along with Toss Woollaston and Rita Angus ...
biked from Dunedin to Nelson for the fruit picking season. They visited Woollaston who began his long friendship with McCahon. The poet
Charles Brasch Charles Orwell Brasch (27 July 1909 – 20 May 1973) was a New Zealand poet, literary editor and arts patron. He was the founding editor of the literary journal ''Landfall'', and through his 20 years of editing the journal, had a significant i ...
said of Kennedy, ‘He gave his friendship to other artists…having abandoned painting himself as if to serve his friends.’ Thanks to his art training Kennedy worked as an artist (illustrator) in the Public Health Department of the
Otago Medical School The Dunedin School of Medicine is the name of the School of Medicine that is based on the Dunedin campus of the University of Otago in New Zealand. Students who gain entry after the competitive Health Sciences First Year program or who gain g ...
. During World War II Kennedy was interned at Whitanui Detention Camp near Shannon as a conscientious objector. Although a Quaker, he had refused to plead at his hearing. While at the camp he became involved with a theatre group and produced plays including ''The Whitanui Detention Camp: Presentation of 'The Beautiful People, by William Saroyan. In 1948, Kennedy became the partner of Charles Brasch the poet and editor of the literary magazine ''Landfall''. Brasch also had a passionate interested in the arts and together they went on to create an important collection of contemporary New Zealand art.


Art career

Kennedy first publicly exhibited his paintings in 1934 in the New Zealand Society of Artists exhibition, Pioneer Hall Dunedin. In reviewing the work Eros commented, ‘in Kennedy's Landscape a more reserved and subtle use of colour is made. His interest is obviously centred in the study of rhythm and form.’ ''The Evening Star'' critic enthused, ‘An extremely sympathetic group of works by Rodney Kennedy. The two landscapes...show a rhythmical unity lacking in better painted pictures. The colour is sensitive and restrained. Such pictures repay more than a hurried glance and are keenly satisfying to one who looks for more than mere naturalism in a landscape.’ In 1940 Kennedy joined other young artists, including
Anne Hamblett Annie (Anne) Eleanor McCahon ''née'' Hamblett (11 October 1915 – 30 December 1993) was a New Zealand artist and illustrator. She was married to fellow artist Colin McCahon. Early life Anne Hamblett was born in Mosgiel, the daughter of the ...
, in removing their works at the opening of the Otago Art Society exhibition in protest at the Society refusing to hang a painting by Colin McCahon.


Theatre career

By 1938 Kennedy's interests had moved toward theatre. Before World War II he and Colin McCahon with assistance from
Doris Lusk Doris More Lusk (5 May 1916 – 14 April 1990) was a New Zealand painter, potter, art teacher, and university lecturer. As a potter, she was known under her married name Doris Holland. In 1990 she was posthumously awarded the Governor General A ...
had designed sets for the Left Book Club's production Karel Čapek's ''Insect Play.'' The production included Kennedy and McCahon's friend Ron O’Reilly in the cast as an ant''.'' O’Reilly remembered being impressed by, ‘the directness and fresh unconventionality’ of Kennedy and McCahon's work on the set, ‘contriving powerful and beautiful effects from meagre materials.’ At the end of World War II Kennedy was released from the internment camp and returned to Dunedin where he was appointed Country Drama Tutor, Adult Education Department Otago University and became involved in a number of theatre productions. In 1949 Kennedy played the Herald in Ngaio Marsh's production of
William Shakespeare's William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
'' Othello the Moor of Venice'' in the
Canterbury University College The University of Canterbury (UC; ; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was founded in 1873 as Canterbur ...
Drama Society . The production went on to tour Australia. The 1950s saw Kennedy and McCahon continue working together on the sets and costumes for a number of productions including: ''Peer Gynt,'' ( 1953), ''Swan Lake'' (1954), and ''
The Glass Menagerie ''The Glass Menagerie'' is a memory play by Tennessee Williams that premiered in 1944 and catapulted Williams from obscurity to fame. The play has strong autobiographical elements, featuring characters based on its author, his histrionic mo ...
in 1956.'' By 1970 Kennedy was a Lecturer in Drama at the Department of University of Otago extensions in Dunedin. He continued with his theatre work including: * Designer of the costumes for the Globe theatre's production of James K Baxter's play ''Temptation of Oedipus'' in 1970 with
Ralph Hotere Hone Papita Raukura "Ralph" Hotere (11 August 1931 – 24 February 2013) was a New Zealand artist. He was born in Mitimiti, Northland Region, Northland and is widely regarded as one of New Zealand's most important artists. In 1994 he was award ...
designing the sets. * Director of ''Early morning'' by
Edward Bond Thomas Edward Bond (18 July 1934 – 3 March 2024) was an English playwright, theatre director, poet, dramatic theorist and screenwriter. He was the author of some 50 plays, among them '' Saved'' (1965), the production of which was instrument ...
in 1970. In 1971 Kennedy retired from Otago University and for three years was Honorary Director of the
Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a Theater (structure), theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 at Southwark, close to the south bank of the Thames, by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men. It was ...
.


Art collecting

Kennedy had already amassed an important collection of contemporary New Zealand paintings before his association with Brasch began. From their first meeting Brasch recalled him as someone, ‘‘who always had paintings and drawings by Toss (Woollaston) which he showed to everyone interested. He believed in Toss without reserve, generously, selflessly; his enthusiasm was catching.” Among key works owned by Kennedy were: *
Toss Woollaston Sir Mountford Tosswill "Toss" Woollaston (11 April 1910 – 30 August 1998) was a New Zealand artist. He is regarded as one of the most important New Zealand painters of the 20th century. Life Born in Toko, Taranaki in 1910, Woollaston attende ...
''Landscape Tahunanui 1934.'' * Toss Woollaston ''Portrait of Rodney Kennedy 1936''. *
Colin McCahon Colin John McCahon (; 1August 191927May 1987) was a New Zealand artist whose work over 45 years consisted of various styles, including landscape, figuration, abstraction, and the overlay of painted text. Along with Toss Woollaston and Rita Angus ...
''
Otago Peninsula The Otago Peninsula () is a long, hilly indented finger of land that forms the easternmost part of Dunedin, New Zealand. Volcanic in origin, it forms one wall of the eroded valley that now forms Otago Harbour. The peninsula lies south-east of Ot ...
'' (1946–49). Painted for Kennedy this work had pride of place above the fireplace at his home in Royal Terrace. McCahon expert Peter Simpson described the work as McCahon's ‘first fully successful painting’ Kennedy donated ''Otago Peninsula'' to the Dunedin Public Library to mark its support of young artists during the 1930s and 1940s when it made exhibition space available in the foyer for them to show their work. The painting still hangs in the Library. * Colin McCahon ''Crucifixion (for Rodney Kennedy'' ) 1947. This prized work has had a very extensive public exhibition history. It is still in private hands. * Colin McCahon ''Kennedy Waterfall Series'' (c. 1960s). * Colin McCahon ''Angels and Bed No 1'' 1976. After he had had a bad fall from a ladder, McCahon gave this picture to Kennedy, a gesture he repeated with a number of close friends struck by health calamities. In 1958 a selection of the works accumulated by Brasch and Kennedy was shown at the
Auckland City Art Gallery Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is the principal public gallery in Auckland, New Zealand. It has the most extensive collection of national and international art in New Zealand and frequently hosts travelling international exhibitions. Set be ...
as ''Thirty-seven New Zealand Paintings from the collection of
Charles Brasch Charles Orwell Brasch (27 July 1909 – 20 May 1973) was a New Zealand poet, literary editor and arts patron. He was the founding editor of the literary journal ''Landfall'', and through his 20 years of editing the journal, had a significant i ...
and Rodney Kennedy.'' The exhibition featured work by artists including
Evelyn Page Evelyn Margaret Page (née Polson, 23 April 1899 – 28 May 1988) was a New Zealand artist. Her career covered seven decades, and her main areas of interest were landscapes, portraits, still lifes and nudes. Early life Page was born in C ...
, John Weeks,
Louise Henderson Dame Louise Etiennette Sidonie Henderson (née Sauze, 21 April 1902 – 27 June 1994) was a French-New Zealand artist and painter. Life Louise Etiennette Sidonie Sauze was born on 21 April 1902 at Boulogne-Billancourt, Boulogne sur Seine, P ...
, M.T. Woollaston,
Doris Lusk Doris More Lusk (5 May 1916 – 14 April 1990) was a New Zealand painter, potter, art teacher, and university lecturer. As a potter, she was known under her married name Doris Holland. In 1990 she was posthumously awarded the Governor General A ...
,
John Drawbridge John Boys Drawbridge (27 December 1930 – 24 July 2005) was a New Zealand artist, muralist and printmaker. He was famous for his murals in public places: for the foyer of New Zealand House in London in the 1960s, the Beehive in the 1970s, and ...
, and
Frances Hodgkins Frances Mary Hodgkins (28 April 1869 – 13 May 1947) was a New Zealand painter chiefly of landscape, and for a short period was a designer of textiles. Born in Dunedin, she was educated Dunedin School of Art, then became an art teacher, ...
. McCahon was represented by ''The Virgin Compared'' (1948). The Director of the Gallery Peter Tomory described the collection as 'the most extensive and carefully chosen in the Dominion.' Kennedy began to make a number of gifts to the
Hocken Collections Hocken Collections (, formerly the Hocken Library) is a research library, historical archive, and Art museum, art gallery based in Dunedin, New Zealand. Its library collection, which is of national significance, is administered by the University ...
at the University of Otago in 1956. These included the drawing by McCahon In 1968 Kennedy and Brasch both made major gifts to the Hocken Collections and Kennedy continued to do throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s. His last gift was made in 1988. Rodney Kennedy died in Dunedin on 14 October 1989.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Rodney Eric 1909 births 1989 deaths Artists from Dunedin New Zealand pacifists New Zealand art critics New Zealand theatre directors New Zealand theatre designers