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Desmond W. Helmore (born 1940) is a New Zealand artist and illustrator, known both for his fine art and for his scientific work depicting insects, not least illustrating the
New Zealand Arthropod Collection The New Zealand Arthropod Collection is a collection of terrestrial invertebrates held by Maanaki Whenua – Landcare Research in Auckland, New Zealand. It specialises in the taxonomy and identification of indigenous and exotic invertebrate sp ...
. One of the country's most noted and prolific biological illustrators, over 1000 of his illustrations of insects were published in research papers from 1976 to 2006.


Life and education

Helmore was born in
Takapau Takapau is a rural town in the Central Hawke's Bay (district), Central Hawkes Bay in New Zealand. It is located 20 kilometres west of Waipukurau, off State Highway 2 (New Zealand), State Highway 2, and has a population of more than 500. Takap ...
,
Hawkes Bay Hawke's Bay () is a region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. The region is named for Hawke Bay, which was named in honour of Edward Hawke. The region's main centres are the cities of Napier and Hastings, while the more rural ...
, New Zealand, and lived there on a farm until age 12. Interested in drawing since childhood, he attended Christ's College in
Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...
, and then the
Ilam School of Fine Arts The Ilam School of Fine Arts at the University of Canterbury, located in the Ilam suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand, was founded in 1882 as the Canterbury College School of Art. The school became a full department of the university in the ...
at the
University of Canterbury 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 ...
from 1959 to 1962, where he was taught by
Rudi Gopas Rudolf Gopas (né Hopp, 13 December 1913 – 23 July 1983) was a New Zealand artist and art teacher. He was born in Šilutė, Germany (present day Lithuania). Gopas' works are held in the collections of the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, ...
, Russell Clark, and Bill Sutton. His fellow students at Ilam included
Dick Frizzell Richard John Frizzell (born 1943) is a New Zealand artist known for his pop art paintings and prints. His work often features Kiwiana iconography combined with motifs from Māori art traditions, such as the tiki and tā moko. He is based i ...
,
Tony Fomison Anthony Leslie (Tony) Fomison (12 July 1939 – 7 February 1990) was a notable artist in New Zealand. He was an important post-war visual artist in the country and influenced New Zealand art by incorporating elements of narrative and myth in ...
, and John Panting. In his survey of New Zealand art, Frizzell described Helmore as someone who "seemed to have already graduated from somewhere else. All that quiet abstract pondering. I rizzellcouldn't believe he knew what he was doing, because I certainly didn't." At this time Helmore, through
beatnik Beatniks were members of a social movement in the mid-20th century, who subscribed to an anti- materialistic lifestyle. They rejected the conformity and consumerism of mainstream American culture and expressed themselves through various forms ...
culture, became interested in
Zen Buddhism Zen (; from Chinese: '' Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka ph ...
and
Taoism Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ' ...
. He won a life-painting prize, and graduated in 1963 with a Diploma of Fine Arts (Hons). After working in London from 1967 to 1969, Helmore returned to New Zealand and lived in
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
for over 40 years. He moved to
Hastings Hastings ( ) is a seaside town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to th ...
in 2018.


Illustration

From 1967 to 1969 Helmore worked as a geographical illustrator at
University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...
where he learnt the technical aspects of creating maps and illustrations for publication. Upon returning to New Zealand in 1970 he was employed as an entomological illustrator at Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, working alongside the painter
Tony Fomison Anthony Leslie (Tony) Fomison (12 July 1939 – 7 February 1990) was a notable artist in New Zealand. He was an important post-war visual artist in the country and influenced New Zealand art by incorporating elements of narrative and myth in ...
. From 1971 to 1975 he worked as a graphic artist and graphic designer for NZBC Television and TV1 News in Christchurch, creating lettering, illustrations, and title sequences, but was unhappy with the daily deadlines. In June 1975 Helmore moved to Auckland and worked as an entomological illustrator for the Systematics Section of Entomology Division,
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, abbreviated DSIR was the name of several British Empire organisations founded after the 1923 Imperial Conference to foster intra-Empire trade and development. * Department of Scientific and Industria ...
, until 1992, then for Invertebrate Systematics at
Landcare Research Landcare may refer to: * Australian Landcare Council, a former Australian government body, superseded by the National Landcare Advisory Committee * Landcare Australia, an Australian community not-for-profit organisation, involving local volunteers ...
from 1992 to 2006. Over these years he created over 1000 insect illustrations for scientific publications, particularly the ''Fauna of New Zealand'' series''.'' The illustrations were created using a stereomicroscope with a
camera lucida A ''camera lucida'' is an optical device used as a drawing aid by artists and microscopy, microscopists. It projects an optics, optical superimposition of the subject being viewed onto the surface upon which the artist is drawing. The artist se ...
, and were drawn two to three times larger than final print size on illustration board with technical pens (or sometimes on
scraperboard Scratchboard or scraperboard or scratch art is a form of direct engraving where the artist scratches off dark ink to reveal a white or colored layer beneath. The technique uses sharp knives and tools for engraving into the scratchboard, which is us ...
). Each took three or four days to complete. His drawings have been described as "magnificent" and "exquisitely executed" by entomologists. The scientist Sir Charles Fleming wrote, "Des Helmore's drawings supply the need for pictures of entire insects felt by many New Zealand amateurs and interdisciplinary students, to an artistic standard few can hope to emulate." The entomologist Anthony Harris said, "Desmond Helmore's superb illustrations rank with the very best in the field – such as those of Arthur Smith, A. J. E. Terzi, and T. Nagatani." '' Helmoreus'', a genus of
weevil Weevils are beetles belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea, known for their elongated snouts. They are usually small – less than in length – and herbivorous. Approximately 97,000 species of weevils are known. They belong to several fa ...
s, is named in his honour, "in recognition of his contribution to New Zealand entomology as a scientific illustrator". In 2014 a species of beetle, ''Sagola helmorei'', was also named in his honour.


Art

Since leaving art school Helmore has continued painting. His work has been described by Dick Frizzell as having a "strangely dense atmosphere" and critic T.J. McNamara has referred to its "lonely vertical shapes" and "dim and strange" light. After being influenced by constructivism and cubism in the 1960s, he began painting depictions of rural landscapes after about 1985. Since 2000 his work has focussed on depictions of urban environments. His first solo show was in 1964 at the Hawke’s Bay Art Gallery, Napier. In 1965 he received a Merit Award for the Manawatu Contemporary Art Competition, which was followed in 1966 by a solo exhibition at the Manawatu Art Gallery (now Te Manawa) in
Palmerston North Palmerston North (; , colloquially known as Palmerston or Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatū Plains, the city is near the north bank of the Manaw ...
. While living in London he had a solo show at the B. H. Corner Gallery in 1968, and in 1972 he was a finalist in the Benson & Hedges Art Awards. Helmore has exhibited since 1990 in solo and group shows at the Auckland galleries
Lopdell House Lopdell House is a List_of_category_1_historic_places_in_Auckland, category I historic building in Titirangi, Auckland. It was first opened as Hotel Titirangi in 1930. In 1942 it was bought by the Ministry of Education and became a school for th ...
, Claybrook, Anna Bibby, Jane Sanders Art, and nkb Gallery. He has also exhibited at Ramp Gallery in Hamilton, the
Hastings City Art Gallery Hastings Central is the central suburb and business district of Hastings City, in the Hawke's Bay Region of New Zealand's North Island. Demographics Hastings Central covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population densi ...
, and, in 2017, at Spa_ce Gallery, Napier. Reviewing his 2011 solo exhibition at Jane Sanders Art, for ''
The New Zealand Herald ''The New Zealand Herald'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation in New Zealand, ...
'', T.J. McNamara said: His work is in a number of collections, including those of
Christchurch Art Gallery The Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, commonly known as the Christchurch Art Gallery, is the public art gallery of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It has its own substantial art collection and also presents a programme of New ...
, the
University of Canterbury 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 ...
, the
Hocken Library Hocken Collections (, formerly the Hocken Library) is a research library, historical archive, and art gallery based in Dunedin, New Zealand. Its library collection, which is of national significance, is administered by the University of Otago. ...
, the
Canterbury Society of Arts Centre of Contemporary Art (CoCA, formerly the Canterbury Society of Arts) is a curated art gallery in the centre of Christchurch, New Zealand. The gallery is governed by the Canterbury Society of Arts Charitable Trust. History The Canterbu ...
, and Hawke's Bay Art Gallery.


Publications

* Deitz, L.L., and Helmore, Desmond W. (1979). "Illustrated key to the families and genera of planthoppers (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea) from the New Zealand sub-region". ''New Zealand Entomologist'': 7(1). 11–19. * (contains 22 drawings of a variety of insects, with additional information about each drawing and an introduction on the purpose of the illustrations.)


References


External links

* *
New Zealand Arthropod Collection gallery of over 1000 published images
created by Des Helmore from 1976 to 2006 {{DEFAULTSORT:Helmore, Des 1940 births Living people Date of birth missing (living people) People from Takapau 20th-century New Zealand painters 20th-century New Zealand male artists 21st-century New Zealand painters 21st-century New Zealand male artists Natural history illustrators New Zealand entomologists Ilam School of Fine Arts alumni