Trevor Moffitt

Trevor Moffitt is a detailed and fascinating illustrated biography of a unique and successful New Zealand painter. Born in 1936 to a poor Southland family, where of necessity a “hunter gatherer” mentality prevailed, young Trevor set his mind on art school and becoming an artist. There were many hurdles to overcome. His father told him to leave school at age fifteen and, when Trevor refused, his father didn’t speak to him for years and left him to finance his own schooling, clothing and other necessities. He succeeded in attending art school at Ilam, producing figurative and narrative work with his bold, direct expressionist style and became arguably New Zealand’s leading narrative painter producing series such as the Gold Miners, Mackenzie, My Father’s Life, Stanley Graham, and Hokonui Moonshine. Very much a “humanist”, he completed three Human Condition series. He died in April 2006.