Gregory Leo O’BrienMNZM (born 1961) is a New Zealand poet, painter, author and editor. He is also an art curator and writes art history and criticism for both adults and children.[1]
Life
Born in Matamata in 1961, O'Brien trained as a journalist in Auckland and worked as a newspaper reporter in Northland. He graduated from the University of Auckland.[2]
"Rocks, Te Namu Pa, Taranaki"; "Untitled"; "Beausoleil", "European", Shearsman 59
"Printmaking Studio of John Drawbridge, Island Bay, Wellington", Shearsman 67/68
"Wet Jacket Arm", Jacket 35, Early 2008
Location of the Least Person (Auckland University Press, 1987)
Dunes and Barns (1988)
Man with a Child’s Violin (1990)
Great Lake (Sydney, 1991)
Malachi, a charming verse novella (Adelaide, 1993)
Days Beside Water, (Auckland University Press, 1993)
Winter I Was (Victoria University Press, 1999)
Afternoon of an Evening Train (Victoria University Press, Wellington, 2005)
News of the Swimmer Reaches Shore (Carcanet Press, Manchester, 2007)
Beauties of the Octagonal Pool (Auckland University Press, 2012)
Whale Years (Auckland University Press, 2015)
Always song in the water (Auckland University Press, 2019)
House and Contents (Auckland University Press, 2022)
His poetry has also appeared in many anthologies including Islands, Landfall, Sport, Meanjin and Scripsi, and in Vincent O'Sullivan, ed. (1987). An Anthology of twentieth century New Zealand poetry. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-558163-8. His poetry has frequently been set to music by New Zealand composers.[1]
Novel
Diesel Mystic (Auckland University Press, 1989)
Anthologies
Jenny Bornholdt; Gregory O'Brien; Mark Williams, eds. (1997). An anthology of New Zealand poetry in English. Oxford University Press New Zealand. ISBN 978-0-19-558338-0.
Welcome to the South Seas. Contemporary New Zealand Art for Young People (Auckland University Press, 2004)
Back and Beyond: New Zealand painting for the young and curious (Auckland University Press, 2008)
See What I can See: New Zealand photography for the young and curious (Auckland University Press, 2015)
Art History and Criticism
"Running Dog The Poetry of Ken Bolton", Sport 16: Autumn 1996
Lands and Deeds: Profiles of Contemporary New Zealand Painters (Godwit Publishing, 1996)
After Bathing At Baxter's, Victoria University Press, 2002.
Parihaka: The Art of Passive Resistance (Victoria University Press, 2005) (co-editor)
A Nest of Singing Birds: 100 Years of the New Zealand School Journal (Learning Media Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand, 2007)
A Micronaut in the Wide World: The Imaginative Life and Times of Graham Percy (Auckland University Press, 2011)
His Own Stream: The Work of Barry Brickell (Auckland University Press, 2012)
Don Binney: Flight Path (Auckland University Press, 2023)
O'Brien also appeared regularly on Kim Hill's Radio New Zealand show to talk about poetry.[8]
Art works
O'Brien regularly exhibits his work, and his art is included in many of the major art collections of New Zealand, including the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellingtons, the Hocken Library, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs collection; the University of Auckland Art Collection and the Chartwell Collection.[1]
He also illustrates the work of other authors for books and book covers.[1]
References
^ a b c d"Gregory O'Brien | Arts Foundation Laureate". Arts Foundation. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
^"New Zealand Book Council". Archived from the original on 9 October 2009. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
^"Jenny Bornholdt and Gregory O'Brien receive honours". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
^"Ockham New Zealand Book Awards 2024 Winners' Announcement". Scoop News. 16 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
^"New Year honours list 2014". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
^Wellington, Victoria University of (7 June 2017). "Gregory O'Brien's honorary doctorate address | News | Victoria University of Wellington". www.wgtn.ac.nz. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
^"Poetry with Gregory O'Brien from Poets and Poetry". RNZ. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
External links
"Gregory O'Brien", Scottish Poetry Library
"O'Brien, Gregory ", Aotearoa New Zealand Poetry Sound Archive