Critical reviews and spirited discussion on art and visual culture in Aotearoa New Zealand

About

Nau mai, haere mai, welcome to EyeContact, a forum built to encourage art reviews and critical discussion about the visual culture of Aotearoa New Zealand. I’m John Hurrell the editor - a New Zealand writer, artist and curator.

You are looking at the website version of what started as the art-forum blog eyeCONTACT. This new variation carries on with the aim of helping generate talk and writing about art - and encouraging the visiting of exhibitions. It also is designed to allow better reader access to our archives of reviews. It now has many more writers, is organised in a compact grid format instead of vertical scrolling, presents more effective methods of searching, has easier means of engaging in discussion about reviewed shows, and possibly most important of all, has some effective ways of presenting advertising - so it can generate revenue to pay its review writers and financially sustain itself as an independent critical force.

There is a lot of promotional writing in Aotearoa New Zealand to help sell art, but not much evaluation or banter over related issues - with participants willing to be identified. That area is admittedly a notoriously difficult undertaking, for reasons both philosophical and social, but it is ultimately at least worth attempting if the intellectual climate of this country’s art community is to become more sophisticated.

While Creative New Zealand and other supporters are paying me and other contributors to review exhibitions, all expressed opinions are entirely our own.

John Hurrell
Editor

Contact

Any queries about contributing reviews, especially from cities other than those routinely covered, please contact:

John Hurrell
Editor
john@eyecontactsite.com

Dip. Fine Art (Painting) 1974, Ilam; Bachelor of Arts (English, Religious Studies) 1975, Canterbury.

Any enquiries about advertising or business opportunities, please contact:

Christopher Taylor
Manager

021 976 976

chris@eyecontactsite.com

Advertising

EyeContact is uniquely placed to connect advertisers to an influential audience. Our readership is predominantly from the creative, and cultural sectors. It also encompasses an audience of diverse and discerning interests with an international perspective.

As at February 2012 the EyeContact website has had almost 500,000 page views, and over 230,000 visits, by 60,000 unique visitors from 138 countries, since launching in June 2010. These statistics alone are compelling reasons to advertise on EyeContact, but there is more to know, so either click on the link below or contact Chris Taylor on 021 976 976, or e-mail: chris@eyecontactsite.com

Click here > EyeContact Advertising

Archives

Previous posts from the blog are gradually being moved over to this website. Shortly the entire content of the eyeCONTACT blog (back to late 2007) will be accessible in the Archives. Meanwhile if you can’t find a previous post then click on the link below.

Click here > eyeCONTACTblog

Publisher

EyeContact Limited
P.O Box 2858
Auckland 1140
New Zealand

Tel: +64 9 3033 284
E-mail: john@eyecontactsite.com
Skype: eyecontactsite

Directors
John Hurrell
Christopher Taylor

Website
Sons & Co
Christchurch

Supporters & Sponsors

EyeContact gratefully acknowledges the support of Creative New Zealand.

Creative New Zealand is the national agency for the development of the arts in New Zealand. We invest resources in New Zealand arts for the long-term benefit of New Zealanders. Our statutory purpose is to encourage, promote and support the arts in New Zealand for the benefit of all New Zealanders.

Sponsorship

EyeContact is looking for like-minded partners. If you are interested in supporting informed and intelligent writing on contemporary art then we would really like to hear from you. We offer access to unique niche markets in New Zealand and overseas for your brand. Become a sponsor from a choice of set levels, or we can discuss your ideas for a relationship with EyeContact. Recognition of your sponsorship is available in a variety of locations on our site and in external communications. For more information please contact: chris@eyecontactsite.com, or call 021 976 976.