The New Zealand artist Clifford James Howlett was born in Hamilton, Auckland in 1915 and studied art first under John Weeks from 1949, gaining a diploma of fine arts at Elam School of Art in 1953. He then attended the Académie de la Grande Chaumière leading to full time study with André Lhote in the 1954-1955 academic year where he became friendly with fellow students - the French artist Marceau Constantin (2018-2017) and the Russian painter Nicolas Poliakoff (1899-1976). His mentor, John Weeks, had also studied under Lhote in the 1920s.
Returning to New Zealand in 1955 Howlett began exhibiting his semi abstract canvases with the Auckland Arts Society and held a one man exhibition of his Lhote inspired paintings to a muted critical response in the New Zealand press. These modernist works were not well received in his home city of Auckland and he struggled to sell his paintings. Feeling disillusioned he turned to art teaching to make his living whilst continuing to paint in his own time. In later years he was art master at Henderson High School and McAuley High School.
The Court Gallery is delighted to be cataloguing Howlett's paintings and drawings made in 1954/5 when he was studying in Paris under Lhote. The artist's family discovered the suitcase of artworks when dealing with Howlett's estate following his death in 2015. The collection is a time capsule of mid 20th century cubism and reveals Howlett to be an artist of considerable talent who should be more widely known.
In due course The Court Gallery will be staging an exhibition of Howlett's cubist paintings and drawings.
