Book review

Images of a House by Robin Morrison
Published by Alister Taylor, Waiura, Martinborough, 1978

Reviewed by MARTI FRIEDLANDER

The Englishman's home is his castle: solid, durable, and passed on from generation to generation. It is a peculiar eccentricity when repeated in New Zealand - where most homes are bought for their re-sale value.

Robin Morrison has sensed this desirable anachronism, and transformed the permanence of a house designed by William H. Gummer and built in 1916 into a series of images. It is a lingering love affair which he allows the viewer to share: and thus he makes us into voyeurs.

He himself has no such role. It is obvious that he has a warm rapport with the owners, who we are allowed to guess are the Maurice and Kathleen named in the dedication to the book. Whether these are pseudonyms or not, we feel that we know them: for it is surely true that what we adorn our homes with is very much a part of what we are.

What is so marvellous about the present series of photographs is that each stands alone as a very good work - no mean feat in an essay of this nature.