As part of a collaborative exhibition held at the Heather Sarin Galerie I followed New Zealand actor, director and writer David McPhail for a few days. We did a shoot at home and a shoot in Wellington while he was rehearsing a play.

Here is what artist and fellow collaborator Heather Sarin had to say.

WHEN I INTERVIEWED David McPhail it was like looking at a mind and body that was on the move. His quick wit and verbal language had my chair wobbling as I strived to put to paper what this Aries genius had to say. I watched with delicious anticipation as he moved from one space to another.

I asked David –how do you remember all of those lines?  He said that space has a lot to do with it. As he moves from one space to another on the stage, the point where he stops was his cue for a particular passage of words.

This means that space (as an artist this is what we strive to understand, negative and positive, light and dark – it is all about how you arrange the space in the work you are creating), is something that David uses, understands and becomes an intrinsic part of his performance. Fascinating.

“Creativity takes courage” quote from Henri Matisse. And David is so courageous. He says that it takes courage to stay with good ideas and to follow them through.  Never to be intimidated with or overwhelmed with what you have to learn, whether it is lines or a new way of presenting something. His advice – don't think , let your heart lead the way. If you are working on an idea and after ten minutes it is not going anywhere throw it away!

Great words from one of this countries creative hero's, someone who has used his full creative potential (and because that is limitless he will continue to enthral and delight us), with whatever he next pulls out of the bag!

These are a few of my favourite shots...out of the few hundred I took!

In this shot I particularly like the juxtaposition between the English looking
David with his hat and the Red Army symbolism on his t-shirt.