During my Diploma in Painting, I embarked on a project that evolved beyond its initial scope. It transformed into a significant collaboration with one of New Zealand’s most respected figures in the entertainment industry, David McPhail. This project, which began as an exploration of creative individuals through photography, culminated in an exhibition and a published book that intertwined my photography and painting with David’s poetry. The resulting body of work, titled David, Milo and Me, is a testament to the unexpected and enriching paths that creative collaboration can take.
The Genesis of the Collaboration
The collaboration between David McPhail and me began in the most unassuming way—over a glass of Chardonnay with David and his wife, Anne McPhail. At the time, I was working on a project for my diploma that involved photographing creative individuals. However, what began as a straightforward photographic study quickly became more profound. The rapport we developed, combined with my fifteen years of experience as a commercial designer and the new artistic techniques I honed during my diploma, laid the groundwork for a multifaceted creative endeavour.
The Exhibition: David, Milo and Me
David, Milo and Me became a focal point within Kaleidoscope: A Visual Discovery, an exhibition showcasing the works of art students from Ashburton Aoraki Polytechnic (now ARA) at the Ashburton Public Art Gallery. This exhibition blended traditional and contemporary art forms, featuring drawing, painting, printmaking, illustration, and mixed media.
My contribution to the exhibition included a series of candid photographs of David McPhail, capturing him both on stage and in more personal moments. However, the centrepiece of my work was Walking with Milo, a children’s book I designed and illustrated, inspired by a poem David had written about his grandson. The book was more than just a children’s story—it carried a deeper, hidden message for adults, and its illustrations were a fusion of my photographs and paintings, digitally manipulated to create a whimsical and engaging narrative.
The exhibition was successful, garnering positive feedback from patrons, fellow students, and the McPhails. With her extensive experience in the art world, Anne McPhail offered high praise, particularly noting how the work captured the essence of David. Her feedback was invaluable, given her keen eye and deep understanding of art.
Who Was David McPhail?
David Alexander McPhail, ONZM, QSM, was a towering figure in New Zealand’s entertainment industry, known for his sharp wit, satirical prowess, and contributions to television, theatre, and comedy. David rose to prominence in the late 1970s and early 1980s as the co-creator and star of A Week of It and McPhail & Gadsby, two television programmes that broke new ground in New Zealand satire. His impersonation of former Prime Minister Sir Robert Muldoon became legendary, offering New Zealanders a much-needed opportunity to laugh at themselves during a tumultuous time.
David’s career was marked by numerous accolades, including multiple Feltex Awards for Best Actor and Entertainer of the Year, as well as recognition for his contributions to television and theatre in the form of the Queen’s Service Medal and later an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
A selection of photographs of David McPhail, 2010
David, as a Poet
Beyond his accomplishments in entertainment, David was also a dedicated poet. Influenced by the likes of Dylan Thomas, T.S. Eliot, and Gerard Manley Hopkins and the Beat Poets of the late 1940s and 1950s, David’s early attempts at poetry were marked by emulation. However, it was not until he discovered the Japanese poetic form of Haiku that he truly found his voice. The brevity and precision of Haiku resonated with David, allowing him to crystallise moments in time with a few well-chosen words. This style became a hallmark of his later poetry, and it was this poetic voice that I had the privilege of working with during our collaboration.
A selection of photographs of David McPhail, 2010
The Creation of Walking with Milo
Walking with Milo was a deeply personal project for both David and me. The book allowed me to draw on various skills—painting, illustration, photography, design, and printing. When I first read David’s poem, I was struck by the vivid imagery it conjured, and I immediately knew I wanted to turn it into a children’s book. The illustrations I created combined my photographs with paintings, which I then digitally manipulated to bring the scenes to life. The result was a book that was visually captivating and emotionally resonant, capturing the whimsical and tender relationship between David and his grandson.
A selection of pages from Walking With Milo
Reflections from David McPhail
As part of our collaboration, I conducted an interview with David, facilitated by Kimberly Sexton, to capture his thoughts on our journey together. David spoke of our collaboration with warmth and insight, noting the unusual yet fruitful dynamic between a young artist and an older man. He praised my technical skill, imagination, and the openness with which I approached our work together. David also reflected on the profound and raw nature of the images I captured, acknowledging that they revealed a side of him not often seen by the public—a side unmasked and deeply personal.
One particular image stood out to David and Anne: a photograph of David wearing a large black hat and a Chinese tee shirt. Anne remarked that the image captured the enigma of David perfectly. David’s comments on the book Walking with Milo were equally touching, as he described how the images transported him back to the day he wrote the poem and the walk with his grandson that inspired it. He appreciated how the book captured the fantastical elements of the poem, bringing to life the imagination of a small boy who saw magic in the ordinary.
The complete interview is included below.
“Brad has taken, to my mind, the quintessential photograph of my husband David. A man in a very English hat wearing a tee shirt showing a Chinese man wearing his very Chinese hat. He has captured the enigma that is David McPhail.”
Conclusion
David, Milo and Me was more than just a final assessment for my diploma—it was a bold and creative experiment that pushed the boundaries of traditional artistic practice. By focusing on one individual, I was able to delve deeply into the nuances of David McPhail’s life and work, creating a body of work that is both personal and universal. This project allowed me to explore the intersection of photography, painting, and literature in a challenging and rewarding way. Reflecting on this collaboration, I am reminded of the power of creativity to bridge gaps, forge connections, and reveal new perspectives. The journey with David McPhail was one of discovery, learning, and mutual respect—an experience I would gladly undertake again.
Read the full journey of this collaboration here in my Journal, Reverie
DAVID ON ME
Perhaps the most important thing for me was to hear David’s feedback on our journey. I employed Kimberly Sexton’s interview skills to capture his take on this. The following is what David had to say.
How did you meet Brad?
I met Brad while we were working on a project for a friend. I contributed the words, and Brad the imagery. As it happened, the project did not proceed, but we kept in touch.
What were your thoughts on first communicating with him?
I was impressed by three things: His technical skill, his imagination, but most importantly his open and most agreeable personality.
In what way has the journey been interesting?
It is curious that such a young artist and a much older man would find so much common ground. Our backgrounds could not have more different and yet I understood immediately what was driving him and in the course of our collaboration, I have made a good friend.
The images Brad has taken of you are profoundly raw and very expressive – did you ‘feel’ as the images were being taken that they were going to be as good as they are?
From the beginning Brad was at pains to show and explain his images. I had confidence in two things: His obvious ability and the type of photographs he was taking. Having dealt with visual images all my life I was intrigued with his view of me and my world. There is one print in particular – I am wearing a large black hat and a Chinese tee shirt – that Anne, my wife, says captures me exactly.
Did you have to put a concerted effort into the shoots, or were they fairly painless?
The shoots were ‘painless.’ Obviously, I am not uncomfortable having my photograph taken, and on many occasions, Brad was working while I was preoccupied with other things – for instance rehearsing a play.
Do you feel he has captured the essence of David McPhail? Or, perhaps a side of you that is rarely exposed to the public?
Anne thinks he has captured my essence – assuming of course that I have any essence! It is very difficult for anyone to be completely objective about what a photograph reveals. We all have our own innate idea of what we are and what we represent and sometimes, particularly with painted portraits, a person can be disappointed because the image does not reflect or confirm their own view. I think Brad’s photographs have managed to ‘get inside’ me because of one thing. Many photographers, when approaching a so-called ‘comedian’ ask the subject to pull a funny face or ‘do something wacky.’ They believe this will produce an ‘appropriate’ image. It never does because what they are photographing is simply another mask the comedian employs. In Brad’s photographs I’m not wearing any masks.
What are your thoughts on the images that appear in Milo & Me?
I did have a tear in my eye when Brad first showed me the book. I was immediately taken back to the day I wrote the poem and the walk that prompted it. But, equally important, Brad had created the kind of fantastical images I had in my head when I started on the poem. A common-place, rather charmless street, that was suddenly filled with wild cartoon creatures, simply because a small boy had seen a snail’s shell and said ‘Someone used to live in here.’
David, Milo and Me is a very creative approach to Brad’s final assessment – what were your thoughts on that?
I agree Brad’s ‘David, Milo and Me’ is a bold final assessment. I have never heard of anyone creating a book to include in their portfolio. Similarly, the idea of concentrating on one individual could end up being boring. Because I am that individual it would be impertinent of me to judge whether it’s boring or not. (I don’t think it is.) But, Brad’s imagination and his artistic individuality have made a very old actor look pretty good.
Would you do it all again?
Would I do it again? Of course! But, I know Mr MacDonald has other fish to fry – Stephen Fry perhaps?