Hassett Gallery

Stag Spooner – Wild Man from the Bush

Neville “Stag” Spooner is one of Wairarapa’s most creative sons and this new exhibition provides an opportunity to see some of his unique artwork.

Stag, a keen deer hunter, kept a remarkable visual journal which forms the heart of this display and is supported by his childhood sketchbooks, a collection of artefacts from his life and his World War II letters and cleverly decorated envelopes.

“Stag Spooner’s art is unmistakably Kiwi. He depicts activities such as shooting rabbits round Carterton, stalking deer in the Tararua Ranges and on the South Island’s West Coast, as well as a New Zealander’s experience of active service during WWII. More than sixty years later, these assume greater importance as Stag’s artwork details a vanishing world.”
Chris Maclean, author of biography ‘Stag Spooner – Wild Man from the Bush’

 Sadly Stag died whilst hunting in the remote rugged bush of Fiordland aged just 28.

Exhibition closes 29^th September.

Stag Spooner’s biography “Stag Spooner – Wild Man from the Bush” by Chris Maclean is available for sale in the Museum Shop for $50 plus postage.