The New Zealand cultural landscape is affectionately under the spot-light (or the bright sunlight) in Notman’s paintings. The paintings hold elements of kiwiana: At first glance they represent the ‘good times’ and play on a sense of nostalgia within the depiction of broadly familiar New Zealand scenes. The heightened use of ‘summery’ and unromantic no-fuss colour enhances the kiwi sensibility in the work.

Notman's paintings are of urban and holiday home scenarios, as well as carvan parks, and it is due to this subject matter that the work evokes such a strong sense of nostalgia. This kiwi sensibility prevails through the body of work where the past is boldly fused with the present to display a ‘middle class’ kiwi experience of the land.

Notman’s technique involves a photomontage process. He builds up his images to a carefully rendered photorealism using enamacryl as a medium (an acrylic based paint that has the characteristics of an enamel finish). This enables him to produce high key colours and great tonal variation.

While Notman’s paintings have a beguiling familiarity about them, they also have a political edge:

“Dominated by heat and light my observations are influenced by the sense of anticipation and reflection that exists around travel, coupled with the emotional link of objects in relation to the landscape. Issues of coastal access, foreign ownership and the passing of time have made the “coastal transition” a focus for these works”. (1)

(1) Artist statement Private Property 2004