Jeffrey Harris is one of New Zealand’s most significant artists and the humanistic content of his works has been readily apparent. Not so obvious, however, has been the equally constant referencing of religious imagery. In this new series of small oil on board works, Harris has directly engaged with the subject of Christ being taken down from the cross. He shows Christ attended by two women and a man. There exists remarkable sharpness of detail and individual characterisation, tenderness is shown as triumphant over pain, as more important than impending death. Equally present are references to the New Zealand landscape – verdant land, expansive skies – behind these figures and to New Zealand art with Harris’s use of the Tau cross – so particularly ours now with the accumulation of use by McCahon, Hotere, Williams, Bambury etc.