The Story of ‘The Diversion’

The Diversion began as a commission of a painting by leading NZ abstract artist JS Parker. In 1995, entrepreneur Nick Gerritsen gave Parker an open brief to create a painting capturing the essence of Marlborough. JS Parker chose to paint the river known to locals as ‘The Diversion’, reflecting the turbulent light of a stormy sunrise as the river runs out to Cloudy Bay on the Pacific Coast.

The Diversion is a major branch of the Wairau River, Marlborough’s lifeblood, which nurtures the abundant crops and its wines including the world-famous Sauvignon Blanc. It’s also one of JS Parker’s favourite places – for trout fishing, and to be inspired by the light on the water, the dramatic seasonal contrasts of rock, earth and trees, and the extraordinary skies over the Wairau River.

Turns out, it’s also a favoured spot for Grove Mill Winemaker David Pearce, an equally avid angler – and an enthusiastic supporter of the arts.

When Grove Mill built its new winery in 1995 near Renwick (about 15 minutes’ drive from Blenheim), these three people – Nick Gerritsen, Dave Pearce and JS Parker - came up with the idea of establishing a fine art gallery at the cellar door, to be run by local dealer Leslie Cole.

I took over the gallery in late 1999, renaming it after the painting, the nearby river, and the concept of cultural diversions. The focus was to bring to Marlborough exhibitions of leading New Zealand artists, who could otherwise only be seen by locals travelling long distances to other centres.

In 2004, all the strands came together with the launch of a first wine by Grove Mill under the label The Diversion, after the gallery. It was an opportunity for the winemaker to experiment with less common varietals and a different wine style from the high profile Grove Mill or Sanctuary brands, an ‘open canvas’ for his creativity. It was also a natural fit with the history of the name, the river, the winery, the painting and the people. Limited quantities of The Diversion Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc 2004 are still available from info@grovemill.co.nz

One of New Zealand’s leading collectible painters, JS Parker (ONZM) is celebrated for his ability to capture the essence of this country’s landscape and light. He bypasses the figurative to express his response to the distinctive colours of land, sky and pure light within a grid format, playing with harmony and balance of texture and colour. (Read more about JS Parker and view his works)

The painting still hangs in the home I share with Nick Gerritsen. Reproduction never does justice to its heavy impasto surface and rich colours, but I hope it gives you some sense of our journey and love for art and this extraordinary region of Marlborough.


Barbara Speedy
Director
The Diversion Gallery