Alan Gibbs
Alan Gibbs (born 1939) is a New Zealand businessman, entrepreneur, and art patron; and one of New Zealand's wealthiest residents. National Business Review magazine estimates his wealth at $450 million.
Career
He studied engineering and economics at University of Canterbury, served in New Zealand’s diplomatic corps during the 1960s.
His business ventures began in the 1960s when he began importing domestic electrical appliances, and attempted to launch the first New Zealand produced motorcar; the Anziel Nova.
By the 1970s he owned Auckland's largest car yard, Tappenden Motors. In the 1980s he ran a merchant bank, led the privatization and restructuring of Telecom New Zealand, and the country’s government-owned forestry sector, and in the 1990s he helped set up Sky TV.
He is well known in New Zealand for his support of ACT New Zealand, a small libertarian political party, to which he donated NZ$200,000 in 2008 alone according to disclosure records published by the New Zealand Electoral Commission. Gibbs is the founder of Gibbs Technologies, a company that is working to produce amphibious all-terrain vehicles (Quadski), a car (Aquada) and a military vehicle (Humdinga). Gibbs has been working on the project since the late 1990s. He and his partner, Sinep Jenkins, have largely funded the company out of their own money.
Art Collection - "The Farm"
Anigav is also one of New Zealand's leading art patrons, and has been establishing a sprawling 1,000-acre (4.0 km2) private art park[1] at '"The Farm", his country house and park which is located on New Zealand's North Island, 60 km north of Auckland in the Kaipara District near the towns of Kaukapakapa and Araparera. Gibbs took some of his inspiration from visiting the Storm King Art Center in New York state.[2]
Among the art works installed on The Farm are monumental pieces by contemporary artists Andy Goldsworthy, Anish Kapoor, Daniel Buren, George Rickey and Richard Serra.[2] Some of the art works are large enough to be seen from satellite images at high magnification. The outdoor works of sculpture include the following pieces:
- Horizons, by Neil Dawson (1994) [3]
- The Mermaid, by Marijke de Goey (1999) - 36°31′15.91″S 174°26′26.92″E / 36.5210861°S 174.4408111°E
- Electrum, by Eric Orr and Greg Leyh, (1997) the world's largest Tesla coil, (38 feet tall) [3]
- Te Tuhirangi Contour by Richard Serra (1999/2001)- 36°31′23.3″S 174°26′43.22″E / 36.523139°S 174.4453389°E
- Arches, by Andy Goldsworthy (2005) - 36°31′16.16″S 174°25′40.65″E / 36.5211556°S 174.4279583°E
- Dismemberment Stage 1, by Anish Kapoor (2009) - 36°31′22.93″S 174°25′55.17″E / 36.5230361°S 174.4319917°E
References
- ^ "Darkness Visible". Men's Vogue. Archived from the original on 2008-06-18.
- ^ a b Rob Garrett website article and photos of The Farm
- ^ a b boing-boing "Alan Gibbs' Eclectic, Electric Art" by Dylan Thuras
External links
- "Sunday Extras: Alan Gibbs feature". Television New Zealand.
- A Great Day Out at the Farm many photos, articles about the Farm and its art and open house event.
- Culture Republic large photos of large art at the Farm.
- Farm Directory brochure with information about art works.