Books received

is the granddaddy of New Zealand art books: wise, well-preserved and always worth listening to. A new edition (Bateman, Auckland 2021) shows that this grandparent is also with it; Edward Hanfling has updated his contribution from the fourth edition in 2012, adding a new generation of painters to the call of the canon. It is an unenviable position for Hanflingselecting thebut he does a good job, and rewards the faith in which he is held. Hanfling is also a good writer, deftly switching his focus from paint, materiality and representation to the issues that surround painting and its objecthood. He is economical (necessarily), authoritative and entertaining and makes sure that continues to be one of the volumes on every bookshelf in the country. Take if off that shelf to grasp a fine opportunity to revisit the other texts in the book by Gil Docking and Michael Dunn and to revel in the glorious reproductions and design. Bateman should be applauded for commissioning this fifth edition and distributing it widely to the bookshops of the country.