Biography

William (Bill) MacCormick (1942 - ) studied art at the Elam School of Fine Art, Auckland, New Zealand where the emphasis in the late 1950s was on drawing. From the 1960s he worked as a graphic designer. MacCormick's early art included many watercolours painted in the Tongariro National Park. Later paintings have dealt with a wide range of subjects from landscapes, interiors, portraits, still life, to the surreal. Of special interest to him is the emotional power of buildings in the New Zealand landscape that tell of those who have gone before us. The watercolours of the nineteenth century explorer artists were an early influence, as were the impressionist painters, Renoir and Degas.

MacCormick’s artistic influence has been recognised in several key publications. He is featured in NZ Painting Since 1960 by Peter Cape, which documents his role in the development of New Zealand’s contemporary painting. Additionally, his work is included in Treasures of the Waikato, published by Trust Waikato Museum, which highlights significant artistic contributions to the region.