Dennis Lattimer
Dennis Lattimer | |
|---|---|
Lattimer in May 2025 | |
| Born | Dennis Arthur Lattimer 1946 |
| Died | (aged 79) Coopers Beach, New Zealand |
| Nationality | New Zealander |
| Known for | Large-scale community murals |
| Notable work |
|
| Style | Public art |
| Awards | Resene Mural Masterpieces – best community mural (2012) |
Dennis Arthur Lattimer (1946 – 1 July 2025) was a New Zealand mural artist and illustrator. Active during the 1990s through to the mid-2010s, he completed more than 30 permanent outdoor murals, most notably the series that gave the Taranaki town of Ōpunake its reputation as "Mural Town of the West".[1]
Career
Lattimer trained as a commercial signwriter before turning to large-scale mural work in the late 1990s.[2]
In 1998, Lattimer completed Life Savers, a 35 × 8 m depiction of Opunake's surf-lifesaving culture painted on concrete block in the central business district.[2] Between 1998 and 2002, he produced the ten-panel Reflections of Ōpunake cycle, charting Ōpunake's history from 1900 to 2000.[3] His 2012 mural, Pharmacies Thru the Ages, portrays Ōpunake's three long-serving chemists and was unveiled on Tasman Street after 19 working days of painting.[1] In the same year, Lattimer was commissioned by the Paihia Phantom Placemakers to create a jigsaw-style mural narrating the history of Paihia, Bay of Islands.[4]
The Paihia project and the Ōpunake pharmacy mural jointly earned Lattimer the Resene Mural Masterpieces national award for best community mural in 2012.[5]
Lattimer died at his home in Coopers Beach on 1 July 2025, at the age of 79.[6]
Selected murals
| Year | Title | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Life Savers | CBD, Ōpunake | 35 m × 8 m acrylic wall mural.[2] |
| 2000-02 | Reflections of Ōpunake | Egmont St, Ōpunake | Ten-panel historical sequence commissioned by Egmont Community Arts Council.[2] |
| 2012 | Pharmacies Thru the Ages | Tasman St, Ōpunake | Portrait triptych of Feaver and Cavaney family chemists.[1] |
| 2012 | Paihia History Mural | Village Green, Paihia | Multi-panel jigsaw mural tracing Bay of Islands history.[4] |
Publications
- Lattimer, Dennis (2003). A Day at the Races. Christchurch: RandNZ. ISBN 978-0-473-09792-9. A cartoon collection written and illustrated by Lattimer.[7]
References
- ^ a b c Smith, Jared (15 May 2012). "Opunake furthers 'mural' name". Taranaki Daily News. Stuff. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Mural Masterpieces – Dennis Lattimer". Resene. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "Opunake Wall Murals H9522". Geoff Cloake Photography. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ a b de Graaf, Peter (7 September 2012). "Writing's on the wall for local history". Northern Advocate. NZ Herald. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "Kids' mural tells perfect story". Northern Advocate. NZ Herald. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "Dennis Lattimer obituary". The New Zealand Herald. 8 July 2025. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ "A Day at the Races". Smiths Bookshop. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
External links
- Ron Lambert, "Taranaki places – Cape Egmont," Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
- Resene Mural Masterpieces gallery – Dennis Lattimer
- Ōpunake mural trail map – Egmont Community Arts Council