PROVENANCE
Paul & Kerry Barber Collection Fine New Zealand Paintings, Jewellery & Decorative Arts, Webb's 11/12/2001

Why, of all the flowers to be found in a New Zealand garden, would Dick Frizzell choose to paint the zinnia? For starters, there's a sprightliness to the word zinnia. Considering the way these colourful flowers pop and the energy of Frizzell's art, the name seems almost onomatopoeiac.

Another question - why would New Zealand's most prolific pop artist adopt the relatively staid form of a still life? Because this was part of a deliberate pursuit of clichéd painted formats, and the tone is somewhat ironic. Finally (in case you were wondering), this is not a depiction of a car and dog.