THOMPSON, ARTHUR (1915-1997)

"Tahiti - Air New Zealand" (c.1950)
rare original screenprint
97.5 x 61.5cm
*private collection, Sydney
 
Arthur Thompson was a commercial artist who worked in New Zealand and Britain. He studied at the Elam School of Fine Arts and in the 1960s had a successful career as a costume and set designer for film and television. plays on Tahiti’s reputation as a mysterious and exotic destination, complete with beautiful women. Tahiti was the final stop on TEAL’s Coral Route - a romantic island hop from Auckland to Papeete. In the 1950s, Thompson worked for TEAL (Tasman Empire Airways Limited), the forerunner of Air New Zealand. Exotic, colourful designs enticed travellers onto TEAL’s flights to glamorous destinations across the Pacific.