To view Lyndsay Crook's bold and spirited paintings is to be absorbed into the fullness of New Zealand life, from early babyhood on the beach, to the floury interior of a bakery, to 150 years ago as the first European settlers made their initial footfalls. Often it is to find oneselfin the visual equivalent of a Shakespearean comedy. Crooks' voluptuous, confident figures relish their own physicality as they ski, shear sheep, cycle, deliver milk, take to the surf or float in ecstasies of affection. Writer and critic, David Eggleton's clear-eyed essay 'Benevolence and Bounty' introduces this unique and extraordinary artist with gusto. Each painting is accompanied by a written response; the artist's brother meditates on diving; rugby player, Josh Kronfeld, reminisces about surfing at St Clair, while poet, Emma Neale muses on motherhood. Generously illustrated in magnificent colour, 'Venus on a Beach Towel' is a retrospective tribute to Crooks' remarkable painting career.