Dad Art is Damien Wilkins' 8th novel, and 13th book overall, which makes him one of the most prolific writers in New Zealand over the last 25 years. He has also won a number of awards. He is a vivid and exuberant writer, a very acute observer of human frailty and self-deception. His characters are often drifting somewhat passively through life, as many of us do, then experience a crisis of some kind, which forces them to subtly change their perception of themselves.
Dad Art is no different. It's a hugely enjoyable read, set in a very recognisable Wellington and Hutt Valley, concerning an acoustic engineer, Michael Stirling, and his adult daughter Sam. Michael is dating, learning te reo, spending time with his father who has dementia, when Sam arrives from Auckland to visit, bringing with her a new attachment. This artist's project allows Wilkins to finely observe contemporary social life in New Zealand, with his typical wry humour.