Tony Fomison, New Zealand artist, was born in Christchurch in 1939 and died at Whangarei in 1990. He lived an extreme and仕equentlyeccentric life, during which he produced a substantial body of work in a variety of media. The intention of this thesis is to examine and interpret Fomison’s oeuvre through the chronological framework of his life. An examination of Fomison’s personal history provides a context through which to approach his work, which was characterized by idiosyncrasy and the expression of an emotional content drawn from his own experience. Tracing his concern for New Zealand culture from his early days as a student of archeology through to his final years as a spokesperson for multi-cultural issues, this thesis aims to reveal the motivational background to his work, establishing the symbiotic relationship between his life and art.