Gimblett arrived in Arrowtown this week with a dozen pieces he has created over the past 10 months - a period he refers to as "the zenith of my production to date".
The artworks which make up "Max Gimblett: The Perfect Mirror" exhibition were inspired by Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali and German painter Sigmar Polke.
The series prompted the artist to use a different technique, which involves computer projections, tracing paper cut-outs and gilding of precious materials, such as gold, silver and palladium.
Gimblett said he intended to give a "spontaneous" talk at the Nadene Milne Gallery at 7pm tonight about his sources of inspiration, the creation of his abstracts and how they were produced in a "team atmosphere" in his New York studio.
The former Aucklander travelled around Europe in the late 1950s before eventually settling in New York in 1972 with the intention of studying artworks in the city's countless galleries. Abstract expressionists Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock were among the artists to make lasting impressions, he said.
"I come back [to New Zealand] once or twice a year. It feels natural; it's quite inspiring. I revel in the light and the dialect. I love hearing people speak.
"New York is very hermetic, with intense people at the top of their game; workaholics who never feel guilt or shame about working 24/7."
