2009 archives

OFF THE WALL - Eco Print to art couture 5 -22 Feb 2009 An exhibition containing visually stimulating textile works by Porirua artists including two current Whitireia students Cleo Thorpe Ngata and Olivia Giles, recent graduate Billee Mutton and former student, Rachelle Toimata. The artists have researched and applied eco colour, dies and shibori techniques on wearable arts and textiles. The concept of the show is to produce contemporary textiles and Wearable Arts cultures based in New Zealand. A DVD has been produced to introduce NZ wearable arts culture showing a range of art forms e.g. dance and performing arts, it then focuses on local textile artists practices.  Whitireia Community Polytechnic student wearable artworks were shown in Philippines with other NZ designers on Waitangi Day 2008. Local works developed with mentoring from Suzanne Tamaki and Kohai Grace have made their entries into Westfield Style Pasifika and Montana WOW.  An original sound track has been developed for this project by WCP design technician Abby Richardson with additional textile work that demonstrates the versatility of the artists involved. This DVD was shown at the International Shibori Symposium in France in November 2008, along with textile works by student Cleo Thorpe Ngata and presentations by Textile Design tutor Deb Donnelly.

SHADI GHADIRIAN, Untitled-03                                      MOHAMMADREZA MIRZAEI, People                  MEHRAN MOHAJER, Undistributed packages

EY! IRAN 29 November 2008 - 1 March2009 Simply translated, the title ey! Iran means 'oh, Iran'. While exploring many of the complexities that influence life in Iran, the works in this exhibition also highlight the fundamental similarities in all of our lives. The exhibition reinforces the fact that any country is ultimately made up of people and that the people of Iran have hopes, fear and aspirations like everyone else. The artists take on issues of identity, gender and social restrictions and by doing so capture a side of Iran which is often contrary to that presented by the western media. The exhibition is a Gold Coast City Art Gallery initiative. Gallery curator Mandana Mapar was born in Iran, raised in New Zealand and is now based in Queensland. She has drawn together 18 photo media artists for this project, most of whom still live and work in Iran (although many exhibit widely overseas). Eh! Iran allows us to see at first hand what contemporary Iranian photography is like as is emerges from within that culture, not at one remove. Although most of the photographers and filmmakers represented here have travelled and exhibited extensively outside of their country, most were trained in photography at Tehran's Azard University and their imagery (which is produced in Iran) is not stereotypically Persian. By this I mean that Mandana and her colleague have chosen photomedia images that do not necessarily cater to popular expectations. It is non-conformist and challenging. MORE   PEYMAN HOUSHMANDZADEH, Time HANA MIRJANIAN, Shelves Drug Store

Pink and Green Bloom, Margaret Tolland                    Resting, Bill Inge

POSITIVELY CREATIVE CULTURE 16 Feb - 15 March 2009 An exhibition from the staff of the Porirua City Council. Crowned, Kylie Fyfe           Driftwood Lead Lights, Bill Inge

Whenua    21 Feb – 22 March 2009    New paintings of the local landscape by Pauline Morse.

Nik Bullard, Retro Red

LOCAL COLOUR   19 March - 5 April 2009   A group show from local    artists who are seeing red!            Radha Sahar, Local Colour                                                                    Peter Deckers, Yo-Yo Commodity Brooch

AU CONTRAIRE 9 - 26 April 2009 Au Contraire is an exhibition of quilted works that have been selected by the Coastal Quilters group. The quilts are from members within the Coastal Quilters group.

Nadine Smith, The Gatherer     Vivien Atkinson, Puzzle Pieces

ONCE UPON A TIME....   Jewellery inspired by childhood memories 29 March - 3 May 2009 Jewellers include: Viviene Atkinson, Tara Brady, Natalie Brasell, Kylie Fyfe, Glynis Gardner, Jhana Millers, Neke Moa, Lindsay Park, Kristelle Plimmer, Spring Rees, Sue Shore, Nadine Smith, Margaret Tolland and Kate Woodka.            Margaret Tolland, Sweethearts                                Tara Brady, Spaceman Brooch Natalie Brasell, Lego Pieces Bronze Pendant Jhana Millers, Forever Barbie

Katherine Morrison, Red Cross Nightingale Blanket, 2008        Katherine Morrison, Southern Cross BlanketBlanket, 2008         Anna Prussing, The Ties that Bind, 2008        Anna Prussing, Par Avion, 2008

THRIFT Four Quilters Anna Prussing, Kathy Morrison, Esther Woollaston, Heather Harding 21 February - 17 May 2009 A fascination with the hand-made seems to be sweeping the country, one of the reasons perhaps for the resurgence of interest in quiltmaking in New Zealand in the 21st century. Environmentally conscious consumers are abandoning excess and seeking unique, authentic products with the ‘look of the hand’. Quilts have traditionally been made by hand by stitching scraps of cloth together into pleasing patterns – a thrifty occupation indeed.  As the global financial crisis worsens and people try to live and work in more sustainable ways, the lessons of the ‘do-it-yourself’ generations seem more pertinent than ever. During thirty years of  depression and war, ‘our parents and grandparents met adversity with thrift, and nowhere is this more enduringly evident than in antique textile art.’1  The traditional quilt has been given a new contemporary vocabulary, as quilters rediscover its potential as a form of self-expression. Yet quilters continue to create their work from recycled fabrics _ ‘making do’ with found textles. The four quilt artists showcased in this exhibition create unique contemporary art quilts from recycled materials – old bedspreads, curtains, clothing and blankets. Katherine Morrison creates bold, abstract quilts from recycled New Zealand blankets. Esther Woollaston scours op shops for recycled fabrics that have been softened by age. Anna Prussing takes great pleasure in using old clothing bought from the op shops in her community, while Heather Harding seeks out discarded remnants of silk and satin. Implicit in their work is a rejection of mass consumption and an awareness of environmental sustainability. For Morrison, Prussing and Woollaston, the artistic process involves the retrieval of meaning from textile art. Morrison often uses old hospital and wartime blankets – material already heavy with emotional weight. Recycling New Zealand blankets and sheets reinforces her sense of place and identity. Prussing associates quiltmaking with personal memory and family heirlooms. Her finely stitched, memory-laden quilts are made to celebrate personal rites of passage for her extended family. Woollaston creates quietly eloquent, meditative quilts that are rooted in her life experience. Her abstract quilts, in a restricted palette of subtle subdued colours inspired by nature, are intended as metaphors for the ‘interior life’. Heather Harding's monochrome whole-cloth quilts pay homage to the beauty of traditional Welsh quiltmaking, evoking nostalgia and comfort. These four Wellington quilt artists are creating works inspired by history and tradition but with contemporary messages, while firmly grounded in the art of making do.        Esther Woollaston, The Beautiful Blue Light in my Bones 2007           Heather Harding, Welsh Gold, Detail 2008

THERE ARE PLACES I REMEMBER Ian Taylor 30 April - 24 May Ian Taylor was born and brought up on a council housing estate called Dormanstown in Redcar on the edge of the Tees estuary. Ian’s father, upon returning from active service in the mid 1940’s, had secured work in one of the many steel rolling mills close to that large housing complex. This development was modern and well laid out in an open setting with front and rear gardens to the houses and green open spaces. Ian was very happy there for this was an optimistic time for many. The war had had a huge impact on the people of Great Britain. A sense of a certain freedom and general goodwill prevailed which was picked up by many youngsters of Ian’s generation.This sense of great possibility erupted in the early 1960’s through the fashion and music revolutions spearheaded by the Beatles and the Merseyside sound. As a certain prime minister was quoted as saying,”You’ve never had it so good”. I simply mention this because Ian as an artist is most powerfully driven and inspired by his early life, by the warmth and comfort of a close knit family life so tragically broken by the loss of this father when he was sixteen. Ian’s early love of art was instilled by Rod Stone, his art master at school. Early on in his life Ian knew he wanted to be an artist and to this end he held many jobs until finally he was able to attend art school’s in Middlesbrough, Sheffield and Ruskin School at Oxford University. Ian’s way of life quickly became ruled by the need to paint. His is a serious passion highly informed by the history and traditions of Western European painting. While having a deep appreciation  of the modern movement from the impressionists onwards he also holds a profound appreciation of many of the great classical painters from Titian through Rembrandt and Goya to Delacroix and Ingres. As an art student his abiding inspiration was Paul Cezanne who many consider to be the founder of the modern art movement.  One of the most important aspect of Ian’s work the creation of, large, free painted “ideas” pieces. These works frequently evoke his past in England. Dormanstown and the works, his neighbours and friends, the football he played and the music he listened to, all feature strongly. Perhaps however the most important reference is to the movies he watched in his youth. The carefully constructed compositions of a John Ford film are not lost on Ian. His desire to create something similar in paint, the balanced, layered structure, self evident in the great movies, gives these pieces a considerable originality.

42nd St                                                              The cross and the olive tree                                                          Nga-keri-kapia

REFLECTION : Battle of Crete 1941 - Manos Nathan 9 May - 1 June   Approached by the New Zealand Olympic Committee in 2004, Manos Nathan, of Maori and Cretan ancestry, was asked to create an artwork to celebrate the connection between New Zealand and Greek people. Nathan made an Ipu Whenua which was buried at the Phaleron Allied War Cemetery by the New Zealand Olympic team. During the burial ceremony kokowai from Nathan's papakainga was sprinkled into the vessel to represent the blood shed by the N.Z. Armed Forces in defence of Crete. In May 2006 Nathan participated in a pilgrimage to Crete with surviving members of the 28 Maori Battalion and other New Zealand servicemen, attending the 65th Battle of Crete commemorations. The pilgrimage included visits to battle sites and urupa; memorial services and civic functions to honour the veterans. "A special occassion for me was the unveiling of a plaque acknowledging the efforts of my grandfather, his whanau and the villagers of Sklavopoula for their support given to Allied Soldiers during the invasion" says Nathan. In recent months Nathan has been assisting Patricia Grace with research regarding Crete during WW2, particularly as it relates to his parents story.  The convergence of these three things, the Olympic Commission, the 2006 pilgrimage and the biography have all served to re-ignite Nathan's interest in the Battle of Crete, its relevance to our nation and to the 28th Maori Battalion in particular and to encourage him to honour his whakapapa (family) connection to Crete and to those historical events. The time seems right to reflect on this history and Nathan's relationship to it through his art work.   "I wish to create a body of celebratory and commemorative works inspired by those past and present events" says Nathan. Supported by Te Waka Toi                             Whakamaharatanga  I                        The cross and the olive tree

Turumakina Duleyz Tuhoe, Ngati Awa, Ngaiterangi, Ngati Hokopu  |  and niece Ashley Duleyz 2004        Haki Williams, Hori (George) and Tamihana Nuku 2002

FACE VALUE Photography and film installation by Serena Giovanna Stevenson. 14 February – 7 June 2009 Expressed through photography and film, Face Value conveys the intimacy of Māori facial moko (tattoo) through six personal stories. Face Value compels us to be drawn into the everyday space and profound moments before, during, and after the intensely personal process of ta- moko, as seen through the eyes of photographer and multi-media artist Serena Giovanna Stevenson. Face Value looks at facial ta- moko in its unique environment – absorbing the viewer’s attention but refraining from entering into the history, specific cultural knowledge or politics of moko. The scenes are of real people in their homes, familiar spaces, both indoors and outdoors: we experience the sincerity, human impulse and gaze of understanding passing through the eyes of one generation to the next – from grandfather to grandchild, daughter to mother and on and on. The images – an otherwise simple capture of people, settings and landscapes - reveal themselves to be precious steps along the journey that follows the recipient receiving his or her facial moko from the ta- moko artist, surrounded by the love of family and friends. Mera Penehira, Tu Te Kiha Penehira-Hawke and Kararaina Penny, Titirangi, Ta-maki Makaurau, Auckland, 2006

Anjum Rahman with her daughter                           Mahmood Bikhoo and his wife Fatima

THE CRESCENT MOON The Asian Face of Islam in New Zealand Photographs by Ans Westra 18 February - 24 May 2009 The Crescent Moon: The Asian Face of Islam in New Zealand was commissioned by the Asia New Zealand Foundation as part of its ongoing commitment to raising awareness and understanding of Asian cultures in our country. Asia is home to more than half the world’s Muslims, and the majority of Muslims who have settled in New Zealand hail from one or other Asian country. In common with many Muslims the world over, Asian Muslims in New Zealand have had to contend with the suspicion that befell them following the tragic terrorist attacks in 2001. The Crescent Moon enables some members of the Muslim community to share their personal stories, in their own words, with accompanying photographs.     Ghazala-Anwar

DELHI DRAWINGS Denys Watkins 14 March - 21 June 2009 Delhi Drawings were conceived and executed while on a residency in Sanskriti Kendra in South Delhi. The works are painted with oxides and paints on handmade paper, all of which were sourced from local markets. The drawings were constructed without preconception from everyday objects sourced from the nearby Mehrauli Market which traded in domestic wares, kitchen appliances,  haberdashery, fruit & vegetables, spices, household paints, plumbing and building materials.

Dick Frizzell From Mickey to Tiki Tu Meke 1997. Lithograph. Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery    Te Puna o Waiwhetu, presented by Lady Isaac 1998       Boyd Webb Red 2006. C-type photograph.  Private Collection, Christchurch.jpg      Richard Killeen Black Insects, Red Primitives 1980. Acrylic lacquer on aluminium.    Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, purchased 1981

I SEE RED 14 March - 21 June 2009 Shaped for younger audiences and the young at heart, visitors to Pataka will be invited to respond to the I See Red exhibition artworks in new ways, including looking at them through red glasses and discovering the fascinating tales behind the production of different red pigments - including from dried cochineal beetles, some of which are on display. In addition to this, James Ormsby's folding card kowhaiwhai-covered whare, designed as a portable version of his drawing in the show, is itself a miniature work of art that visitors can construct and take home. The emotional, cultural and historical power of red is proven through an exciting selection of artworks, predominantly from the collections of Christchurch Art Gallery, by artists including Yuk King Tan, Niki Hastings-McFall, Anne Noble, Shane Cotton, Boyd Webb, Gretchen Albrecht, James Ormsby, Colin McCahon, Louise Henderson, Ann Robinson, Richard Killeen, Margaret Stoddart and Charles Barraud. The exhibition's curator Ken Hall says '"I See Red has been extremely well received - not just by kids - and enjoyed for its lively mixture of historical and contemporary works, which meet here in unexpected ways. I See Red also contains rich stories, and offers many entry points from which to look at and learn about art. All visitors will make connections and find things that speak to them." I See Red is a Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu touring exhibition.     Children enjoying the I See Red exhibition  Grant Takle No Smoking 2005. Enamel on board. Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, purchased 2005

WELLINGTON WOODTURNERS GUILD 9 July - 2 August TURNINGS PLUS, Woodcraft produced by members of the Wellington Woodturners Guild. The 'Guild of Woodworkers, Wellington Inc.' consists of approximately 120 members from the greater Wellington Region.  The Guild's aim is to provide a forum for those interested in working with wood to meet together and to develop their skills and knowledge.  This is the 4th year of the Turnings Plus exhibition, and the second year it has been held at Pataka.  For the duration of this stunning exhibition, the Wellington Guild of Woodworkers will be demonstrating the use of lathes and woodturning techniques with in-gallery wood-turning demonstrations.

LEONARD RIDGWAY'S OLD-TIME CIRCUS Animated boxes by Grant Tilly 4 July - 4 August   Following on from Grant Tilly's highly successful exhibition last year of decorated boxes, Tilly has created a series of 10 new boxes that take a look at the theme of the old time circus. Pull out the drawers, open the cupboards and watch the lions and elephants rear up, the kangaroos box and the 'Amazing Acrobatic Arial Performers' in action.

The Horns of History.

1839 EXCHANGES Jewellery by Jason Hall 30 May - 9 August 2009 Since 1998 Jason Hall's jewellery has been asking questions about what it means to be Pakeha. 1839 Exchanges, Jewellery by Jason Hall is an exhibition about jewellery, identity and cultural exchange. Most cultures have made use of the amulet where commonly a tooth or a claw is strung up or worn to protect the wearer from harm. Hall's jewellery uses the amulet to talk about the anxieties of being Pakeha. These are ambiguous objects - it is not always clear who is protected by Hall's amulets, or what terrors they are intended to fight off. The exhibition features a series of amulets created for Frederick Edward Manning, an Irishman who arrived in Aotearoa in 1833 and became a trader. Manning was a well known Pakeha Maori who initially advised Maori not to sign the Treaty of Waitangi, later became a land court judge in the 1860's and a member of the European colonial gentry. Turning the Table, 2007

Sulu ni vakamau. A 21st century wedding dress.                      Gata Vakaviti. A large masi used as a backdrop for                                  weddings and funerals (Detail).                               Preparing the masi tree bark for masi cloth.                            Printing with templates on to masi cloth.

FIJI MASI - Cloth of the Gods 23 May - 30 August Masi is the Fijian name for what is better known throughout the world as barkcloth or tapa. No less than 20 beautiful examples of masi make up the central focus of this exhibition. The making of masi and the associated masi kesa (the printing of the cloth) has, with few exceptions, always been the privilege of women. These women have taken this ancient art form of making, decorating and printing masi cloth and turned it into a highly sophisticated art which is attracting attention from connoisseurs and art lovers around the world. While remaining true to the ethos of masi, they manage to bridge the worlds of traditional and contemporary masi. The masi cloth is made from the inner bark of a small slender tree also called masi, and is grown on land considered sacred. It contains the spirit of the land it is grown on and contains the essence of the women who beat the cloth and decorate it. Fijians today often live in a vastly different world than that of past generations and masi continues to be an integral part of every aspect of traditional life in Fiji, as well as contemporary Fijian life and culture. Pieces of finely decorated masi, video footage, clothing and ceremonial garments will be included in the exhibition. Fiji Masi - Cloth of the Gods exhibition curators are Catherine Spicer, co writer of the book Fiji Masi, and John Sullivan, director of Cloth of the Gods, a DVD documentary on masi.                   Fiji Masi, Cloth of the Gods is proudly supported by                                                                                            Rove, masi flag.          The chief Sigadrodro of Nasaudoko. His chiefly status is denoted by             a malo (the long train of masi around his waist and trailing behind him).

THE MIGRATING KITCHEN 7 August - 13 September   The kitchen is the hub of the house, the heart of the home - a place where families and friends are fed, stories are told, memories rekindled. The Migrating Kitchen exhibition, featuring some of New Zealand's multi-cultural communities, celebrates food, families and festivals. It is an interactive visitor experience for young and old -  the chance to step inside our neighbours' kitchens - to hear their stories, taste their food and take away their recipes. Explore the kitchen spaces, each reflecting their cultural roots - Afghan, Chilean, Cook Islands, Indian, Italian and Zimbabwean.  Take away recipes to try at home.  Enjoy the aromas of spices, herbs and foods.  Watch the videos. Each community has a week when their foods, crafts and cultures are also displayed on the central "kitchen table". On the following Saturdays there will be cooking demonstrations and tastings in the gallery. Saturday 8 August, 2pm – Zimbabwe Saturday 15 August, 2pm - Italy Saturday 22 August - Afghanistan Saturday 29 August - Cook Islands Saturday 5 September - India Saturday 12 September - Chile .... see www.migratingkitchen.org for details  on The Migrating Kitchen organisation.

Kerry Ann Lee                                        Sarak Vone Sum                                 Spring Rees

ORIENTATE : re-imagining customary forms  8 August -  6 September Kerry Ann Lee, Sarak Vone Sum and Spring Rees are Asian New Zealand artists who negotiate, revise and make transactions to explore the potential of artwork situated between two cultures. Kerry Ann Lee works in mixed media, Sarak Vone Sum in painting, and Spring Rees in jewellery.

MANA ISLAND 20 June - 27 September Mana Island has a colourful history that begins with the landing of Kupe nearly a thousand years ago.  The exhibition includes aspects of Maori occupation, whaling, farming, DOC management, natural history and artists' interpretations. Come and land on the shores of Mana Island with us as we take a look at it's history and find out what is unique about Mana Island. Sitting like a table in the sea, Mana Island has been the site of some colourful events of history. Te Rangihaeata, Ngati Toa's fighting chief made his home on the island and built his carved house Kaitangata there. Early whalers had a station on the island and this country's second exported wool clip was taken from Mana to Sydney in 1835. John Bell, the first farmer on the island died, from alcoholism and was buried in a rum cask. A lighthouse was built in 1865 but contributed to several shipwrecks due to mistaken identity so was relocated to Cape Egmont. In more recent times an entire sheep flock had to be destroyed due to an outbreak of scrapies. The exhibition will trace this interesting history through exhibits, photos and paintings, a model and informative text panels.

Joanna Langford, Beyond Nowhere 2007 - 2009      Peter Madden, The Leaving 2008   Chartwell Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, 2009     Eve Armstrong, Run Off 2007   Chartwell Collection, Auckland Art Gallery, Toi o Tamaki

SECONDLIFE Five Artist projects 27 June - 11 October 2009 The recycling of everyday materials into art is experiencing a resurgence in popularity among artists, but with a fresh contemporary message. Against a backdrop of an overheating planet and rapidly depleting resources, it is hardly surprising that a new generation of artists should create art designed to make their concerns about the environment visible. Eve Armstrong, Judy Darragh, Niki Hastings-McFall, Joanna Langford and Peter Madden respond to the call to conserve resources and live more responsibly, ‘upcycling’ everyday materials and ready-made objects (objets trouvés), giving them a ‘second life’ as works of art. Modern-day alchemists, the artists magically transform the old into the new - creating works of great beauty and imagination from cheap, humble materials. While Eve Armstrong reuses and reconfigures cast-off material within new contexts, the others transform their material through renewal and reinvention. Objects transplanted from the realm of the mundane to that of the aesthetic transcend their everyday purpose. They also carry a subtle political message. By creating art from the detritus of contemporary consumerist culture, artists can reflect their concerns about the negative impact of that culture and emphasise the importance of recycling, while maintaining a sustainable art practice. By extending the life cycle of their materials, they can inspire others to be less wasteful and more creative, without resorting to preaching. Helen Kedgley Senior Curator Contemporary Art Judy Darragh, Plonk 2007 Courtesy of the artist and Two Rooms Gallery     Niki Hastings-McFall, Crucifixion 2009   Collection of the artist

Simple Mathematics  2005-06       laser cut, powder-coated steel       Courtesy of Nigel Williams       & Rae-Ann Sinclair                 Stay still...don’t move  2007         acrylic & enamel on canvas        Collection of the artist                   12 Shades of Bullshit  2003       paint on acrylic       Private Collection

10 DOWN  –  A SURVEY EXHIBITION  WAYNE YOULE 5 September - 15 November 2009 10 down surveys highlights from the past 10 years of Wayne Youle's practice. A versatile and prolific artist, Youle has produced an impressive and remarkably varied body of work in the last decade which has attracted considerable critical acclaim. Youle, who grew up in Titahi Bay, first exhibited his work in the Blue Pacific Gallery at Pataka in 1999 and later had his first solo exhibition, Welcome to Maoriland in 2002. Since then his work has been included in five major exhibitions at Pataka.  Youle's output is considerable – in ten years he has had over twenty solo and forty group exhibitions. With work included in major New Zealand exhibitions including Techno Maori: Maori Art in the Digital Age (2001) at Pataka and the City Gallery Wellington and Hei Tiki at the Auckland City Art Gallery, recently his work has featured in a number of international exhibitions including Pacifica Styles at Britain's Cambridge University Museum of Archeology and Anthropology and, in November this year, at the Hyde Park Centre in Chicago, USA. With over 55 works, installed salon-style – with a horror vacui density – 'like the photos at the back of the marae - old and the new all together showing at least I hope a snippet of my artistic practice and its diversity'- the exhibition showcases the diversity of his practice both in terms of themes and materials. Born in Porirua in 1974, of Ngati Whakaeke, Ngapuhi and European descent, Youle, like many New Zealanders, grew up with a dual cultural heritage. His bicultural heritage is reflected in his work which deals with race, religion, Maori/Pakeha relationships and the place of Maori culture within New Zealand's dominant pakeha mainstream. Skully-pops (Death of the Tiki Pop)  2007 casting resin & cardboard sticks Courtesy of the artist & Tim Melville Gallery, Auckland Often Liked Occasionally Beaten  2004 resin on cardboard sticks Collection of the artist

BOTTLE CREEK GALLERY

   EMERGING ARTISTS, LOCAL INTEREST GROUPS AND MORE, THIS IS OUR GALLERY FOR THE COMMUNITY:

Monica McCormack,                                 Marian Weststrate, 'Ketting' necklace '      'Women Cross' ceramic            Bridey Farrell, Wallpaper 2b                                                              Brian Hill, Semi Disc                                                  Alan Wehipeihana, Tree Coffee and Janola

PAEKAKARIKI - It's Another Name for Paradise  A group exhibition of Paekakariki artists 30 October - 22 November 2009 The small village of Paekakariki on the Kapiti Coast is a centre for a diverse range of visual arts creativity. Paekakariki - It's Another Name for Paradise showcases this by exhibiting paintings of various media, photography, sculptures, installation art, jewellery, felt art, ceramics, found object art, furniture and digital art.      HarrisParis Monaghan, Metal Sculptural Brooch   Irene Ferguson, Still Life Part ll (Fawn) Click on the above image to play Sheba William's Paekakariki video. NOTE: PCC staff and some organisations may not be able to view this video if their organisations do not allow video streaming. John Baxter, Tai Pare - Early NZ Painting 3

BLUE PACIFIC GALLERY

   ARTWORK FOR SALE BY LEADING CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS FROM AROUND NEW ZEALAND

    Contemporary Maori Art including Todd Douglas, Rex Homan, Te Rongo Kirkwood, Neke Moa, Lewis Gardiner and Stacy Gordine
    
                                                Te Rongo Kirkwood                                                                                                                                    

  
    Guest artist from Maori Art Market, Dan Namingha
   Dan Namingha was one of the invited artists for Maori Art Market and we are priviledged to be exhibiting his work until the 22nd November.   
   Namingha's art draws upon the landscape and culture of his native American Southwest, blending abstraction and reality with stunning
   graphic power. 

   
   Hopi Landscape

       
   Passage#49                                                                                                                   Hopi Landscape



   

BOTTLE CREEK GALLERY    EMERGING ARTISTS, LOCAL INTEREST GROUPS AND MORE, THIS IS OUR GALLERY FOR THE COMMUNITY:               Kim Burke                                                                                  Thomas Owers WHITIREIA POLYTECHNIC Origins exhibition 27 November - 13 December An exhibition of Whitireia NZ's Diploma in Jewellery Design and Visual Arts Undergraduate studies

BLUE PACIFIC GALLERY

   ARTWORK FOR SALE BY LEADING CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS FROM AROUND NEW ZEALAND

    

Alan Tawhi Amopiu, Steel and Bone,                    Derek Molnar, Woven Grasses     3D animation

WHITIREIA POLYTECHNIC Purapura Whetu: Myriad of Stars 27 November 2009 - 10 January 2010 An exhibition of Whitireia's Visual Arts and Design Degree course senior students final years' work, including printmaking, painting, photography, bone carving and jewellery. Spokesperson, senior student Anna Nelson says Purapura Whetu: Myriad of Stars is a vibrant exhibition of diverse and dynamic works. "These art works are the culmination of a year of experimentation and hard work by degree students in their second and third years.  It's a good opportunity for anyone  interested in art to see what's on offer".

 

   

Kura Te Waru Rewiri, Haere ki wiwi, ki wawa                                (Go wherever you like) 2009                                      Courtesy of the artist                              Shane Cotton, Eden to Ohaeawai 2000                                        Collection of the artist                       Ngataiharuru Taepa, Te Pitau a Tiki #1                             Collection of the artist,                         Courtesy of Page Blackie Gallery

MUA KI MURI Intergenerational Creativity 7 October 2009 - 7 February 2010 6 contemporary Maori artists Mua ki Muri/ Intergenerational Creativity showcases the work of six of New Zealand's leading contemporary Māori artists – Bob Jahnke, Shane Cotton, Kura Te Waru Rewiri, Ngataiharuru Taepa, Rachael Rakena and Israel Birch - all connected by teaching roles at Te Putahi-a-Toi, the School of Māori Studies at  Massey University. Working alongside each other, the six artists have created a strong, intergenerational artistic community - diverse in whakapapa and art practice and informed by both the local and the global. These artists, and Te Putahi-aToi, have become an influential force in New Zealand's artistic life. The exhibition illuminates the strength of contemporary Māori art. The six artists are conscious of participating in – and contributing to - the continuum of Māori art. Central to Māori culture is the idea of lineage or whakapapa – the passing of knowledge, expertise and values from one generation to another. Mentorship and  manakitanga is seen as a fundamental responsibility. Te Putahi-a-Toi, through these artists, has indigenised the practice of teaching contemporary art, imbuing it with a commitment to Māori culture and Te Reo - enabling a modern and evolving expression of indigenous concepts.  Rachael Rakena, One man is an island [He Waiata Whaiaipo Series] 2009 Courtesy of the artist and Bartley + Company Art     Bob Jahnke, Roses for Wittgensteini II, 2009        Israel Birch, Tukarangi 2008  Collection of Massey University                            Collection of the artist,  Albany Art Collection                                           courtesy of Page Blackie Gallery

        
   


    

PETER ADSETT   MATAWHERO: BULLET HOLES AND BANDAGES   28 November 2009 - 14 March 2010 Peter Adsett has exhibited widely throughout Australia, Japan, the US and New Zealand. He has built a considerable career as an accomplished  and distinctive abstract artist. Peter Adsett has taken one of the most arresting events in Tairawhiti history and declined to talk about it. Instead, through his decades-long experimentation with abstraction, the Melbourne-based artist invites the viewer to “seek out the edges”, to try to make their own sense out of the 1868 Matawhero Massacre. Not that his exhibition, Matawhero: Bullet Holes & Bandages, is about the massacre per se. What it’s about, he says, is the process of painting – about the language of abstraction, the responses of Western artists to “spaces” in indigenous art and, most importantly, how black and white are never actually black and white. In the past Adsett has, in exploring his craft, dealt with issues from decay (in the 2005 exhibition More Rot) to the potential vitriol of colour (Polychrome Poison, 2002). Fittingly, though, there is a sense of violence in the Matawhero series. Or rather, as the artist puts it, there is “violation” in the damaged surfaces of the 25 canvases. The thick bristles that are torn from his brush as he paints are incorporated into the works. As are other pock-like contaminants that, to a wondering eye, might be interpreted as bullet holes. “What first occurs to me when I think about Matawhero is that it was a violation,” the Gisborne-born artist said. “These paintings, too, have in a way been violated. Their surfaces have been destroyed.” He says his relationship with Matawhero, and with people who live there, was the reason why it took him 30 years to offer his visual response to its history. NOTE: The 'Matawhero Massacre' refers to the 1868 incident when Maori prophet Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki and his followers killed around 60 people - roughly equal numbers of Maori and Pakeha. The attack was said to be vengeance for Te Kooti’s treatment after his capture at Waerenga-a-hika three years earlier (SOURCE: NZ History).          Click below for Peter Adsett's talk about his exhibition Matawhero: Bullet Holes and Bandages        NOTE: PCC staff and some organisations may not be able to view this video if their organisations do not allow video streaming.

   

BOTTLE CREEK GALLERY

   EMERGING ARTISTS, LOCAL INTEREST GROUPS AND MORE, THIS IS OUR GALLERY FOR THE COMMUNITY:

Madeleine Casey, Kehua                                                          Brian Gunson, Te Heke Tahutahu-Ahi

TURANGAWAEWAE An exhibition of artworks by the Hongoeka Whanau 17 December 2009 - 17 January 2010 An exhibition showcasing the work of Hongoeka artists and Whitireia Community Polytechnic marae based weaving students.                    Rangi gripp, Taiaha

BOTTLE CREEK GALLERY

   EMERGING ARTISTS, LOCAL INTEREST GROUPS AND MORE, THIS IS OUR GALLERY FOR THE COMMUNITY:

All above photographs by Evan McBride

ETHIOPIA An exhibition of photographs and a multimedia presentation of  3 of our Wellington region's residents time spent working for 'Habitat for Humanity' in Ethiopia  21 January 2010 - 16 February 2010 Kate MacPherson - photographs taken by children of Ethiopia, with Evan McBride's photographs taken in Ethiopia while working for 'Habitat for Humanity' and a multi media presentation from Ethiopia by Peter Van Der Burg. Kate MacPherson  In November 2008, sixteen children from Mercy Home in Addis Ababa were introduced to photography. All had come either directly from living on the streets or from extremely poor and underprivileged backgrounds. Their enthusiasm and delight in photography have culminated in some incredibly unique and inspired imagery that will be showcased in this exhibition as well as on the website www.eyesfromethiopia.com. All profits from the sale of prints are donated back to the children’s home to fund their education and living expenses. Peter van der Burg Peter van der Burg travelled to Ethiopia in 2007 and 2008 with  teams of New Zealanders for Habitat for Humanity as part of their Global Village program. While there, the teams worked alongside locals to build their houses using the "chika method" building style. Spending four weeks at a time there, Peter shares his impressions of this very important time in his life as he experienced the country, it's people, the culture, work and religions.   The documentary "Chucking Chika" follows the method of this cost effective building technique, while the video wall (a matrix of 4 by 6 computer screens) becomes a dynamic photo display of images that capture the essence of the Ethiopian life as witnessed by the teams.   Peter is a Porirua resident of seven years (otherwise a Mainlander hailing from Nelson), and works in Information Technology for the Porirua City Council. Evan McBride Evan McBride - Faces of Ethiopia - a collection of photographic images  of the people of Ethiopia. Taken whilst in Ethiopia for a Habitat for  Humanity project.

BLUE PACIFIC GALLERY

   ARTWORK FOR SALE BY LEADING CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS FROM AROUND NEW ZEALAND
 

PORT NICHOLSON HANDWEAVERS    16 January - 14 February 2010