Stories in the Landscape 2022
12 Nov 22 — 26 Feb 23
The Sculpture Park at Waitakaruru Arboretum
Curated by Gina Ferguson
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A1— Hothouse Brains
1 Ferrari, 2 McLaren, 3 Maserati, 4. Porsche (From $4950 per item)
Audrey Boyle and Ross Forbes
Steel, Aluminium, Epoxy and PaintThe current world is one beset by conflict, obsessed by media and in fear of a pandemic, global warming and age-lines etched on one’s forehead. Skin shallow or bone deep, the superficial and the spiritually profound both demand our attention. Immaculate media influencers with perfect lips light the way as reality unfolds in a glittering procession. With a nod to the industrial heritage of this quarry here is a glamorous chariot powered take on the gladiatorial, tribal nature of social reality in the 21 st century.
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A2— Site (POA)
Hannah Bremner
Mixed Media, Found Objects, Glass‘Site’ is a re-imagined space featuring subtle, playful, and magical objects grounded in nature. What are these objects? Who left them and why? Are they the remains of an alien site, a mutation of nature or a magical manifestation designed to transport us to another dimension? There are no answers. Site encourages playful exploration, escapism, and curiosity”
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A4—Folly
Ian Cheeseman
Steel, PaintThis refers politically to the past mistakes of humans have made in regards to the
environment, it is a warning for us all today as well.
It also refers to the architectural pastime
of building a ‘distant and contemplative’ building on ones property, a historical desire of some rich landowners in the UK. Follies continue to fascinate us today, they reflect a folly of wealth and they explain past sensibilities of desire and the romantic ideals of the landscape. These are perhaps still apparent today. Here the “Folly” is more imposter and the one who wants to warn, with the sensibilities of the jester.
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A5—The Rest of Us
Joe Citizen
Electronics, mains electricity, infra red sensors.Joe Citizen in association with school of Media Arts Wintec | Te Pūkenga. Informed by contemporary concerns arising from the Anthropocene, The Rest of Us is primarily concerned with decentring human agency within the wider field of relations, as a means to explore how humans are “part of the nature we seek to understand” (Barad, 2007), which in turn problematises. Eurocentric understandings of what Art itself, is. Sounds include a mixture of short-spoken phrases, atmospheres and atonal music clips, which play as a result of both human and non-human sounds and motion.
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A6— Wind Chimes (NFS)
Dale Cotton
Alluminium horns, Algorithmic sound sourceWhen Tāwhirimātea (the god of the weather) speaks the chimes sing. Three large horn speakers are re-imagined as giant wind chimes, hanging in a tree - quietly singing to themselves. The piece 'Wind Chimes' by New Zealand composer Denis Smalley is a classic example of the genre described as acousmatic music. The main sound source for 'Wind Chimes' is a set of ceramic chimes found in a pottery during a visit to New Zealand in 1984, recordings of the ceramic chimes were abstracted with digital and algorithmic software tools in the late 1990's. This work is a homage to Denis Smalley's composition and highlights one of New Zealand’s greatest sonic art adventurers.
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A7— Nikau Vessel ($8500)
Jane Downes
Corten SteelThis work is inspired by the powerful structure and symmetry of the Nikau. It is a part of a series of my work that celebrates and champions our native plants by stylising them into monuments. Defining our identity, their familiar silhouettes cast against the sky and shadows to the ground. The laser cutting of the corten steel allows its shape and behaviour to be manipulated into this familiar form. I am interested in feelings evoked by shape, form and pattern, how we react to scale and light and the influence this has on Art, Architecture and Design. I use forms in my work that resonate with me, both natural and manmade. Often common or from childhood, sometimes delicate and fleeting objects from nature, sometimes robust geometric forms from popular culture and industry. Specific themes in my work include colonisation, security and shelter along with more abstract themes commenting on the human condition, challenging preconceptions of purpose and beauty, valuable and lowly, masculine and feminine, permanence and the ephemeral. These dichotomies are also reflected in my use of recycled, found and industrial materials.
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A8— Connections ($1200)
Sherryn Eastman
Clay, steel rodThis totem represents the connection of all things. It is to remind us to look after mother earth and each other. I make my totems out of clay, each piece hand built and fired in oxide washes to fit with the natural environment.
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A9— Biological Blooms ($4000)
Bev Goodwin
Powder coated No.8 WireBiological Blooms alludes, in a very free flow way, to the Coptic cross. The decorative wire elements create the cross and and make reference to this ancient symbol. This cross originates from Egypt and originally referenced the feminine goddesses before the original meanings were removed. The shape represented fertility, regeneration and creative power. Red was usually associated with it. It's the only cross that referred to feminine life-giving principles. Ethiopia became the seat of the Christian Coptic religion. Together the elements create a flower-like cross. Each large circle is a flower with its centre and petals. It refers to nature and the natural cycle of reproduction. The hand winding technique is a version of how farmers used this method to anchor wire to fence posts. No 8 wire is transformed in an artistic interpretation of its possibilities and as a demonstration of kiwi handiness with this material.
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B1— The Night We Met ($28750 each)
Larisse Hall
Stainless Steel Hull, Acrylic Panel SailsSpeaking to the ephemerality of time. Transparent acrylic forms act as 'painted' layers of colour. Kinetically connecting, the 'dancers' are activated through the natural dynamics of time, wind, water, sun and reflection. Colour mixing and engaging uniquely upon the surface of the water, as if paints on a canvas. Reminiscent of connections and friendships through out our lives, no matter how brief. Highlighting time as a precious resource. 'We wake and sleep to the rhythm of time and light. It is the basis of existence. Directing routine and daily rituals’. Fusing the ethereal quality of light with the materiality of form, l use light, our most primal time 'tool', as both medium and time reference. Contemplating societal every days and taken for granted nuances, my light infused, time trans formative 'works', highlight the ephemeral nature of presence. Endorsing time as our most precious commodity. This acknowledges time as a constant yet not an infinite resource. Our actions today, impact beyond our now. This endorses the whakatauki: 'Manaaki whenua. Manaaki taangata. Haere whakamua - Care for land. Care for people. Go forward.’
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B2—Gaia ($1500)
Maurice Hunt
Eco-friendly transparent plasticGaia is always present but never seen. Invisible, because we lack knowledge of how nature works. We personify nature as an almighty human being that is unseen so that we don’t have to give a factual answer as to how Mother Nature works. We all have at one time in our lives said “That’s MotherNature”. Mother Nature. Mother Earth. Invisible mother giving life to the earth/planet/sculpture within her womb. The sculpture is made of a transparent polycarbonate plastic. The transparency will give the illusion yet the curvature and light refracting will give the sculpture an outline of a figure. This figure within its womb/mid-section will show a planet. The sculpture Gaia is just visible, giving form to the idea, for the observer to see and touch.
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B3— Weight of the World (NFS)
Jimmy Ma'a'ai
PlasticThe initial idea for these stemmed from a conversation with my aunty who informed me that they stack their chairs like this to take their weight without collapsing beneath them, she told me this through laughter.
As a child, I didn’t think too much into this, however, upon reflection, I realised that this was a direct result of New Zealand’s colonial relationship with Samoa.
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B4—The Leasehold ($1850)
Carolyn Menzies
Jack Chain, Jewelry Chain, Braided Wire, Bungy CordMade from various weighs of chain and tethered between tree trunks, ‘The Leasehold’ explores chain as a metaphor for order amid flux. Under gravity, the chain forms an idealised bend - the catenary curve. This curve represents the continual compromise between rigidity and flexibility with every part in perfect balance. In contrast, abstract concepts of the landscape, take for example boundary maps, suggest order without fluctuation. These are often characterised by their straight lines with gravity and all other forces of nature omitted from the narrative. Taking the chain that is often used to delineated boundaries Menzies’ seeks to re-write these invisible forces into our story. Sat unobtrusively in the landscape, ‘The Leasehold’ manifests the force of gravity and is further shaped by the local conditions. Although this lattice of interwoven chains shifts and changes, adjusting each individual curve in response to weight and wind, this work invites the viewer to experience a moment of equilibrium – to stand for a moment in stability in the midst of change.
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B5— Wisdom of the Ancient One ($7900)
Julie Mosdale
Corten SteelThe idea for this sculpture stems from my observation of the disconnection of society today. We live in a fast paced world, where material possession equates to status, success and happiness. Social media dominates our day and whilst it creates connection it is often inauthentic. We are buying more, sleeping less, stressed out, anxious and over-worked. In Ancient times people lived by the rising of the sun and the phases of the moon, relying on nature and their extensive knowledge of it to provide. They lived in simpler times, understanding the cycles of life and death and the natural ways of the world. These ancestors were connected to the land and their surrounding environment. 'Wisdom of the Ancient One' is a spiral - A simple, yet alluring shape found in all aspects of the universe, from our DNA to the growth patterns of plants. It is a common symbol used in many indigenous cultures often representing life, death and rebirth, continuity and progression. Its beauty lies in its simplicity and our familiarity to it. It is a shape that grounds us, connects us and intuitively reminds us to be still.
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B6— He Piko, He Taniwha ($3500)
Tonina Ngatai
Plastic Cable TiesThis work is a sculpture piece made entirely of black and white cable ties. They look like kina from the ocean but they also reference aquatic life and how humans evolved from water creatures to inhabitants of the land. These pieces are made up of a number of singular sculptures but for this project I will connect them as one big piece that will look similar to a Taniwha. The intention is to reference the famous Waikato whakatauki (proverb) “He piko, he Taniwha, he piko he taniwha”. This whakatauki translates to the correlation between the people of Tainui and the mighty Waikato river. Through my creative process I have explored the concept of interchangeable forms. The idea was to create an interactive body of work that people can engage with and find their connection with these 3-dimensional sculptures. For environmental consideration these organic shapes can be used both indoors and outdoors. It is important these pieces adapt to whatever environment they are placed in. This series of work has been about Mauri, energy, life force, positive and negative, yin and yang, fish out of water. Sculpting forms out of cable ties and placing them in a natural environment. The polarity between these two ideas is a dialogue about nature and the evolution of mankind. The skeletal shapes appear to be floating in emptiness yet there is a connection between land, form and void.
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B7— Earth Mother ($7700)
Ainsley O'Connell
Cast Glass, Corten Steel, TimberSited within the arboretum, the fecund Earth Mother sits proudly atop her plinth, milled from the forest, watching over the life and growth of the surrounding vegetation. Cast in lead crystal glass, a material derived from elements found in nature, her polished surfaces reflect the leaves of the surrounding trees while blending into the blue skies. It is possible to look into this translucent, abstract female form where shapes appear to change as the light is refracted from the angled edges and the circular voids. This refers to the different personality traits in women, the nurturing versus the strong and practical. The air bubbles created in the making process are visible, adding lightness and joy, a bubbly personality. The abstract form alludes to the female silhouette, with circular voids representing the strong heart and fertile womb of the Earth Mother.
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B8— The Outfits 4/6/9 ($5500 each)
Rebecca Rose
Reinforced ConcreteThis series was inspired by some stunning outfits that people I admired wore. Among these people were my mother and two grandmothers. The sculptures feature a sample of vintage bathing suits and caps, gowns and casual wear. Outfits that tickled my fancy and outfits that I could see gracing the catwalk. I have inherited some of these garments and wear them with pride to this day. These sculptures use Greywacke aggregate in the concrete mix and I like the synergy of them being sited in a former Greywacke quarry. Just as the Waitakaruru Arboretum has taken what was left by the quarry and transformed it, I have used the Greywacke gravel and morphed it into these sculptures.
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B9— Maori Angels Series: Ko Ao ($11475)
Carla Ruka
CeramicMeaning: Ko Au refers to the journey one takes internally
I am
the smoke
the fog
the cloud
the mist
the whirlpool
the rapids
the current
the ocean
I am.
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C1— Good Vibrations ($4500)
Claire Sadler
AndesiteThis piece is a play with asymmetrical symmetry. I have used Taranaki Andesite, which is a hardstone which is extremely durable. The particular piece has some interesting colour patternation when seen up close. “Sculpting stone, like life, is a journey of learning and a continuing dance.” This piece captures the felt sense of natural vibrations within the viewer and the natural environment around them. The ebb and flow which is breath, light, growth and heart beat.
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C2— Gollum ($2500)
Stuart Shepherd
Wood, RopeThis work is part of a series of figures I have been toying with for the past few years. These are based on marginalised and migrant people I have encountered in my travels. This particular figure has morphed into the mythical figure of the Jewish character Gollum. Rendered larger than life, the Gollum was a monstrous figure, created by the rabbi to have influence over the village.....a kind of Frankenstein. In my reading of the myth, it is unknowable if the Gollum is a force of creativity or destruction. I am interested in figurative, formal and folk art traditions...I always aim my work to be accessible and recognizable to children...my prime target audience.
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C3— Rift ($11500)
Jeff Thompson
Powder Coated Steel and WireThe story of wire objects begins in seventeenth-century Slovakia where thin strands of laminated iron forged by ironmongers were first used to repair broken pottery. Little by little, wire work developed into the making of everyday objects. I have used wire and steel rod to wrap wooden objects such as chairs, ladders, fence posts, trusses and tables. Once wrapped with wire, I’ve burnt them in a fire to remove the timber and leave a skeletal shape of the original object. Each individual shape is made up of lines and becomes a 3-dimensional drawing. With these shapes, I want to create a sculpture which is a mass of overlapping lines where the various objects are lost amongst each other but can still be deciphered when looking closely.
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C4— Recoil ($4500)
Jeff Thompson and Bev Goodwin
Hand wound No. 8 WireRecoil, suite of 5 works, various sizes
Kiwis have always reinterpreted the iconic use of No 8 wire in myriad ways and used it along with other types of wire. When barbed wire was introduced in 1879, farmers used it as the top wire along the fence, in conjunction with no 8 stretched below. Both wires are sold in distinctive coils. We’ve explored the natural coil formation & worked with the repetitive nature of the wire. By deconstructing the original coils and rewinding the wire around 5 different internal shapes we have created these new objects. Each presents from both ends, different viewing points. Each internal space is different, and the viewpoint changes depending on the angle the viewer chooses. The heaviness of the coiled object belies the empty internal space. The smooth interiors are in contrast to the tightly bound slightly wild exteriors. -
C5— Heavenly Body ($5000 set)
Jeff Thompson and Bev Goodwin
Hand Wound No. 8 WireToday, with such advanced viewing devices, there is little that escapes the scientist’s eye. We’re on alert at all times for the escaping heavenly bodies diving to 4 corners of the universe, or worse, to infinity. There is no certainty to be found in their extravagantly charted wanderings; we can but hope they miss us. The fascination with their heady wanderings propels us on. Is their indeed a message for us? Does some entity really want to give us a chance? We have already taken note of the huge meteorite that silenced our world eons ago. We refuse evidence, Our brain seeks obscurity, we numb ourselves into oblivion, so that we may go on.
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C6— Totara Tui ($68000)
Marcus Tatton
Totara Log, Steel base plateThe tui darts 3 dimensionally throughout great old totara forests. We can observe the speed and reaction times for the tui in flight. We can imagine the tui experience of smells, tastes and imagery, without acknowledgement of gravity, perhaps even without a vertical reference datum. Earlier humans were able to sense the experience of the tui, so well that they could snare and harvest the birds for food and decorative plumage. Yet the tui has been thriving throughout centuries of predation, from rats, stoats, possums, magpies as well as our own kind. This totara ‘essence of tui carving’ is frozen as an effigy in the forest. It represents the frozen moment when the tui in flight, soars with wings folded in, arcing in open space, seemingly in pure abandoned joy... Totara Tui is a quiet, reverent monument to the ongoing successful evolution of this indigenous species.
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C7— 'Untitled Series' (POA)
I primarily work with the earth, and steel – exploring surface treatment and degradation in relation to processes that shift and change or effect matter. Both these works also explore my ongoing investigation into memory and entropy. Here I am employing an amalgamation of processes in relation to an emergent discussion regarding the vulnerability and fragility of things; the passing of time and site as expressed in a sculptural and installation discourse. In situ, these works made as rocks and rubble directly references the site itself as a quarry, the work done and the translation and shifting of meaning over time.
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C8— Relics (POA)
Michaela van der Laan
Ceramics, plaster concreteI primarily work with the earth, and steel – exploring surface treatment and degradation in relation to processes that shift and change or effect matter. Both these works also explore my ongoing investigation into memory and entropy. Here I am employing an amalgamation of processes in relation to an emergent discussion regarding the vulnerability and fragility of things; the passing of time and site as expressed ina sculptural and installation discourse. In situ, these works made as rocks and rubble directly references the site itself as a quarry, the work done and the translation and shifting of meaning over time.
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C9— PM2 ($2200)
Gareth Williams
Wood, BrassMy recent sculptural works (since 2018) make reference to food gathering, tree species for commercial purposes and the influence of air pollution on pollen grains, as well as wider issues of particulate matter in the earth’s atmosphere. These works are informed by theoretical and scientific writing that describe the effects of ‘hyperobjects’ such as species extinction, climate change and radioactive plutonium. The use of metals in my work, especially copper and lead, refer to some dominant industries and waste produced in the Anthropocene period. The works generally draw attention to these relatively new phenomena, but I am also concerned to address some of the causes of these phenomena. The involvement of corporations and states in relation to environmental disasters has been described by
T.J. Demos in an interview by Murari and Sombra (2018) as follows:
“Moving from terminology to conceptualization, its designation of human-species being invites the universalization of causality for disastrous environmental transformation, hiding unequal participation in the origins of climate change, according to which developed countries and transnational corporations (rather than Indigenous peoples or underdeveloped nations) have played a disproportionate role in that disruption.”
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D1— We Carry Stones (NFS)
Becca Wood
Stones and Story via headphonesBuilding on previous works that also give voice to the stories of landscapes that have vanished or become invisible, Wood’s performative sound walk resounds the former quarry site. It digs into the ancient love that humans have for stone. Stone that makes roads and railway lines, stone that makes buildings, stone that communicates. It marks time and place; stone that makes art, stone preserves, stone makes memories, stone makes money and stone makes tools, stone buries, it covers, it creates layers, stone makes mountains, and rivers and islands. This audio, ambulatory, site-based work unfolds through disappeared or disappearing stories of the Waitakaruru site, situated in the Tauwhare area. Choreographer and sound artist Becca Wood draws from both precolonial histories of Ngati Hauā and the colonial stories that lead the artist to her own roots in this area, which began the 1980’s when her father started to plant a piece of land next to the Matangi railway line. This embodied, audio guided experience draws from local and personal histories, delving into layers of human history and geological time. The focus on headphonic sound brings participants into a heightened embodied sonic space, entangling field recordings from the site and narratives. Sound enters the body, immersing the participants into the landscape.