As it was Easter when I arrived TLC was closed until the Tuesday. On Sunday I took a walk along the Waterfront to Te Papa to see what exhibitions were on.
I was really pleased to discover there was the TOI ART exhibition for viewing, which is Te Papa's new art gallery featuring Michael Parekowhai, Pacific Sisters, and Lisa Walker, with new art by Tiffany Singh, Janet Lilo, Jeena Shin, BodyCartography Project, and Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi, alongside the national art collection.
What interested me about this was with my involvement in the Waipu Wearable Art 'n Tartan two years ago. This is what the website had to say about The Pacific Sisters.
The Pacific Sisters is a collective of Pacific and Māori fashion designers, artists, performers, and musicians that electrified 1990s Auckland. The group began on the fringes, but their ground-breaking style and performances brought the urban lives of a New Zealand–born Pacific generation into the mainstream spotlight.
The Pacific Sisters include ground-breaking artists Lisa Reihana, Rosanna Raymond, Ani O’Neill, Suzanne Tamaki, Selina Haami, Niwhai Tupaea, Henzart @ Henry Ah-Foo Taripo, Feeonaa Wall, and Jaunnie ‘Ilolahia.
They once described themselves as being like the Polynesian version of Andy Warhol’s factory – an ever-evolving collective of artists coming together to create art, music, fashion, and film.
“Our work is a reflection of the ‘spark’ we have had as Pacific Sisters – finding our connections to our Pacific stories, peoples, lands, each other,” Ani O’Neill says.“For me, Pacific Sisters is a safe space to push boundaries. We might seem a bit hardcore and serious to some, but we have a lot of fun – we like to laugh and play with words as well as frocks.” Source: The Internet
Tapa, made from the bark of the paper mulberry tree (Broussentia papyrifera), is found across the Pacific. In Fiji, it is known as masi and is made exclusively by women. Masi is made by stripping the bark from the plant, separating the inner bark, and beating it with a wooden mallet, usually on a wooden anvil. The method of decoration differs from place to place, and has changed over the years. The different kinds of masi include masi kesa (stencilled), masi kuvui (brown or smoked), seyavu (white or plain), and masi vakarerega (yellow). The different colours reflect a person's rank in society, with white or brown masi used by those of chiefly blood. The uses for masi are also very diverse.
Filipe Tohi's work is based upon the ancient Pacific Island art form of lalava(lashing) that was used for joining and binding materials together. Meters of colored sennit(kafa) were wound and tied so as to create distinct geometric patterns that were a well-established part of daily life.
These works by Lonnie Hutchinson's caught my eye too and was stunned to learn they were done using builders paper. They reminded me of the hand-cut "snowflakes" I made with folded paper as a child.
These works by Lonnie Hutchinson's caught my eye too and was stunned to learn they were done using builders paper. They reminded me of the hand-cut "snowflakes" I made with folded paper as a child.
Colour affects me in different ways. As well as exciting and energising me, it calms and gives me a sense of peace and grounding. I really liked this display for this reason as the rainbow holds all the colour spectrum. I googled vertical lines and like this description of them...
The vertical suspension of the work lifts the eye, mind, and spirit upward. They convey strength, stability, and security. They inspire awe and tend to diminish the significance of human scale. This is why historically churches have always used vertical lines- to lift your eyes heavenward.
I was also fascinated by Helen Calder's artwork. She experiments with paint and ways of applying it to give different surfaces, to see how far she can push the medium. In an earlier group of paintings she poured paint on to panels and then off again to leave shallow relief surfaces. There was a particular day when she was in a hurry and left a panel still draining its surface on to plastic. When she came back the next morning there was a beautiful pooled paint form. It was a wonderful accident, and actually typifies what happens in her studio, a process that is a mix of control and accident.
Found this REALLY INSPIRING especially given my interest in doing the Advanced programme and challenge my fear of experimentation!)
Love the combination of craft and art - clever display of textiles.
This was quite mesmerizing to watch (random pages flipped over within the display - I'm now wishing I'd videoed it in action)
Work inspired by Colin McCahon's "Scared" paintings. While I'm not a huge fan of McCahon's work I do like his bold use of text - I guess that's why this one caught my eye as I was passing.
"The sign of our times - social media"
TLC STUDENT EXHIBITION
While I was staying in Wellington I learned there was a couple of TLC students exhibiting their work at a pub up Cuba Street.
I found it a bit overwhelming but was glad I went - it was a good experience.
What caught my eye as you went into the bar and restaurant venue was the printed handmade paper light fittings and screens. Something I'm very keen to try doing myself (and hopefully before I complete my Honours Programme)
Art Exhibitions (viewing time) - 4 hours
Photography/editing/blogging - 10 hours
TLC STUDENT EXHIBITION
While I was staying in Wellington I learned there was a couple of TLC students exhibiting their work at a pub up Cuba Street.
Art Exhibitions (viewing time) - 4 hours
Photography/editing/blogging - 10 hours
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