Merry Christmas from Tarnaki

Merry Christmas! The above image is one I couldn't bring myself to not post. It has bifold meaning. I'm not sure if any one will get the second suggestion, however the first is very simple. These Keraru, are very rarely seen, execpt for in New Plymouth it seems. I have seen more in the week I have lived here than in my whole life. Pukarua Park seems to be the reason for this, an amazing park full of native trees and birds. This time of year it is even more spectacular in the evenings with the festival of lights on. Anyway, it's a great pleasure to see so many of them. I hope you all will have a fantastic festive season and I'll leave you with these words.

swing
this view
is lower than
the stars
grab at the dusty
life
close it in this
jar
i can
hear
bells from here singing of
life and death or could it be both
are they not the
same

what real work isn't

real work is not staring at the computer screen waiting for a new email to come in
real work is not wondering why the water tastes so bad here then googling to find out
real work is not planning to tidy the house then getting distracted by the next question so going back to computer to google it
real work is not taking a bath or shower
real work is not trying to figure out how long it takes to drive to Wanganui/Wellington/Auckland from here by looking at the excedingly long driving times given on the AA travel times website
real work is not staring at the wall thinking about doing real work
real work is not writing about all the things I am doing in order to not do real work and publishing those things on my blog

In Taranaki

Holiday is over. My to do list is long, and on it is to chill and take some creative time, make some new work. I'm really excited about it, and have my mind exploring different angles of an idea that I havn't yet explored properly.

I have an old polariod camera, it is a very simple one, one that I don't have much control over as I have now discoverd. But I made a few shots with it last week. Here is one of them. I was hoping that playing with the camera would give me some inspiration to use it, however it has just encouraged me to not use it. And it will likely sit forgotten about for a while again. But in saying that I have some film to put through it still, so perhaps some inspiration for it will pop up soon.

holiday

I have been (and still am) on holiday for this and last week, hence the slack posting. This is partly because I'm on holiday, and also because I only have a very slow dial up internet to use. So I'm posting no images. Tomorrow, my husband and I move to Taranaki. It is a big move, and is exciting as well as a bit scary. Anyway, it means my holiday will be over, and I intend to get back to posting more often again.

In the mean time, pop into some other blogs that I reccomend - photoforum Edward Winklemans and also Andys.

my website

This is now my official website. I did have another that was, but I have decided that this blog better serves the purpose that I wish it to.

I have been, in recent times, taking quite a few self-portraits. I always have, however I have done so more than usual. This one I made some time back this year, but didn't post. However, here it is now, it is quite intriguing I think.

tree

It seems I havn't posted this image yet. It is from the same area as the rock and concrete images. I had thought that I had run out of the images that I had taken in this area, it seems there is this last one left.

I have been making quite a few more colour images than black and white images over the recent months. However you can't tell by looking at this blog can you!? I will have to get around to posting them too, however in my defence we are in the process of moving, very shortly this computer will have to get packed away, and for a few weeks we will be on dial up interent. Shock horror! So I will have to see how posting from that will work! So posting will possibly be a tad slower than usual, or maybe it won't be... we will just have to see.

pylon

As I said in an earlier post, I was truly inspired in this area in The South Island, so much so that I think every image that I have posted in recent times has come from there! Here is yet another, don't worry, I think I may have run out of them now.

Pylons are another industrial image that I come back to time and again. There is something about them that really intrigues me. It is both their physical form as well as their purpose.

Rembrant and the agument of the value in art

Here is a post in one of my new found art blogs that I posted about recently. After reading the post, looking at the picture and then reading the comments, I started to think, 'well this is very interesting'.

It's an argument (all though I'm not sure what side of the argument I'm on at the best of times) that I often have, sometimes just with myself if necessary. The argument is about the value of art and where it derives from. In this particular instance linked to above a painting of Rembrandt that experts have decided is not a self portrait by him, but rather a painting of him by one of his students has just sold for US$4.5 million instead of the predicted US$3,000 that would have been more appropriate of a painting of Rembrandt. So then the article and comments go on about how perhaps this buyer knew something no one else did, as a real Rembrandt can and does sell for US$25 million, in which case he got a bargain. And they say how it does look very much like a Rembrandt...

Well, this is the point of question for me. Should an art piece be worth something for who it is by or for its quality? If this painting was of a quality that it was almost impossible to tell that it wasn't a Rembrandt, then should it not be worth the same as Rembrandt? For what is it that made Rembrandt’s worth so much in the beginning, his talent, style etc?

The other side of the argument is of course that Rembrandt was the creative genus behind the style, and the copier of that style was just a copier. And of course the fame side of things comes in to play too; after all, most people would rather have a date with a famous person rather than someone that just looks like a famous person.

In reality, I would much rather have a real Rembrandt rather than a copy of a Rembrandt, but isn't it interesting, how much value we can put onto something and why!

rock

After not being too inspired to make many images of landscape type images for a while, when we drove past an area in the South Island, to my own surprise my camera almost jumped out of its sleeping bag. This image and the last several before it are all from the same area. My attraction to a very industrial landscape is evident here. I'm not sure why I like industry aesthetically as in general I'm a bit of a hippy (so I'm told anyway). Nonetheless I always come back to it, perhaps it is the age old 'man vs nature' that I like about it.

dream home

"As I progressed further with my project, it became obvious that it was really unimportant where I chose to photograph. The particular place simply provided an excuse to produce work... you can only see what you are ready to see - what mirrors your mind at that particular time.

-George Tice

Not too long ago I finished reading a book that I had been meaning to read for some time - Susan Sontags on Photography. Overall, it can be summed up to be a very good book on photography, written even though in the late 1970s it still pertains to today equally well. There were certain parts that I thought were overly verbose, and others that I thought were just plain opinion and not correct (according to my opinion anyway). But mostly, it had some good ideas and points, most ideas I had heard of or considered before, yet still really good to see it all worked through in words on paper. I will have to read it again, as it contains a lot of theory that can really only be absorbed upon repetition. The above quote is out of the book, and is one that I quite enjoy.

concrete (2)

Here is another image taken a few meters further down from the previous post concrete.


I think I'm almost starting to think of myself as an application writer rather than an artist. Just when I thought I'd done all of the ones I needed to do for this year, one more comes up. But I'm almost done now, and I was thinking, well, what do I do now. Then I realised, oh that's right... take photos! Ha! Very exciting.

Edward Winkleman

A new blog has come to my attention, I have found two posts that have caught my attention already, this and this.

Do have a look.

concrete

This was a very spooky kind of place, concrete looked as though it was dripping off almost everything. Concrete dust settles over the environment, and when it rains, it sets. Spooky also becuase of the number of Do not enter signs I had to walk past to make this image.

The penis tree

It seems that one of the recurrent themes on this blog has to do with phallic findings. I'm not entirely sure what this says about me.

Here is an interesting statement from this blog.

"There is little in the world of art more deflating (aside from the news of another $100,000 plus auction for a Tim Storrier work) than hearing an artist tell you what a work represents. This ascribing of absolute meanings to a work of art by its creator really puts the kibosh on any of the allusive, associative detective work that makes art fun, dare I say it, worthwhile even. Indeed, the idea that an artist sits in their studio and decides that they are going to create a work that “stands for” something is vaguely nauseating. The language games of the art and text people aside, shouldn’t art be doing its best work when it stands beyond the interface of meaning and identity beckoning us instead into the deeper water, where we can stand no more? Where we might drown? Choking our last on the pure waters of a “meaning” beyond attribution, distillation or comprehension? Otherwise we could all save ourselves some time and have the artist email us their wall texts."

baby

This is an image I took quite a while ago, but past over it, for some reason. I was looking through my files the other day and found it, it caught my eye. It's interesting how images can do that, some that I once liked, I don't, some that I onced ignored I now like. Time and circumstances can change our perception of what is good and what we like.

collectors special evening show

NZCP and Photospace had a special opening at Shed 11, for a special show. The Shed 11 Collectors' Evening.

artists included were the likes of - Peter Peryer, Ans Westra, Peter Black, Anne Noble, Max Oettli, Robin Morrison, Andrew Ross, Andy Palmer, David Boyce and... me!

closed

Well Religious Studies has closed at Thermostat now. It was really a great show and in such a nice gallery too. I've been looking for an image to post, but I really can't find something that I'd like to, so I won't. It has been that way for a few months now. Photo taking has taken second place to application making and concept development. Plus the few films that I have sitting around with photos on them, I haven't yet sent off to get developed - something to look forward to though as I think I'll send them off this week. I do think that the down time of photographing is a very important one, time to truly contemplate the ideas through and to rest as well. However, I finally have taken my 8 x 10 camera out of ‘lounge conversation piece’ and into camera operation, after I took the first images on it last week and processed the negs too. I am yet to contact print them, but when I do, I'll post them on here! A few early experiments on an idea, so it will be interesting to see how they've really turned out, especially on a new camera, and doing tray processing of large format film for the first time ever.

I have been busy reading some great books too, ones that I've meant to read for a long time, the current being Susan Sontags On Photography. Although it was written in the late 70's it's a great read on how Photography fits into the art world, its history and its philosophy.

I'll hopefully have some great images coming this way soon.

when the thousand years are over

The Saturday just past was the opening of the exhibition Religious studies. It runs till the 20th of September, it's a fantastic show and well worth seeing.

luna rosa

And for something a bit different... here is tonights luna rosa eclipse of the moon, this is taken a few minutes ago. My camera held up by a cat tower and a salman rusdie book as my tripod wasn't available.

religious studies

This is my latest show, opening on the 1st of September in a great gallery in Palmerston North. I will be there for the opening night (which is a Saturday), as will Andy and David. This show has some great work to fill the void for those who crave both aesthetics and concept. I have two of the largest pieces I have ever created in my part of this show which is titled 'when the thousand years are over' an excerpt from a book, big points to those who guess which book.

a photograph never lies

The word Photography or photographer has an interesting knee jerk reaction to it by most people. It leads people to think of many things, all it seems excpept what I (and other artists using it as their media) actualy use it for. I find this very frustrating.

Along those lines, here is a self portrait, that I think looks almost nothing like me whatsoever.

dog in the graveyard

Carrying on with my graveyard maker theme, here is a slightly different one. Yet again, it filled me with graveyard guilt as I tried to photograph it. I'm not too sure why that is, but I always feel bad about photographing a gravestone. Perhaps it is some kind of lack of ownership over it that makes me feel like a trespasser there. Alternatively, it could be some kind unspoken rule about forbidden territory.

leftovers

Honestly this is a bit how I'm feeling at the moment. It's amazing how one moment I can be feeling like everything is going great and then in the space of a few hours it can all turn. It doesn't necessarily mean that things have changed, more that it's my perspective of things that has changed. But it makes me think of the lyrics of one of my much-loved bands tunes (Lamb)

"some people turn to pills and things
to help them through the day
to take them up or down or just
to ease the blues away
but me i really want to feel
the ups and downs of life so real
happy or sad emotions reign
my tears flow just the same"

Anyhow, for quite some time our Siamese cat would kill a bird, then leave it lying around, uneaten. It seemed like such a waste of a life to me, for something to be killed just to be used as play thing. All though I'd rather she didn't kill them at all, if she is going to kill them, I wanted her to at least eat it! So anyway, perhaps she does listen to me after all, as this was the gift I was left a couple of days ago. Quite beautiful, in a macabre kind of way.

The devil you know

Here is the aformentioned image (as taken for me by Andy as I couldn't make it to the show) from the Dark exhibition which closed last week, titled the devil you know.

'sometimes I feel possessed
and the most dangerous thing around me
is me
why do I do
these crazy things
better I suppose
the devil I know
or do I really
know me at all'

angel -

As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, there is something about gravestone markers that I am attracted too, especially at present, or so it seems anyway. If I didn't feel so guilty about photographing them (with originality in mind that is not graveyard guilt) I would likely photograph them a whole lot more. Perhaps I should anyway? On the other hand, perhaps I'll move on, I'll wait and see. Here is one I am planning on printing, it has a very ethereal feel to it that I like.

The return

Well I'm back in Aotearoa now, and I thought this was an appropriate image to celebrate being back in kiwi land.


Just a quick reminder that 'Dark' the latest show on at Thermostat gallery in Palmerston North is still on, it runs till the 19th of July. I have a nice peice in the show taking on my interpretation of the theme 'Dark'. A must see!

flowers and the angel

I'm packing today, and ready to leave this cold weather for a bit of warmth in the pacific islands for a couple of weeks... but I thought I'd leave you all with an image, and a quick note about it. Gravestone markers, especially angels, seem to be quite highly photographed, especially by some well known New Zealand photographers, and this I am very aware of. However, I am still attracted to them regardless of this, I just can't help myself. There is something beautiful about them and yet quite disturbing at the same time, especially when they start to crumble or decay in some way, a symbol it seems of what it is they are representing.

So I leave you with this, and I shall be back in a couple of weeks

Dark (Vent 6)

(click on the image to make it large enough to read)

Here is an invite to my latest show. It is a group show in Palmerston North at Thermostat gallery. Thermostat is a beautiful gallery and is well worth the visit if you haven’t already been there and worth the detour if you are heading out of or down to Wellington. This particular show should be great, with the theme Dark and each artist’s interpretation of that.

I don't think I can make it to the opening as I am meeting an early flight out of Auckland on Monday morning, but make sure you try and get there this Saturday night!

As I said, I'm flying away for a couple of weeks, I'm escaping this cold and heading to Tonga with my Husband for some relaxation and some warm water activities. So I may not be able to post again for a while, but I will as soon as I get back and I may even have some nice images to share with you.

Ranginui & Papatuanuku: The Survival of All

Here are some images I made during Easter while going around the East Cape. And following also are some beautiful words that I found.

"To my mind, the Maori explanation of creation and evolution teaches me all I need to know to understand my role in life and attitude towards nature. My heritage teaches me about concepts such as the integrity and inter-dependency of living things. It makes me quite comfortable with the notion that as a human being I am but one part of a whole and that my generation is also simply one strand in the rope of humanity. It pre-determines that the relationship I have with nature is based on kinship and respect and that in order for me to survive in a culturally rich way, I depend on the survival of others, not just other humans, but also plants and animals in the sea as well as on the land. It clarifies, that both male and female elements, are necessary to create and sustain life, be it human, plant or animal. It provides me with a proven framework from which I can analyse and identify risks and benefits to the well-being of all those areas that form my cultural heritage and encourages me to accept responsibility that in my lifetime I will not contribute to, or allow others to cause, any diminishment to the cultural heritage of my ancestors and descendants, including those yet unborn.
Whatungarongaro he tangata; toitu he whenua
Man will always perish, but the land will remain forever"

SACRED BALANCE Aroha Te Pareake Mead

winter

It always seems that winter is such a busy time in the art world, with many exhibitions being on, art awards taking place, and for photography, it is the best time to be photographing. Also, winter with its tendency to slow us down a bit, it is a great time to contemplate new work. So, I have been busy, although it seems, not with a camera in hand. As often, I find for myself, that the actual taking of a photo is such a small part of photography.

So what has been happening you ask!? Well, the Anthony Harper award just closed on the weekend, as did the group show in Auckland. A group show is opening up end of next week in Palmerston north, and another group show that I'm finishing work off for at the end of August. There are other awards coming up that I am preparing for... that is all without even picking up a camera! I spent a major part of the last two years preparing for my touring show "Whaingaroa", which showed in Jan to March this year around the North Island. This work took up a lot of my time and creative energy, with it over now, I can focus on some new bodies of work. So that is also what I have been doing - planning, thinking, contemplating, writing, drawing, taking some 'sketch photos' and experimenting. All very busy really, but not a whole lot of stuff to show for it really.

Nevertheless, for some proof that I am still taking photos, here is a snap I took of myself a couple of weeks ago while I was out on a photography walk.

Shimmer Lyrics

sharing with us what he knows
shining eyes are big and blue
and all around him water flows
this world to him is new
this world to him is new
to touch a face
to kiss a smile
new eyes see no race
the essence of a child
the essence
he's born to shimmer, he's born to shine
he's born to radiate
he's born to live, he's born to love
but we'll teach him not to hate
true love it is a rock
smoothed over by a stream
no ticking of a clock
truly measures what that means
truly measures what that means
and this thing they call our time
heard a brilliant woman say
she said you know it's crazy
how I want to try to capture mine
I think I love this woman's way
I think I love this woman's
way she shimmers, the way she shines
the way she radiates
the way she lives, the way she loves
the way she never hates
sometimes I think of all of this that can surround me
I know it all as being mine
but she kisses me and wraps herself around me
she gives me love, she gives me time
and I feel fine
I feel fine
but time I cannot change
so here's to looking back
you know I drink a whole bottle of my pride
and I toast to change
to keep these demons off my back
just get these demons off my back
cause I want to shimmer, I want to shine
I want to radiate
I want to live, I want to love
I want to try to learn not to hate
try not to hate
we're born to shimmer, we're born to shine
we're born to radiate
we're born to live, we're born to love
we're born to never hate

in canvas

In this weekends New Zealand Herald's magazine 'canvas' I feature on the inside front cover. Just a quick blurb about me and the books I am currently reading with a note about the show I have on in Auckland at the moment. Click on the image to make it large enough to read.

Diesel

Here are the photos as promised of our what we now know is a Juvinile Southern Giant Petrel. His name is Diesel.

on the wall

Here are a couple of pics of my work from the group show at Aveia Gallery in Auckland. Don't forget the show is on till the 16th of June.

On a completely different note, we are often referred to as the Raglan Zoo, or RSPCA, or basically the place that stray animals come to when in need, some kind of secret message that animals send each other has gone out I think. In the space of two years we have helped 5 cats, 1 kitten, 1 rat, 7 ducks, 1 budgie all lost, stay or injured in some way. We now have a giant northern Petrel in our front porch sleeping after a nice feed of fish, warmed by the fire and scaring our cats as it is twice their size. It's making quite a mess as what goes in must come out I suppose. There is some very rough weather out now and it has an injured wing. I'm babysitting it till DOC can come and pick it up tomorrow. I'll try and make some images of it before then, and post some of them here.

Auckland show

I got back from Auckland a couple of days ago, where I had gone for the opening of my group show In Our Backyard showing at Aveia gallery (Commerce Street). The show is on till the 16th of June so feel free to pop in if you are around to have a look.

The opening was great, and I enjoyed being in a different art scene to the Wellington one that I am so used to. Also was great to wander a few galleries with the Auckland festival of Photography on.

Two of my works sold on the opening night, including this image above - Tiko Tiko, however there are still two prints of it available. Most of my works are limited to an edition of three, with some being one offs. This one is of an edition of three, so number 2 and 3 are still available.

I'm going back to Auckland on Tuesday for my friends shows opening, and to wander more amongst the galleries.

in our backyard

Tomorrow (Thursday the 31st of May) night in Auckland there will be an exhibition opening for In Our Backyard. This is a group show and is part of the Auckland Festival of Photography, I have some of my Whaingaroa work in it, and some new work (as seen on the invite above).
All are welcome to attend the opening for some drinks and nibbles, just RSVP (click on the invite to make it larger to see the details). If you can't make it to the opening, it'll be on till the 13th of June. Go to the gallerys website for more details. There are lots of other exciting exhibitions on at the same time, one of them being a friend of mine, Andy.... and since he mentioned my exhibition on his blog I thought I should do the same for him. Here is his invite -

Anthony Harper Award

The Centre of Contemporary Art In Christchurch is the host to the Anthony Harper Art Award, of which my piece Tumult is a finalist. It runs from the 30th May – 16th June
Opening and winners announced 29th May

Here is the blurb!

"The CoCA/Anthony Harper Award for Contemporary Art is valued at $10,000 and in 2007 received more than 300 entries from throughout New Zealand. The judge for this year’s award is well-known New Zealand artist, Dick Frizzell whose work was the subject of a major retrospective, Portrait of a Serious Artiste, curated by Alan Smith at the City Gallery Wellington in 1977. The winner will be announced at a special function, Tuesday 29th June at 5.30pm. To attend please contact COCA for further details. (reception@coca.org.nz) This will be a ticketed function with wine and food and is available to members with a 20% discount ($8.00)."

If you find yourself in Christchurch on the 29th, attend the opening, it should be very good, and ensure you drop in to the gallery before the 16th of June to see the exhibition. The winner will be announced on the opening night, and you can also see a list of the finalists and as of the 30th the details of the winnner and judges statement on their website www.coca.org.nz

life and death

This is one of my personal favourites from my 2005 show permanence that was shown at Photospace in Wellington.

I was intrigued at people reactions to it, many asking if it was just sleeping, others tentatively asking 'is it ummmmm... dead?'

How interesting, is it our optimistic sides coming out, or can we not comprehend death so easily in something so sweet and innocent as a little lamb. Or is it not obvious that this lamb is lying dead on the side of a gravel road, killed, i'd say by a car.

This image is of an edition of three, is a silver gelatin print and is still available for purchase.

in the sand

in any spare time, i can often be found on the sand or in the water. It's in my blood I think. Whether it's for sport, or time out, that's where I'll normaly be.

In saying that though, I do go other places too, next week I'll be in Melbourne, I'm hoping that I may be able to get my toes in some sand there too though!!