Art exhibition 12 Strands
The art exhibition 12 Strands will run from 14 to 21 November at the Motupipi Hall. Photo: Supplied.
With the support of the Arts Council, 12 artists are holding an art exhibition they have named 12 Strands at the Motupipi Hall from 14 to 21 November, to share their experience of a Farewell Spit artists’ residency with the people of Golden Bay.
The extraordinary five-day residency invitation is offered by the Department of Conservation every two years. The artists share accommodation at the lighthouse-keeper’s house, free to respectfully wander around conservation areas usually denied to visitors, and to wonder at the diversity of life the narrow and fragile strip of sand supports because of the respect and protection it is offered.
“To be on the Spit for several days was a unique and sometimes perplexing opportunity to explore this mysterious land, which is so deeply part of our Golden Bay psyche”, says Kathy Reilly, adding that the experience influenced her artwork towards new subject matter and style.
Kas Muller’s time at Farewell Spit was one of “being at one with Mother Nature, fishing and staying away from human contact”.
Dominique de Borrekens’ experience of standing on that rich and remote place was “touched by the ephemeral nature of this land in the sky on the edge of life and death, sustaining migratory animals in their cycles around our planet.”
Robyn Fullerton is presenting a series of paintings. “I have tried to express the essence of some of the images... Cont page 2
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“... that have remained with me from my stay…The human history and the amazing natural history have inspired a colourful interpretation of some of these elements,” she says.
Morag Dean’s pottery and mixed media/textile work reflect her interest in the rich plant life of the Spit, though she adds that “the cosy kitchen of the house we stayed in, with its 50s décor, also captured my imagination and sparked my interest in the domestic lives of the women who have lived there”.
Kare Grayson’s theme is “activities and attitudes of isolation,” presented in a series of photo-collages each combining an artist present on the residency with bones found on the beach and a scene from the Spit. Lisa Condell’s delicate watercolours portray the beauty of the natural world, land and seascapes and patterns and forms within nature.
Nic Wooding’s work transpired after several technical glitches on site. Her photos and imagery explore the beauty in the found, alien landscapes, wildlife and natural delights unique to their location and moment in time.
For Judith Hoch her time was an invocation of the living Spirit of the Sea and the Spit through prayer, song and offerings. She calls this enlightened spirit Mami Wata, the name West Africans and Haitians use to refer to the universal water deity. During the residency, she worked with cowrie shells and spirit guides to obtain a spiritual message from Mami Wata for the community of Golden Bay. This message is the basis for the paintings and text displays at this show.
Lyn Doiron says: “living a creative life in such stark and vibrant landscape, wild, transforming wind, human history and palpable presence of death and of life inspired pieces that celebrate impermanence, adaptability, and the passion to strive in the face of adversity.”
Em Hofstede has written a chapbook of poetry, which she will launch on Saturday’s opening night with a reading, and has made images from one of these poems rendered in mosaics.
“Farewell Spit reminded me of many of the remote, natural places I have been as an ecologist, and yet the landscape was like none I had experienced before. I was moved by past and present experiences, as well as imagination.”
This exhibition celebrates the uniqueness of human perceptions in this protected and protective land encircling our Golden Bay community. The artists expect that it will touch the heart of those who take the opportunity to come and visit the Motupipi Hall during the short time that it is offered.
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