Feature Artpiece

Artist's Talk

A collection of ties, dresses and high heel shoes may indicate a gathering together for some special reason, possibly a party. Here ties, dresses and high heel shoes are symbols of sophistication, celebration, achievement, success and worthiness. New Zealand has much to celebrate. At last our artistic and cultural identity has emerged and so our music, theatre, film, writing, sport, fashion and art have developed as our own and now we can say we begin to understand who we are. We celebrate. Much of our cultural identity has been determined by our landscape and environment. Take the pohutukawa tree that adorns our northern coasts during December and January with lasting displays of bright red or crimson flowers that place it high on the list of the world's most spectacular trees. So this brilliant splendour inspired Bruce Mason to write the play 'The Pohutukawa Tree". Bruce subsequently walked down the red carpet to become our most successful playwright. The silver fern or ponga has truly been embraced. In a bushscape its clean, green, glossy fronds and black diamond trunk is easily recognisable but it is the silvery undersides that have been adopted as our "silver fern" emblem. The Little Black Dress is fitting, classic, timeless, and an example of good design.So is the black singlet. Both are termed icons but unlike the Little Black Dress, the black singlet is a casual piece of clothing worn by stereotypical, working-class New Zealanders with its roots stemming from the farming community. Many of these hard working Kiwis will dress up for the party. The nikau palm is the most southern naturally growing palm in the world. Its tall, statuesque image is a popular subject in many New Zealand contemporary artworks. See it in the rich glazes of Morris and James Pottery and Tileworks. See it as copper clad sculpture in Wellington's Civic Square. Our Silver Fern netballers look fantastic on the court in their Little Black Dresses. See how the sport of netball is featuring on free to air TV in prime viewing time slots. Walk on the wild side. Leave the conventional pathway and tread a track through tough undeveloped land. Just as our native grasses and plants have been landscaped into our domestic gardens so Split Enz and The Flight of the Concords have embedded into the mainstream environment. Our mild climate, good living and long stretches of sandy beaches has made life a beach. Our laidback, easy going attitude has created the jandal, the high heel and black tie of freedom and casualness. Who are you? where are you? what do you represent? Often prominent New Zealand characteristics such as flowers, plants, mountains, islands, waterways are used as logos or symbols to portray a region or place. This region, the eastern Rodney District uses the 'kowhai coast' as catch phrase and image to promote its tourism sector. Over time New Zealand has built an image, created a style, developed its own character. A medley of all sorts of things, some which are original and unique to us and others which are not unique to us but have adapted and adjusted to our ways have come together and stood out to say that this is New Zealand. Now we can say we have done this and we are doing that. We are making our own wine and drinking it. We celebrate.