Contemporary Maori Art

Kia ora koutou and belated birthday wishes to Ms Rogers, 21 AGAIN.

Sadly this is last post of the year and nearly time for you to fly the nest.
It's been an absolute pleasure and an honour to work with you all.
I hope you've found the blog useful and informative....despite my dreadful jokes.
Well it's back to business and our final topic - Contemporary Maori Art.
Yes, we've saved some of the best 'till last.
In case you thought it was going to be all red, black and white, think again. Some of it will be, but be prepared for the unexpected, (a bit like the exams).

It seems incredible that until the 1984 exhibition Te Maori at the Metropolitan Museum, New York, Maori Art had not been considered as central to the identity of Aotearoa.
Even in NZ, it had rarely been viewed outside a few dusty displays in museums or on marae.
Luckily for us, Maori art forms have developed into political, social and cultural icons of our modern lives; by 2001 Maori artists were representing NZ on the world stage and a universal voice had been acknowledged for the artists we will be looking at.
One of the many visionary figures in this movement to highlight Maori art was Gordon Tovey.
He targeted young Maori trainee teachers to encourage participation in a bicultural arts education. Many of these teachers became the grandaddy's of Maori art today: Hotere, Matchitt, Adsett and many more.

We are well accustomed to seeing both traditional and contemporary images of Maori Art but need to remain mindful of whether they are appropriate, original or just tacky tourist goods.

Throughout this amazing topic we will be referring to the main themes of:
Our artists for this topic are:

Others not to be overlooked: Lisa Reihana, Shona Rapira Davies,
Hemi Macgregor and finally, the fabulous feminist, Emare Karaka.

I hope you've enjoyed your journey. Go forth and travel as much as you can.
Art History will take you places, if you let it.
Send me a postcard when you get there - Mrs Gx

He moana pukepuke e ekengia e te waka.
A choppy sea can be navigated.
(persevere in your revision)
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Contemporary Diversity

image: John Pule -detail from Kulukakina

(after experiencing something miraculous, withdraw) 2004 - Queensland Gallery of Modern Art

The exams are behind us, but also ahead of us.
Well done in the mocks - a special shout out to Harriet who answered way more questions than required, without amphetamines or a bionic hand, still leaving early!

And so dear reader, the last term is upon us.
Indeed it's - (cue the terrible 80's rock anthem) -THE FINAL COUNTDOWN dananaan naaaan na dananaan naaaan naaaaaaaaaaa..................................
Anyway, we have two topics still to cover within the NZ Art category and to make life a little more interesting we are not following the order of the work book.
Indeed, we will start firstly with Contemporary Diversity and finish with Contemporary Maori Art.
There is a method to my madness, trust me, I'm a doctor. Doctor? Yes, Doctor Who! ...sorry.

What is Contemporary Diversity? The NCEA course outline describes it as:

"recognising the diversity of artists and approaches that currently exists, and is likely to continue to exist, in New Zealand art. Stylistic diversity, cultural diversity, and artists working with diverse media are some examples of diversity of art in New Zealand at the present time. Teachers are able to select content that is appropriate to their students, for example, an investigation of Pasifika art, or time-based art. The recommended artists listed above provide a starting point for consideration of contemporary diversity in New Zealand art with the inclusion of Pasifika artists such as John Pule and Fatu Feu'u, photographer Megan Jenkinson, sculptor Neil Dawson, and the figuration of Richard Killeen."

We will do just that and you'll notice that our workbook covers these artists, which is handy.
There are a few new ideas and phrases to get used to; worry not, you are well able to apply your CSI skills to understand all of the images we will discuss.

Before we begin, let's unpick our first new phrase:
Of course as the prefix suggests, it's a movement following Modernism.
It covers a range of styles, rejects traditional galleries, sometimes uses unusual or ready made materials and is impossible to clearly identify.
Confused? It's basically a rebellion. Artists deconstructing and reinterpreting ideas.
A modern version of Mannerism really.
Our old friend Duchamp was way ahead of his time and is really the grandaddy of the movement, (which didn't really get started until the 1960s).

Here's the second new phrase:
In Aotearoa we have gone beyond being a bicultural nation. Becoming a multicultural nation is a hot political topic and one which artists have begun to debate successfully through their art making, (and using a great deal more intellect than some small minded public figures).

Be prepared for the unexpected in the exams with this topic and remain confident in the knowledge that you have the skills to win.
Familiarising yourself with these contemporary NZ artists will help.
In understanding the concept of diversity and postmodernism it is imperative that you appreciate the significant contribution NZ makes on the world stage of modern art.
Here's a couple of examples to make Clark's head hurt looking for the 'real painting':
Judy Millar and Frances Uprichard at The Venice Biennale and the amazing etal, a collective who appear in a variety of guises and also were Biennale exhibitors.

And now, the artists who we are using to represent Cultural Diversity:

Fatu Feu'u - the art of Siapo (Samoan Tapa cloth) and the design elements
John Pule - plus his most recent work

I'd also like to tack on another significant contributor: Michel Tuffery. His political work IS making a difference (helpful in the Excellence thread of your answers) and finally, a handful of others who would also fit within this topic.


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