Emma McLellan, Xavier Meade

In this lecture we had two speakers Emma McLettan and Xavier Meade these two artists both collect things like Frances. Emma collects antique wallpaper, intricate patterns and fabrics she finds and Xavier collects old political Mexican poster. Both artists focus on printing making or screen printing how ever their approach to the art form is different. McLettan has worked with screen printing for 10 years and is influenced by animals, genetically engineered nature and mutations printing on paper and panels she says she like to work on panel because if she chooses to change the print she can wipe it off with a wet cloth. McLettans images are focused on animals and pattern. She plays with the idea of cutting up and rearrangement of nature, g.e animals and incorrect description of a animal. Creating mutated or cross breads animals which many look interesting and amusing.

mutation with animal

Xavier Meade direction heads towards revolution posters prints. He says that “posters have to hit you strait away they are like the warriors of the street” as they are out sending a message and telling a story to all viewers. In my opinion Meade is intrigued with stories of the under dog as he travels the world sorting after powerful prints of revolutionary stories ‘I like that about him as he seems to respect the history of our country and has even learnt how to do his whakapapa in maori. The difference in Emma McLettan and Xavier Meade approuch to printing are the context and material. McLettan body of works combines the idea of human playing god by controling nature and re-apropriated antique wallpaer designs and acrylic paint. Were as Meades work is of revolutional or religious figures on posters.

political poster

religious poster

Melanie Cervantes political posters

Cervantes art work are prints and in the same context as Xavier Meades as her art is of powerfull images about resistence or the “small people” fighting the “man” here is one work of hers posters


”A solidarity piece with the young Palestinian children who must use slingshots to defend their lives and their from the Israeli tanks, “Apache” helicopters and machine gun toting soldiers who continue to invade, “settle” and colonize Palestine.” there is a big difference in color between McLellans work and the political posters as as the posters are bright and bold in contrast as if they are trying to grab the attention of the viewer immediately were as McLellans work is quite detailed and delicate having you look twice at what the image is of.

In this lecture with Dion Hitchens(sculpture), Bill Riley(painter) and James Ormsby(drawer) we learnt about their works and work SEEK a collaborative art project. In the lecture I found many things interesting but the first thing that grabbed me was the logo symbol or art piece James had created which had this Z=Z²₊C mathematical equation with it. I tried to google it but all I kept getting for answers was more mathematical numbers and symbols like this 1+^/1₂(-4C- ; 1₂(-4C- which I do not understand but James said it meant something like ciaos which reflects the three artists and the work they produce. I like the logo because it look modern and like something that they could put on to t-shirts. I also like the fact that they do not want to limit them selves to a particular style or way of art and to be branded to soon .As Hitchens says their work is constantly changing as they bounce ideas off each other letting their work be flexible and free to grow were ever it wants. The whole collaborative idea is interesting to me I would like to do something like that one day to see what art I could come up with and to see how much it might change? But yes I could imagine it being difficult if one was to not get along with each other! How ever with their different points of views on things it works as they help each other manipulate thing they see around them into something new and authentic. Hitchens said he and James unintentionally reflect each other’s work but in these images I can’t see the resemblance. Maybe its more the way Dion has been drawing through instillation using copper wire and a sound track. Bill Rileys work for me was the most interesting because of the time consuming and amount of pieces he had to make. 1200 paper origami penguins and his recycled cardboard with over 4000 pieces painted and displayed in stacks which is more in the form of a sculpture.Bill Riley stacks
James Ormsby ( Ko wai te waka e kau mai nei)


Dragon Kings Kingdom Dion Hitchens

The Museum

The thing that grabbed me fist at the museum was the enthusiasm and passion the curator Finn Ferrier had for his job at the museum, which I liked because it kept me engaged on topics. He also made me realise and see another side to a museum like the fact that some one has to stack the shelves, make sure things don’t get broken and the mountings of objects are all hand made pacifically for each individual item. I enjoyed having him as a curator he explained every think with detail and clearly. The gold wall surprised me in how it would’ve taken so long to make. It’s made out of gold leaf hand painted with real gold paint, each being carefully placed on the wall by hand.

the gold wall

Eldon Booth is film director, writer and producer who has made such films as Withdrawal, Five Good Reasons and most recent Finding Honk which has not been released yet for it is still being worked and tidied up. His work is a documental drama and experimental drama style. He like experiment and push the boundaries of fact and fiction like in his first film Withdrawal. By following a character in the film in the form of an armature documentary. With characters being free to look directly at the camera, long takes and quick pans creating a feeling that it is real and all unfolding in front of you. He also plays with time as were he used split screen showing the two family members dealing with there problems in separate ways with the grandfather being medicated in the hospital and the teenaged grandson medicating himself with drugs. The film was shot over a long period of time so the characters aged and the landscape changed which mach the theme of the film. Some scenes were reality like the hospital scene and the landscape change as farm was being turned into suburban land.

The movie Elephant also played with fact and fiction how it was baste on a true story and the camera angels were in a way that makes you feel as if you are following the character through their day. By using long takes, usually one camera angel, close ups to long shots on a character and shallow depth of field creates a sense of being present. They also plays with time as it will follow one character through their day then will cut back to another characters path for that day.

The program that comes to mind when thinking of fact and fiction is a t.v series Trailer Park Boys it’s a comedy and is filmed in the style of a documentary as they will have sense were the characters talk to the camera explaining things about what happening and the rest of the show is filled with their stupidity and life in their trailer park. It seems as if the whole community is involved as there are many characters in the program.

Lailani Kake is a lecturer at M.I.T her area of art is in video instillation. Her art can contain a very long process from start till finish as in some of her work it was over a year before she started to film. In my opinion Kake is a very passionate artist she also says that she does what she does for the love of it and not for the money.

some of her influences come from such artist as Merata mita, Ron Crocombe, Epeli Hau,ofo, and Sir Peter Buck-Te Rangi Hiroa

Kake art mainly revolves around documentation and experimentation. In my opinion Her first art piece 'Ariki' as experimental. The idea for Ariki was created from Kakes thoughts of the Maori word (tamariki) as it mean children or can be translated as god-child. As she looked at her son she thought about the word and wondered what god-child he would be. She come to the conclusion Tangaroa- god of the sea. She used her son as the character in the film having him move around and spinning around in water gracefully and with a maori karakia and a cookisland waiata being played in the background which created a ambients, spiritual and god like feeling and visual.

Kake has a strong sense of being maori with her whanau being very in touch with maori tikanga and her dad being a strong maori figure in her whanau. She is very in touch with her cookIsland side with her mum being cookIsland American. Her film Tinorangatiratanga is a very deep and emotional film about her dad were she documents him receiving his moko which is a very special and proud moment. Then it goes on to her dad fulling ill with a stroke and then passing away.

Filming some very power and unique moments in the process of the tangi, through this she learnt and realized how many others have a piece of her farther with them and the importance of waiata in his life. With every part of his life being fulled with waiata the last piece of the film has images of him through his life with himself singing Tangi a te ruru which is a song about bringing or wishing someone back which to me was deep and created even more emotion to the film.

Kake also experiments with language using text in amongst patterns.

Ad in her piece Nga hau e wha she works on the female perspective of there body. she talks to many women about getting check ups also about being naked and encountering nude people in a non sexual sense. Each women represents 4 different life and life style. the hole instillation was shot in 1 day.

On display at Te Tuhi was a large scale size photo by Gregory Holm and Matthew Radune of a house completely covered in ice. For the photo there was a lot of work that went into it before taking the photograph. they used Hollywood set up lighting even in the far ground. the context behind the art was a series of things from global change, urban planing, mortgage problems and increase of empty houses in Detroit due to these changes in the area. The house in the photo was covered in water continuously for 30 days in winter to create this effect.

Mary, collecting, jewlery

Mary collects materials like everyday house hold items and objects like broaches, drawings of small toys, photos of insects displays, Tupperware and small objects with holes in them like some kitchen cutlery.

She uses the materials in her art work, mixing some of the materials together in the jewellery and sculptures. By using these objects in a visual response to other artists work she admires and respects.

Mary used the Tupperware she had collected to make art work in a response to a beautiful broach she had researched. She was wanting to experiment with colour and different materials. Mary has also used wool and fabric in her jewellery sculptures.

Mary has collected glass cases over a period of 6-7 months for an exhibition she was working on. Using the glass cases she played and experimented with space and presentation, placing small wire objects inside a large glass case.

With her jewellery she also experiments with positioning and presentation on the body. By using the same necklace she places in different positions on the models bodies which creates a feel of stature in the character.

I have two experiences that come to mind with displayed art work. My experience at Te Tuhi gallery was good looking at large scale photography. It then led onto a part of the gallery which was being used exhibit the artist exploration of space. I guess my thoughts are slightly negative on this piece because i didn't understand the idea, context or achievement behind the art. To me it looked like parts from a incomplete building site. I couldn't understand what the artist was trying to achieve. Maybe I will one day?

Another experience I have is every time I go to a Marae. ever since i was little iv been fascinated with the carvings, paintings and tukutuku panels on the inside and out of the marae and some times want to climeb them lol. Now that i am older i still fascinated if not more' looking and touching the art cearfuly, but now iv started wundering why the carver had chosen those poticular designs or who could a poticular figure be of? Iv just become more cuerious on the context behind the art because i want to know the history of the marae ,which ever it might be. Im interesed in what designs mean and think the carver must hold information of our history. Im glad i like these things because i feel by learning these things ,will make my art stronger.