Art seen: October 2

“E toru nga ra”, by Moana Tipa
“E toru nga ra”, by Moana Tipa

''Korero Koe; Korero Au'', Moana Tipa (Forrester Gallery, Oamaru)

Oamaru's Forrester Gallery is showing a new series of works by Moana Tipa. Inspired by the writings of the artist's ancestor J.P. Tipa about the waka Arai Te Uru, which in Maori mythology brought the ancestors of the Ngai Tahu people to the South Island, the works bring together the sea, land and sky in a series intimately linked with the local region.

Across four large-scale acrylic paintings, Tipa lists the names of the ''survivors'' of the waka Arai Te Uru, whose names were also given to the landmark and ocean features between Kaikoura and Kaitangata.

Neat white cursive writing is laid on top of a dark-toned background on the canvasses.

Behind the names, each work provides symbols relating to the waka's journey. Whakataua te ara, set the course, underlies the names with a red constellation that suggests the celestial navigational patterns that Maori voyagers used.

Four smaller drawings in graphite and oil stick provide abstract explorations of space and time.

Te tohu o te patake, of origins or purpose, and Te tohu o te waa, of time, are bold works that communicate entirely in colour, line and simple patterns.

As Tipa's first formal exhibition, ''Korero Koe; Korero Au'' is especially impressive and is a fascinating artistic exploration of history, place and time.


 

“red,red,red.red”, by Helen Caldern
“red,red,red.red”, by Helen Caldern

''Unpainted'', Helen Caldern, James Bellaney, Kim Pieters, Fu On Chung, curated by Briar Holt (Blue Oyster Art Project Space)

Curated by emerging art curator and historian Briar Holt, ''Unpainted'' presents a collection of works that are decidedly unpainterly.

Dunedin-based artists Kim Pieters and James Bellaney, both known for their abstract paint works, remove their authority as painters from the exhibition.

Bellaney's two large plywood works titled Reading Room show colourful swirling masses of polymer paints not distinguishably manipulated by the artist's hand.

Pieter's video work flame removes paint altogether but manipulates the viewer's audiovisual experience as muted tones of light and sound are blended in the manner of a painting.

Fu-On Chung, a young Auckland-based artist, contributes four abstract acrylic paintings that explore the edge of traditional painting.

Two of the four pieces are wrapped in light-reflecting plastic and masking tape that obscures and consequently diminishes the paintwork.

Christchurch's Helen Caldern offers a collection of her sculptural paint skins in her piece titled red,red,red.red.

The work leaves little for the conventions of painting, as the unframed masses of colour are draped in the centre of the gallery space away from the walls and, unable to be contained with a frame of canvas, they spill to the floor.

Holt has brought together four artists with diverse art practices in an muse-worthy exhibition that opposes established notions of the paint medium.


 

“Sina ma Tuna”, by Shigeyuki Kihara
“Sina ma Tuna”, by Shigeyuki Kihara

''Velvet Dreams'', Shigeyuki Kihara (Milford Galleries)

''Velvet dreams'' brings together works from two of Shigeyuki Kihara's photographic series: Faleaitu: House of Spirits (2003) and Vavau: Tales of Ancient Samoa (2004).

The dramatic lighting and luscious colours found in both series emulates the style of Charles McPhee's velvet paintings of ''dusky maidens'' that were popular in New Zealand during the 1950s.

In Kihara's photographs, she presents her own image and subverts the possessive nature of the imitated paintings that suggested passivity and sexual availability.

Kihara uses the mimicked style to portray Samoan atua (gods) and aitu (spirits) from creation stories.

These works transform the kitsch collectable images into sacred portrayals from Samoan legends.

There is a strong sense of narrative in each image, for example Sina ma Tuna (Sina and Her Eel), which shows Kihara as Sina with hibiscus in her hair and holding an eel.

The photo alludes to the violent story of Sina and Tuna as closer inspection reveals blood dripping down Sina's arms.

Across the two series, the images are deceivingly complex and exceptionally beautiful with consistent technical excellence.

Kihara has garnered increasing critical acclaim recently, so this exhibition is a welcomed opportunity to view works from her earlier in her career.

 -by Samantha McKegg 

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