Discovering a gap in the availability of text on contemporary Maori art, two Auckland artists and academics decided to fix the problem. Rebecca Fox talked to the pair before their three-day workshop in Dunedin.
A lack of an anthology on contemporary Maori art means information is not as accessible as it needs to be, artist and academic Taarati Taiaroa says.
The gap was uncovered during a workshop during last year's Matariki celebrations led by Megan Tamati-Quennell It was discovered most of the information on contemporary Maori art was in personal archives and institutions spread across the country.
Elisapeta Heta and Ms Taiaroa received Marsden grants to research aspects of Maori contemporary art, so they knew how "far and wide'' they had to travel to find the documents they needed, yet many did not have that privilege.
"There are a lot of really great texts.''
As both taught, they were also aware of the importance of students having access to those sorts of documents.
So they decided an anthology of contemporary art could bring together all those important documents, but they did not want it to be an academic exercise.
"It's a privilege to be able to do this.''
To compile the documents, the pair have been holding a series of workshops around the country, including one in Dunedin last weekend, where they invited participants to bring contemporary Maori art texts to be discussed and analysed.
"It also allows people to provide context and offer reflection,'' said Ms Taiaroa, who grew up in Dunedin before going to art school in Auckland.
Ms Heta, an artist, author and architect, said it also allowed people of all ages to be involved and getting personal stories about the art or text made it more memorable.
The Dunedin workshop was held in three spaces: Blue Oyster Gallery, Dunedin City Library and Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
It concentrated on local Ngai Tahu art.
At each space, inspiration from great Maori artists and authors were used to provide context to the discussions.
"We're utilising the archives and resources in Dunedin.''
