Life-size portraits of dairy cows fill a room in the Forrester Gallery, stitched and glued to organza fabric.
They are the work of Nelson artist Sally Burton and part of her exhibition "White Gold - The Business of Milk", which is on display at the gallery until March 28.
Ms Burton moved to the Waimea Plains 30 years ago when her partner David Morley was working on the O'Connor family farm, milking cows and working the Clydesdale horse team.
The dairy farm is one of the longest established in the Nelson region.
Ms Burton's motivation to draw attention to the history of cows was inspired by her 2006-07 artist residency in India, where the sacred place of cows in Indian culture and the use of milk in religious ceremony was in stark contrast to the business of milk in her back yard.
That was the starting point for an investigation into the O'Connor family farm, the history of the herd and the effect of technological changes on herd management.
She created a "dream herd of dairy queens" - life-sized portraits of historic cows from the O'Connor herd.
She also created some imaginary cows whose markings reference brands and industries related to dairying and comment on the animals as commodities.
The exhibition, which includes a "chandelier" made from milking machines, also reflects on broader issues, such as the effect of technological advancements in dairying, the products and by-products of the industry, and environmental impacts.
