SUPPORTING THE DOWSE FOR OVER 40 YEARS ISSUE 48 / MAY 2015

PLUS ALL THE LATEST INFO ABOUT UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS

IN THIS ISSUELUCIE RIE: A NEW ZEALAND CONNECTIONKimberley Stephenson explores the story behind this not-to-be-missed exhibition for lovers of ceramics, modernism, and design.

4 INTERVIEW WITH PETER MADDENIn association with the exhibition Cut + Paste: The Practice of Collage, artist Peter Madden tells us about his work.

WHAT’S ON AT THE DOWSEAll the information you need about the exhibitions and events taking place at The Dowse in the coming months. 5 EXPERIENCING

SCHMUCK Curator Sian van Dyk tells us about her recent trip to Munich. 7

2

ISSUE 48 / MAY 2015

Kia ora koutou, and greetings to our Friends and other readers of

this newsletter. As I write this I’m settling back into work after three days in Dunedin attending the annual Museums Aotearoa conference. Museums Aotearoa is the umbrella group for museums and galleries in New Zealand, representing a diverse sector ranging from the big fish like Te Papa and Auckland War Memorial Museum to small local museums run largely by volunteers.

The annual conference is a valuable opportunity to swap notes and learn from peers, find out what exhibitions are brewing where, ask curly professional questions, and compare regional variations on morning tea (the cream puffs at Otago Museum, our main host venue, were a crowd favourite). A particular thrill for me on this occasion was the chance to go back of house at the Hocken Library (which has an extraordinary collection of historical and modern New Zealand art, including deep holdings of McCahon and Hotere) and the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, which of course is helmed by former Dowse Director Cam McCracken. Seeing the treasures in each collection store and hearing the staff talk about how they are cared for and made available to the public really reinforced for me how collections are the living heart of our institutions, and the deepest connection between our pasts, presents and futures.

The Museums Aotearoa AGM was also held at the conference, and I was very happy to be elected to the Board. The theme of this year’s conference was ‘communicating culture’, and there is an ever-growing need for cultural institutions, and our supporters, to be enthusiastic and open communicators about the value we add to New Zealand’s cultural and economic landscape.

Finally, on the note of communication, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kimberley Stephenson on the occasion of her final newsletter for the Friends of The Dowse. Kimberley’s editorial flair and good management has resulted in a wonderful publication and on behalf of The Dowse team I thank her for her time and energy.

HEI KONĀ MAI COURTNEY JOHNSTON, DIRECTOR

Greetings from Courtney

ON THE COVERLucie Rie, Vase, circa 1950s.

Collection of The Dowse Art Museum. Gifted by Olga & Hans Frankl and the Rose

family, 1997.

SPECIAL OFFERS

FRIENDS COMMITTEE 2015President

Heather Crichton P 021 937 750 Vice president

Colin Kelly Treasurer

Jonathan Tomkins General committee

Ann Montague, Bruce Sedcole, Kimberley Stephenson, Kirsty Stratford

Patron Gillian Deane

The Dowse Art Museum Friends liaison Katrina Smit

FRIENDS NEWSLETTEREditor Kimberley Stephenson

Designer Nicky Dyer

MEETINGS The Friends committee normally meets

on the last Tuesday of the month, 6pm at The Dowse Art Museum.

KEEP UP-TO-DATE WITH NEWS Please take a moment to send us your email or change of postal address so we can keep

in touch: friendsdowse@gmail.com

SUBSCRIBE TO E-NEWS @www.dowse.org.nz

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/thedowseartmuseum

FIND US ONLINE www.dowse.org.nz/friends

JOIN USFor information about how to join the

Friends of The Dowse visit: www.dowse.org.nz/friends

email: friends@dowse.org.nzor phone: 021 937 750

IN THIS ISSUEPg 2

Greetings from Courtney

Pg 3

Greetings from Heather Profile: Kirsty Stratford

Pg 4

What’s on at The Dowse

Pg 5

Interview with Peter MaddenIn association with the exhibition Cut

+ Paste: The Practice of Collage, artist Peter Madden tells us about his work.

Pg 6

Lucie Rie: A New Zealand Connection

Kimberley Stephenson explores the story behind this not-to-be-missed exhibition for lovers of ceramics,

modernism, and design.

Pg 7

Experiencing SchmuckCurator Sian van Dyk tells us about

her recent trip to Munich.

Pg 8

Upcoming Friends Events

ARCHIBALD ART SUPPLIES, 95 MAIN STREET, UPPER HUTT

10% discount – except easels, pottery, magazines or commissioned work from an

exhibition

CACI LOWER HUTT, 119 QUEENS DRIVE, LOWER HUTT

15% off – excludes Appearance Medicine and current promotions

GORDON HARRIS – THE ART & GRAPHIC STORE,

170 VICTORIA STREET, WELLINGTON10% Discount – except books and magazines

Open 7 days with parking – Wheelchair friendly www.gordonharris.co.nz

HORIZON PAPER PLUS, 228 HIGH STREET, LOWER HUTT

10% off books, stationery and greeting cards

LA BELLA ITALIA, 10 NEVIS STREET, PETONE10% discount on divella products

LIGHTHOUSE CINEMA, BEACH STREET, PETONE

Free coffee when purchasing a movie ticket

MINE: THE DOWSE SHOP10% discount to Friends

REKA CAFÉ, 45 LAINGS ROAD, THE DOWSE ART MUSEUM, LOWER HUTT

10% discount on food and drink until 5pm

RONA (GALLERY AND BOOKS), 151 MURITAI ROAD, EASTBOURNE

10% discount on art books and art supplies

VICTORIANA FLORIST, QUEENSGATE SHOPPING MALL & 496 FERGUSSON DRIVE, UPPER HUTT

10% discount on all flowers and loyalty card membership

WITH WARM THANKS TO OUR BUSINESSES

These discounts are exclusive to Friends members. Friends must showmembership card to receive discounts.

3

ISSUE 48 / MAY 2015

This funding supports the excellent work our educators Andy and Jen do with the many, many school children who visit us from all over the Wellington region.

As I write this we have learned that we have another strong result in the latest annual Hutt City resident’s survey, with a survey measure of 94% satisfaction. This is a similar result to last year and is extremely pleasing.

You may be interested to know that the team is also busy working hard on a refurbishment of the permanent historical exhibition at the Petone Settlers Museum, our other site!

2010 marks the 70th anniversary of the opening of the Wellington Provincial Centennial Memorial. In celebration the Petone Settlers Museum will launch a new long-term exhibition which commemorates this historic meeting and explores the dynamic relationships between local Maori and Pakeha to the present, in particular the dynamics between Te Ati Awa, the New Zealand Company and the Crown.

Issue 29 May 2010

On behalf Of ThenewDOwse, welcome to the latest edition of TheNewDowse Friends newsletter.

It has been a busy time at the gallery with large numbers of people visiting our current suite of shows and Bill Viola’s The Messenger proving a great crowd pleaser.

Our upcoming winter programme has a distinct contemporary art focus, and there will be a great variety of work and media on display. As part of our commitment to family inclusive experiences, we are also working on our latest children’s show Fuzz, Felt and Fur which opens in July.

In collection news, we are currently working with the Blumhardt Foundation to finalise the gifting to TheNewDowse of part of the Blumhardt ceramic collection. This most generous gift, by Doreen via the Foundation, will complement the already fabulous collection of ceramics held by the gallery. Doreen was a great supporter of The Dowse and TheNewDowse and we are thrilled to be able to take care of some of her prized ceramic collection.

Our other news is that we were thrilled to learn recently that we have been re-awarded a Ministry of Education Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom contract.

f R O M C a M M c C R a C K e nGreetinGs

in this issueFriends Committee and Discounts 2

Profile – Leanne Wickham 2

Lasting Legacies 2

Dear Friends 3

Hutt Mana Charitable Trust Grant to the Friends 3

What’s on at TheNewDowse 4

Claire Regnault takes on a new role 5

Seung Yul Oh Bogle Bogle 6

shapeshifter Event 2010 7

Upcoming Friends Events 8

abOVe: Cam McCracken leading TheNewDowse Friends on a tour of the Banks Shoes shapeshifter exhibition.

One sad occasion we have marked in April was Claire Regnault’s farewell. Claire will be well known to many of our Friends as the creator of a range of incredible Dowse exhibitions. Claire takes up a senior Curatorial role at Te Papa which will provide her with new and fresh challenges! I’m sure all the Friends will join me in wishing Claire every success in this new role.

For those of you who have embraced social networking, stay in touch with us via Facebook or Twitter. We regularly post updates on Dowse activities and happenings!

Cam mCCraCken – DireCtor

IN THIS ISSUEHOME SEWNWe profile Home Sewn, an exhibition of handmade garments currently on display at The Dowse.

Illustrating the evolution and history of home sewing in New Zealand from the 1930s through to the present day, this exhibition is not to be missed!

SUPPORTING THE DOWSE FOR OVER 40 YEARS

WHAT’S ON AT THE DOWSE AUG-OCTAll the information you need about the exhibitions and events that will be taking place at The Dowse in the coming months.

LASTING LEGACIES Celebrating the contribution that The Friends have made to The Dowse Collection, we take a look at Michael Smither’s Thomas and the Rubber Suit, 1970.

BUDAPEST TO BERLIN Local artist Rebecca Holden tells us about her recent trip to Europe.

ISSUE 42 / AUGUST 2013

4 6 7PLUS ALL THE LATEST INFO ABOUT UPCOMING FRIENDS EVENTS

FriendsNewsletter AUG 2013 2.5.indd 1 12/08/13 10:31 PM

5

• MAR 13 •

International Design for ChildrenPLAY

Curated by Leanne Wickham, Play is a wonderful exhibition for visitors of all ages. Laid out across two galleries, the exhibition showcases furniture and play objects created by designers from around the globe, including such iconic names as Charles and Ray Eames, Verner Panton and Enzo Mari. Complementing this delightful array of three dimensional objects, the exhibition also features a series of large-scale photographs depicting some of the incredible playscapes that have been designed and built for children in cities abroad.

in the hands of their intended end users, but also the delight and creativity that they have been designed to foster.

Among the many items on show that visitors are able to interact with are the Villa Sibis, an architecturally designed handmade dolls house, and Cuburo, a system of precision-engineered cubed elements that fit together in endless ways to form a marble track system. For younger kids you can’t go past Tumbling Animals designed by Louise and Bolette Blœdel. Epitomising design that offers both an engaging and educational experience, this collection of simple forms cut in the shape of animals enables its users to hone their motor skills as they tumble, roll, seesaw, rock and jump. Visiting an art gallery has never been so much fun!

KIMBERLEY STEPHENSON

PLAY REMAINS OPEN UNTIL 1 APRIL 2013.

Among the many interesting works that feature in the exhibition are two adult-sized chairs designed by Eero Aarnio entitled Pony and Tipi. Born in Finland, Aarnio is best known for the Ball Chair that he designed in 1963. First exhibited at the Cologne furniture fair in 1966, the Ball Chair represented a radical departure from the traditional concept of the chair, taking the form of a globe with an upholstered interior that effectively created a room within a room for its occupant. In a similar way, Pony, designed in 1973, and Tipi, designed 30 years later in 2003, both playfully challenge expectations about what furniture should look like, taking on the appearance of a stylised horse and a stylised bird respectively.

Another item on display that instantly caught my attention was Elephant. Made

by the design manufacturer Vitra, Elephant is based on a moulded plywood prototype designed by the American husband and wife team of Charles and Ray Eames in 1945. Combining form and function, Elephant is both a piece of furniture and a sculptural object. And yet with its bright colour and reference to the animal kingdom, it is also a plaything, inviting children to drag it, climb on it, and to imbue it with a personality of its own.

As its name suggests, Play is not simply an exhibition that involves looking, with parts of the gallery given over to areas in which the young (and young at heart) can engage with items in a more tactile way. This aspect of hands-on play brings a particular magic to the exhibition, enabling the gallery to vividly showcase not only how the individual design objects function

ABOVE: Wolfgang Sirch and Christoph Blitzer, Villa Sibis, 2004, made by Sirch. ABOVE: Verner Panton, Panton Junior, 1959, made by Vitra.

BELOW: Charles & Ray Eames, Elephant, 1945, made by Vitra.

FROM CaM McCRaCKEN IN THIS ISSUEFriendsCommitteeandDiscounts 2TributetoDianaElizabethParkes 2

DearFriends 3

What’sonatTheDowse 4

WallaceArtAwards2011 5

EmmaBugdenAbroad-Asia:NZCuratorsTour2011 6NZStudentCraft/DesignAward2011 7

UpcomingFriendsEvents 8

I S S u E 3 5 N O V E M b E R 2 0 1 1

Greetings

abOVE:Curator,LeanneWickhamwithKristianFredrikson’sCinderella(left)andFairy Spring(centre).CollectionofTheDowseArtMuseum.GiftofTheRoyalNewZealandBallet.

moreauthenticandhasproventobeanotherpopularmove.

Lookingforward,wehaveadiverseexhibitionsprogrammeplannedforthissummer.WeareespeciallypleasedtobeshowcasingcostumesanddrawingsdesignedfortheRoyalNewZealandBalletbyKristianFredrikson.ThesearepartofTheDowsecollectionandwillbeexhibitedinBedazzled,whichopenson26thNovember.TheDowsecollectionisanimportantpartofourexhibitionsprogrammeasweaimtoshowover5%ofiteachyear.In2011ithasbeencloserto10%!

WearealsolookingforwardtothenewsquareoutsideTheDowsebeingcompletedinearly2012.

Constructionwillbere-commencingoverthenextfewweeksafterawinterhiatusandwearecurrentlyplanningalargescaleeventtomarktheopeningofthespace.

Ithasbeenarelativelysettledyearintermsofstaff–wehavewelcomedProgrammesManagerandSeniorCurator,EmmaBugden,andEducator,AnnaRae,totheteam.WehavealsoenjoyedhavingBlumhardtCuratorialIntern,LilyHacking,

workingwithusthisyearonanexhibition,

whichwillopeninMarch2012.WearealsodelightedtohavejustwelcomedbackourRegistrar,JoWehrly,frommaternityleave.

AsalwaysI’dliketothankTheFriendsfortheirsupportthisyear,andinparticularI’dliketoacknowledgetheworkundertakenbyTheFriendscommittee,ledbyBruceSedcole.TheFriendshaverecentlybeenthroughsadtimeswiththepassingofcommitteemember,DianaParkes.IknowthattheteamatTheDowsewasshockedbyherlossandjoinmeinpayingtributetoDiana’samazingcommitmentandpassionforTheDowse,andtheartsingeneral.

Onbehalfofusall,wewishyouasafeandrestfulsummerbreakandlookforwardtoseeingyouatTheDowseverysoon.

caM Mccracken - direcTor

wElCOME TO THE SuMMER EDITION OF THE FRIENDS NEwSlETTER.Wehavehadagreatyearin2011withmanyexcitingexhibitionsandevents,nonemoresothanRuby,theexhibitionmarkingthe40thanniversaryofTheDowse.Itwaswonderfultobeabletochartthecolourfulhistoryofthegallerythroughitsrichandvariedcollection and refl ect on how The Dowsehasdevelopedovertheyears.TheFriendshavebeenabigpartofthatdevelopmentandwenotethatyouhaveyourown40thanniversaryin2012!2011alsosawusreturntoourpreviousname–TheDowseArtMuseum,whichfelt

FriendsNewsletter NOV 2011 1.6.i1 1 7/11/11 10:56:44 PM

�

• MAY 10 •

Seung Yul Oh’S newlY-cOmmiSSiOned ShOw Bogle Bogle opened for the arts festival season on February 13. The opening was held in conjunction with that of The Messenger, a video work by American artist, Bill Viola.

Stepping into the gallery, the visitor is immediately allowed to become immersed in the delightful artwork that Oh has created. There are no lines or barriers here to separate you from the many elements that come together to make up the show. The objects around which you navigate elicit a sense of familiarity and yet at the same time eschew any sense of the mundane or the ordinary. Within the world that Oh has created for us matchsticks become architectural in scale and elliptical forms defy gravity to balance on end.

Perhaps the most delightful features of the show, however, are its smallest inhabitants. Walking around the gallery one comes across a number of little mice that each interact in their own way with the other objects that Oh has crafted. These characters playfully serve to emphasise the unsettlingly large scale of all that surrounds them.

The wit of the artist is also demonstrated in the second of the two side galleries. Here Oh has dedicated an entire space to a single object – a table covered entirely by a white cloth.

Seung Yul Oh

BogleBogle

leFT: Seung Yul Oh, Bogle Bogle, 2010. Image courtesy of the artist. PHOTOS: Jeff McEwan at TheNewDowse.

This common piece of furniture is delightfully transformed by Oh. Crafted in polyester resin on fibreglass and coated with high gloss automotive paint the ‘tablecloth’ appears to be slowly melting out into the space around it. The work also appears to delight in irony. Here the pedestal on which on an art object would conventionally be placed becomes the aesthetic object to which the eye is drawn.

Seung Yul Oh was born in Seoul, Korea, in 1981. He is now based in Auckland where he has been living for the past 10 years. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (2003) and a Master of Fine Arts (2005) from the Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland.

Kimberley StephenSon

After many editions, this May issue of the newsletter is the last for a very valued team member, Kimberley Stephenson. Based at the Sargent Gallery Te Whare o Rehua in Whanganui, Kimberley is our “out-of-town” committee member. We are incredibly thankful for the fantastic job she has done coordinating the newsletter between ourselves and The Dowse. She has kept us on time and on schedule, and produced some fantastic newsletters with graphic designer Nicky Dyer. We wish Kimberley all the best and a big heartfelt thanks on behalf of The Friends.

Last month we had the privilege of holding a talk by local artist and Dowse Preparator, Cat Auburn. Many of you may have seen her solo exhibition Training Aids at The Dowse in 2012, which featured a herd of young deer made from expanding foam that were adorned with leather blinkers. Thank you Cat for an inspiring talk.

We were fascinated to hear about your experiences during your Tylee Cottage residency and wish you all the best for the work you are doing in preparation for representing New Zealand in this year’s sculpture biennale in Rio de Janeiro. We can’t wait to see the photos!

On Tuesday 2nd June we will be holding our annual AGM and invite all Friends members along. Our guest speaker for this year is former Friends of The Dowse President and Renaissance art scholar Phyllis Mossman, who will be speaking about her recent trip to Italy. The AGM will be held at The Dowse from 6pm-8pm. In light of the upcoming AGM I want to introduce you to our committee. We are always on the lookout for more people to join the committee, and we have a couple of roles to fill (Editor and Treasurer), so please contact us if you are interested.

ABOVE: The Friends of The Dowse newsletter has undergone a number of changes in the past five years under Kimberley’s editorship (from left to right): cover and interior spread from Issue 29 (May 2010), printed in black only on a magenta base stock; cover from Issue 35 (November 2011) and interior spread from Issue 40 (March 2013), printed in full colour; and covers from August 2013 and March 2015 with their attention grabbing feature images.

Greetings from Heather

Many of you will recognise my face from Front of House at The Dowse, where I worked from 2011 until the end of 2014 when I took up my current role at Te Omanga Hospice. I am a passionate advocate for The Dowse and live locally in The Hutt. I believe we are so lucky to have such an important cultural icon in our city.

After leaving The Dowse team, I still really wanted to remain an integral part of it and to show my support in a meaningful way. The Friends are a wonderful group of people whose support assists The Dowse to provide quality exhibitions and events. There is so much we can do in our community to support The Dowse and working closely alongside the staff creates a bond of belonging and support.

Working Front of House and managing MINE at The Dowse, I met so many enthusiasts of the Art Museum who have followed it loyally through its many different phases. The stories they had to tell were often exotic! It would be a wonderful project to collate all these stories as they portray a place of wonder. My favourite exhibition during my time working at The Dowse was a retrospective of works by Barry Brickell, and there lies a tale in itself!!

PROFILE

COMMITTEE MEMBER, KIRSTY STRATFORD

Hello Friends!

SUPPORTING THE DOWSE FOR OVER 40 YEARS ISSUE 47 / MARCH 2015

PLUS ALL THE LATEST INFO ABOUT UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS

IN THIS ISSUEMUDLARK: BRONWYNNE CORNISH, CERAMICS 1982–2013Later this year The Dowse will host a major survey exhibition of Bronwynne Cornish’s work. Katrina Smit talks to the artist about the exhibition and her iconic installation Home Is Where the Heart Is.

4 NUKU: SYMBOLS OF MANA2014 Blumhardt/Creative New Zealand Curatorial Intern, Bridget Reweti tells us about her exhibition, Nuku: Symbols of Mana.

WHAT’S ON AT THE DOWSEAll the information you need about the exhibitions and events taking place at The Dowse in the coming months. 5 THE HORSES STAYED

BEHIND We profi le Cat Auburn’s latest project as the artist-in-residence at Tylee Cottage, Whanganui. 7

FriendsNewsletter FEB 2015 1.9.indd 1 2/03/15 9:02 pm

5

• MAR 13 •

International Design for ChildrenPLAY

Curated by Leanne Wickham, Play is a wonderful exhibition for visitors of all ages. Laid out across two galleries, the exhibition showcases furniture and play objects created by designers from around the globe, including such iconic names as Charles and Ray Eames, Verner Panton and Enzo Mari. Complementing this delightful array of three dimensional objects, the exhibition also features a series of large-scale photographs depicting some of the incredible playscapes that have been designed and built for children in cities abroad.

in the hands of their intended end users, but also the delight and creativity that they have been designed to foster.

Among the many items on show that visitors are able to interact with are the Villa Sibis, an architecturally designed handmade dolls house, and Cuburo, a system of precision-engineered cubed elements that fit together in endless ways to form a marble track system. For younger kids you can’t go past Tumbling Animals designed by Louise and Bolette Blœdel. Epitomising design that offers both an engaging and educational experience, this collection of simple forms cut in the shape of animals enables its users to hone their motor skills as they tumble, roll, seesaw, rock and jump. Visiting an art gallery has never been so much fun!

KIMBERLEY STEPHENSON

PLAY REMAINS OPEN UNTIL 1 APRIL 2013.

Among the many interesting works that feature in the exhibition are two adult-sized chairs designed by Eero Aarnio entitled Pony and Tipi. Born in Finland, Aarnio is best known for the Ball Chair that he designed in 1963. First exhibited at the Cologne furniture fair in 1966, the Ball Chair represented a radical departure from the traditional concept of the chair, taking the form of a globe with an upholstered interior that effectively created a room within a room for its occupant. In a similar way, Pony, designed in 1973, and Tipi, designed 30 years later in 2003, both playfully challenge expectations about what furniture should look like, taking on the appearance of a stylised horse and a stylised bird respectively.

Another item on display that instantly caught my attention was Elephant. Made

by the design manufacturer Vitra, Elephant is based on a moulded plywood prototype designed by the American husband and wife team of Charles and Ray Eames in 1945. Combining form and function, Elephant is both a piece of furniture and a sculptural object. And yet with its bright colour and reference to the animal kingdom, it is also a plaything, inviting children to drag it, climb on it, and to imbue it with a personality of its own.

As its name suggests, Play is not simply an exhibition that involves looking, with parts of the gallery given over to areas in which the young (and young at heart) can engage with items in a more tactile way. This aspect of hands-on play brings a particular magic to the exhibition, enabling the gallery to vividly showcase not only how the individual design objects function

ABOVE: Wolfgang Sirch and Christoph Blitzer, Villa Sibis, 2004, made by Sirch. ABOVE: Verner Panton, Panton Junior, 1959, made by Vitra.

BELOW: Charles & Ray Eames, Elephant, 1945, made by Vitra.

The 2014/15 Friends Committee

Colin Kelly – Vice PresidentColin has played a vital role in helping secure sponsorship from ECC for our ECC NZ Student Craft / Design Awards and is also working on our marketing and membership plan with Kirsty.

Bruce Sedcole Bruce has been with the Committee for many years now and is the key organiser of the Architecture Tour. He also helps to coordinate the quarterly newsletter.

Ann MontagueAnn is responsible for the management of our membership and enjoys organising events. She has visited many overseas exhibitions, and her wealth of knowledge in this area is valuable.

Kirsty StratfordA former staff member, Kirsty knows The Dowse inside-out. She brings to the team some great marketing and retail experience.

Jonathon TomkinsJonathon is our Finance guru, doing a fantastic job to keep our accounts in order. Sadly he is moving on from this position, so we are on the hunt for a new Treasurer to join the team. Jonathon will be staying on until a replacement is found.

If you are interested in the Treasurers role, please contact us at:

friendsdowse@gmail.com

ALL THE BEST UNTIL NEXT TIME HEATHER CRICHTON

4

ISSUE 48 / MAY 2015ISSUE 44 / MAY 2014

ExhibitionsNUKU TEWHATEWHAONGOINGCommissioned by Te Ātiawa chief Wī Tako Ngātata in the 1850s as a sign of support for the Kīngitanga (Māori King) movement, Nuku Tewhatewha is one of seven pātaka built around the North Island as ‘Pillars of the Kingdom’.

FALLEN ROBOTONGOINGCommissioned by the E Tu Awakairangi Hutt Public Art Trust, Ronnie van Hout’s giant metal robot reclines in front of The Dowse.

Fallen Robot, Detail.

CUT + PASTE: THE PRACTICE OF COLLAGEUNTIL 14 JUNE 2015Bright and satirical, political and dreamy: Cut + Paste traces the influence of international movements such as Dadaism, Surrealism, Pop art, abstraction and new media art on contemporary collage in New Zealand.

Kate Woods, Forestry and Landscape, 2014. Courtesy of Bartley + Company Art.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFULUNTIL 5 JULY 2015Larger-than-life necklaces, pendants and breastplates from The Dowse collection offer a glimpse into the story of contemporary New Zealand jewellery.

LUCIE RIE: A NEW ZEALAND CONNECTIONUNTIL 26 JULY 2015Celebrating artistic excellence and the close personal friendship between ceramicist Lucie Rie and architect Ernst Plischke, A New Zealand Connection focuses on the lives of these two artists alongside works by Rie’s student, John Parker.

Lucie Rie, Vase, circa 1950s. Collection of The Dowse Art Museum. Gifted by Olga & Hans Frankl and the Rose family, 1997.

REWETI ARAPERE: RANGIMATUAUNTIL 2 AUGUST 2015Reweti Arapere has created a towering pou made from cardboard at The Dowse. Standing 4 metres high, Rangimatua (Sky Father) is adorned using felt pens to depict the creation myth of the sons of Ranginui and Papatūānuku.

Reweti Arapere, Rangimatua, 2015. Photo: John Lake.

MUDLARK: BRONWYNNE CORNISH, CERAMICS 1982-2013UNTIL 2 AUGUST 2015Mudlark is a major survey exhibition of over sixty works by Bronwynne Cornish, one of New Zealand’s most celebrated ceramic artists.

Bronwynne Cornish, Frog Figure (detail), 1979. Collection of Hawke’s Bay Museums Trust, Ruawharo Tāūrangi, 79/216.

Photo: David Frost.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONSALL THAT JAZZ: DECO HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE RUTH MEIER BUTTON COLLECTION11 JULY 2015 ‒ 23 JANUARY 2016Lower Hutt resident Ruth Meier has a button collection of international repute that has been amassed over forty years. The Dowse is thrilled to be presenting a stunning selection of Art Deco and Art Nouveau buttons from this wonderful collection.

SÉRAPHINE PICK: WHITE NOISE27 JUNE 2015 – 17 JANUARY 2016White Noise is a major exhibition of new and recent work by New Zealand painter Séraphine Pick. Over the last two decades Pick has become well known for her lyrical painting, in which she explores subject matter such as dreams, memory and psychology that dip in and out of everyday life.

Seraphine Pick, White Noise (detail), 2010. Collection of the McArthur Family.

ARETA WILKINSON: WHAKAPAIPAI — JEWELLERY AS PEPEHA01 AUGUST – 18 OCTOBER 2015Artist Areta Wilkinson brings together contemporary jewellery, photograms and cyanotype blueprints to explore customary Ngāi Tahu cultural values through contemporary craft methodology.

LONNIE HUTCHINSON: BLACK BIRD22 AUGUST – 29 NOVEMBER 2015Bringing together diverse works from public and private collections throughout New Zealand, Black Bird is the first major survey of 16 years of Lonnie Hutchinson’s rich and varied practice.

Lonnie Hutchinson, Milk & Honey, 2012. Courtesy of The Chartwell Trust. Photo: John Lake.

EventsLATE LOUNGEFIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH 7–9PM | KOHA2 JULY ART NIGHT SPECIAL: ARIANA TIKAO6 AUGUST SAM MANZANZA

Ariana Tikao.

MATARIKI WELLINGTON FESTIVAL 2015

ART NIGHT: PŌ WHAKAATU TOITHURSDAY 2 JULY 4PM - 10PM FREEART NIGHT: Pō Whakaatu Toi is winter’s must-see event for contemporary art-lovers and an exciting night out for the whole family. So bring the whānau, jump on board a free Art Night bus and make the most of this opportunity to visit galleries across the Wellington region.

WALK AMONGST THE STARSFRIDAY 3 JULY 6.30PM - 8PM FREEJoin Haritina Mogosanu, renowned astronomical educator and one of New Zealand’s leading planetarium presenters, for an evening of discovering the Matariki night sky. Hari will give a presentation at the War Memorial Library before heading to the Dowse Square for a Star Party to view the sky. Rug up warm! Families and children welcome.6.30PM - 7PM LOWER HUTT WAR MEMORIAL LIBRARY7.15PM - 8PM DOWSE SQUARE

FOUR STORIES HIGHSATURDAY 4 JULY 3PM FREEFour storytellers will be spinning tales under the watchful eye of Reweti Arapere’s 4 metre high sculpture Rangimatua.

“SOUP’S UP”SUNDAY 5 JULY 12PM $10 Food always tastes better when shared, so come have a hot soup lunch and keep the bowl! Bowls proudly made by the Hutt Art Society, all proceeds from this event go to Te Omanga Hospice.

WHĀNAU DAY DOWSESATURDAY 11 JULY 11AM - 4PM FREEA day for all ages! Join in a workshop with artist Reweti Arapere, hear curator Brian Wood walk and talk through the Lucie Rie exhibition. Enjoy a day at the museum with your whānau!

MAY 2015 – AUGUST 2015

WHAT’S ON AT

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ISSUE 48 / MAY 2015

The art of collage brings together materials not normally associated with each other to create a new composition. Cut + Paste: The Practice of Collage considers how this practice has played out in a New Zealand context, and showcases artists who select and rearrange images and subjects to challenge the way we see the world. Among the wonderful works that feature in the show is The Last City by Auckland-based artist Peter Madden. In May, Kimberley Stephenson spoke to the artist about his practice.

INTERVIEW

PETER MADDEN

ABOVE: Peter Madden, The Last City, 2009-10. Photo: Mark Tantrum.

KIMBERLEY STEPHENSON: What made you decide to become an artist?

PETER MADDEN: There have been lots of decisions on the journey to becoming an artist. Indeed I am always becoming an artist. My earliest memory is of really enjoying re-drawing cartoons. I think this is when I first got a sense of the possibility of joy in art. I then quickly moved to doing my siblings homework illustrations.

KS: When did you start working with collage as a technique? Are there any artists working in this medium that have particularly inspired your practice?

PM: Soon after I finished my undergraduate degree I lost my studio due to not paying the rent (I was overseas at the time). All I had left was a box of National Geographics so I started to collage with them, making art in my studio apartment. When I was in New York (weeks before I lost my studio), I saw a retrospective of works by Hannah Höch. Not only was she one of the first collage artists, but her work was a huge inspiration. I often look to a myriad of other artists. I see them as helping me extend my visual vocabulary, artists such as Linda, Fred Tomaselli and of course many contemporary New Zealand artists, of which there are too many to name here. It is so important to be aware of what is happening around you.

KS: When did you first encounter National Geographic magazine and what has made it such an enduring relationship?

PM: My very first contact with the magazine was when I was given a subscription at age 9. It seemed as if the world was coming my way once a month.

It had become apparent to me that National Geographic was an abundant resource, easy to find in second-hand shops and on Trade Me, a kind of cultural flotsam and jetsam. I like how this resource is very rarely thrown away and remains a strong and persistent reminder of a very analogue world. National Geographic alerted me to notions of taxonomy and reportage as it relates to ideas in art about truth values in an image. Photography’s special role in the making of history is present in National Geographic, even more so as we track from the analogue world into a digital world.

KS: In addition to working in two dimensions, you also create sculptural collages. What draws you to the particular found objects that you use?

PM: I like to use objects that are very close to the human body in some way, such as shoes, an axe, hats, or musical instruments. All of these objects need to be activated with use. In my mind I see the viewer as already having a special relationship with these objects. My art is able to intervene and propel the object and its art into new poetic territory.

KS: One of your works, The Last City, is currently on display at The Dowse Art Museum. Can you tell us a bit about the processes used to create it?

PM: The Last City was made when I was on residence at the IMA in Brisbane. At the time I was there Brisbane was experiencing a boom in building. I like how a city betrays itself in its half-built and abandoned buildings. Cities are very complex objects. I wanted to portray

this emergent complexity in a sculpture somehow. To explore transparency and power, the built and the ruin. I was also able to explore the idea of play, which has no logical goal, with collage, as well as the idea of collage as a given, collage as a stand-in for the thing, like how a paper butterfly almost becomes a real butterfly.

KS: Re-use of materials plays a key part in your practice. To what extent does your work deliberately engage in debates about sustainability and the waste that society produces?

PM: There is an element of scarce resourcing (where I use the unwanted), a finding and using in the practice. My making also upcycles the unwanted into art. With art we have a curious commodity index that doesn’t, or rarely, experience a waste cycle. For me the notions of a sustainable practice that engages with a renewable resource is not only very important but responsible in terms of the planet. It bewilders me that I don’t see more of this being done around me in New Zealand. I love nothing more than finding a great second-hand shirt as well.

I attempt to turn the often repeated notion levelled at Modern art “my 5 year old could have done that” with an emphasis on easily resourced techniques and media, into “even I could do that”.

CUT + PASTE: THE PRACTICE OF COLLAGE

REMAINS OPEN UNTIL 14 JUNE 2015

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ISSUE 48 / MAY 2015

TOP LEFT AND RIGHT: Lucie Rie, Shallow Bowl, circa 1950s. Collection of The Dowse Art Museum. Gifted by Olga & Hans Frankl and the Rose family, 1997.

TOP CENTRE: Lucie Rie, Albion Mews, circa 1964. Photo: Steffi Braun-Olsen.

LEFT: Lucie Rie, Vase, circa 1950s. Collection of The Dowse Art Museum. Gifted by Olga & Hans Frankl and the Rose family, 1997.

EXHIBIT ION PROFILE

This winter season The Dowse plays host to yet another fantastic exhibition of ceramics, with Lucie Rie: A New Zealand Connection currently on show in the Blumhardt Gallery. Curated by Brian Wood, the exhibition brings together examples of Lucie Rie’s work from The Dowse and The Blumhardt Foundation collections, as well as those of private lenders. These are accompanied by works by New Zealand ceramic artist John Parker, who trained under Lucie Rie at The Royal College of Art in London and acknowledges her as his greatest teacher.Born in Vienna in 1902, Lucie Rie’s lifelong relationship with clay began in the early 1920s at the Kunstgewerbeschule (College for Arts and Crafts). Upon graduating in 1926, she married businessman Hans Rie and set up her first studio in Vienna. By 1938, the influence of the Nazi Party in Austria was growing and Rie fled to England, settling in London. She separated from Hans shortly after, and the marriage was dissolved in 1940. After the war, Rie re-established herself as a ceramist, opening a pottery and button-making workshop. Rie continued to produce works from this studio until well into her 80s, when she suffered a series of strokes.

As the exhibition highlights, the migration of so many of Rie’s works from London to New Zealand was partly the result of an enduring friendship with architect Ernst Anton Plischke (1903-1992). Born in Vienna, Plischke studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule, and later the Akademie der bildenden Künste (Academy of Fine Arts). Shortly after he

graduated in 1926, Rie purchased a chair from the innovative young architect. A strong rapport was quickly established between the pair and in 1928 Rie and her husband commissioned him to furnish their whole apartment. Among the notable features of this elegant retreat was some fitted wooden shelving, which Rie used to display her pots. The potter was so attached to the ensemble that after she reached England she had it shipped and transplanted to her new home, where it remained largely unaltered until her death in 1995.

It was not long after Rie’s departure to London, that the architect himself left Vienna, emigrating with his family to Wellington in 1939. With his help, the Modernist aesthetic became a distinctive feature of many buildings in The Hutt and Wellington City, including Massey House (1951-52) on Lambton Quay, and the shopping centres of Naenae, Epuni and Taita. It also entered the homes of Wellingtonians on a more modest scale,

with evidence that Plischke was personally responsible for securing local retail outlets for Rie’s work.

It is partly thanks to this enduring friendship that lovers of the Modernist style and well-crafted ceramics can enjoy Rie’s work at The Dowse. Visitors to the show can appreciate the spare, clean cut shapes of her wheel thrown cylinders, tableware and bowls – forms that although simple-looking in appearance, require great skill to achieve. These shapes are complemented by a sensitive awareness of surface and texture, with examples of her beautiful textured glazes and fine, scratched sgraffito detailing all on show. This is certainly an exhibition that is not to be missed.

KIMBERLEY STEPHENSON

LUCIE RIE: A NEW ZEALAND CONNECTION REMAINS OPEN AT THE DOWSE

UNTIL 26 JULY 2015

LUCIE RIE: A NEW ZEALAND CONNECTION

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ISSUE 48 / MAY 2015

ABOVE: View of Aldstadt, Munich.

ABOVE: Salto Mortale exhibition, installation view. ABOVE: Jewellery Meets Photography: Jose Bravo and Nelly van Oost

ABOVE: Lux is the Dealer exhibition, with works by Jiro Kamata, Noon Passama, and Melanie Isverding.

EXPERIENCING SCHMUCKEarlier this year, I was lucky enough to receive a grant from Creative New Zealand to go to Munich to experience Schmuck. A world renowned contemporary jewellery exhibition that is part of Munich’s International Trade Fair, Schmuck is the oldest and one of the most respected events of its kind.In addition to the ‘official’ shows at the trade fair, the city came alive with over 80 spaces occupied by exhibitions, openings and events in all sorts of avant-garde ways. Schmuck also attracts a large number of jewellers, writers, curators and enthusiasts, so it’s the best time of the year to connect with people for future projects. It’s a bit like the Venice Biennale of the contemporary jewellery world!

Creative New Zealand arranged a guide to take all 18 of the kiwi contingent around to experience must-see events and exhibitions. We were always on the go, the

days often ending in the early hours of the morning with hot-off-the-press Facebook posts for the folks back home and beginning again at 8am for our breakfast meeting to decide where to go next.

Being in Munich confirmed my feeling that despite the hours of research I do via books and the Internet, there is nothing like experiencing a piece of jewellery first-hand. You learn to understand it in a way that’s hard to describe, almost like training your eye to recognize certain visual cues about styles, makers and meaning.

As a result of this trip I will be curating an exhibition of international jewellery over the next year and a half or so. This will bring together a selection of senior, respected international jewellers with mid-career and emerging jewellers from New Zealand and abroad. I’m currently focused on exploring jewellery from the 1940s to the present from a conceptual viewpoint, particularly under the theme of materiality: how what a piece of jewellery is made of relates to how people understand and connect with it.

SIAN VAN DYK, CURATOR

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ECC NZ STUDENT CRAFT/DESIGN AWARDS 2015 Run by the Friends of The Dowse, this national student competition continues in 2015 with ongoing support from ECC Lighting and Living, our primary naming sponsor.The Friends of The Dowse would also like to thank Urbis for being a continuing supporter.This year will see our prize pool expanded with monetary prizes available in individual categories.

AWARDS PRESENTATION FRIDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER AT THE DOWSEMORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW!

FRIENDS OF THE DOWSE

ANNUAL ARCHITECTURE TOUR

HOSTED BY BRUCE SEDCOLE

SUNDAY AFTERNOON 22 NOVEMBER 2015

Early November seems ages away, but tickets are now available for the

2015 Tour.

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SUPREME AWARD WINNER 2014

WILLIAM NICHOLSON, FLAT PACK STOOL

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ECC NZ STUDENT CRAFT/DESIGN AWARDS 2015

Online entries open late June.

AWARDS PRESENTATION FRIDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER

FRIENDS OF THE DOWSE ANNUAL ARCHITECTURE TOURBook your diaries now for a chance to tour some of the architectural homes of Lower Hutt. The Architecture Tour sells out - so don’t be disappointed, book your ticket now!Bookings are limited and will not be confirmed until payment is received - tickets are sold on a first come basis. Once sold out, all bookings/payments thereafter will be returned. Further details will be sent with your ticket.

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BOOK BY EMAIL: friendsdowse@gmail.com OR PHONE: Megan 04 569 8680SEND YOUR CHEQUE TO: Friends of The Dowse, Architecture Tour, PO Box 30-396, Lower Hutt 5040.

MATARIKI ART NIGHTPŌ WHAKAATU TOI

4pm – 10PM Thursday 2 July

FRIENDS AGM6PM – 8PM TUESDAY 2 JUNE 2015

ALL MEMBERS WELCOME! Committee nominations and any General Business must be made in writing at least seven days before the AGM to: Friends of The Dowse, PO Box 30 396, Lower Hutt 5040or email friendsdowse@gmail.com

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GUEST SPEAKER Former President of the Friends of The Dowseand Renaissance art scholar, Phyllis Mossman.

AGM 2 ND NOTICE

FREEART NIGHT: Pō Whakaatu Toi is winter’s must-see event for

contemporary art-lovers and an exciting night out for the

whole family. So bring the whānau, jump on board a free

Art Night bus and make the most of this opportunity to visit

galleries across the Wellington region.

JOIN US IN WELCOMING IN THE MĀORI NEW YEAR