Monday, August 17, 2009

art and about















I've been in Nelson for almost a year, but only now have I visited the Refinery Art Space. It's been beckoning me with its curious façade every time I drive by, but my final entry was through the back gate. How lucky that was: I would have missed these lovely sculptures otherwise!















Framed to perfection by some purple miniature flax leaves:
Oopsie Daisie, made of Ngarua, Takaka marble by Bruce Mitchell.

It could be a flower or a bunch of feathers or a distant galaxy wheeling its way round space...















We need all the angels available to protect our beautiful home Earth. This one has a red spot on her marble chest - I wonder if it might light up when the darkness falls.

Gaia Guardian I by Alan Ridgen.



A few days later we ventured into the Suter and feasted on three new exhibitions. I completely fell in love with Bing Dawe's work. Thought, talent, texture, technique, it ticks all the boxes for me.
Vagrants, Stragglers and the Unloved is about the less glamorous or unloved creatures of our environment.The murky colours and twisted compositions are hauntingly beautiful.














Make way - Goose shoot at the oxbow
,
painted wood and steel

"‘Vagrants’ and ‘stragglers’ are terms that are used to describe birds which occasionally turn up on our shores, sometimes by accident and sometimes en route to other destinations."













Downstream under Aoraki - Eel with shadow
,
steel and ceramic

"The 'unloved' refers to those creatures such as eels and shags, often described in the past as vermin, scavengers and generally unwanted. The fact that some of these creatures are becoming endangered gets little attention because of their lowly status."














The draining
- Composition with Eel on hoop,
steel and painted wood

It's fabulous how this man knows no boundaries when it comes to choosing which medium to work with: wood, steel, ceramic and even beautiful rugs, made by Dilana.



















Stock-take
- Kahawai Waitaki river mouth

What a noble way to raise awareness: it warms my activist heart.

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