ISSUE 70 - OCTOBER 2017 - JANUARY 2018 - DEPOT ARTSPACE
Rites of Passage
Philosophy of LOUD Established in 1996 Depot Artspace has been involved in independent publishing since its early days. LOUD is the Depot’s quarterly publication dedicated to the creative activities of the community. Now we celebrate our 70th issue.
Cover Art: Pekapeka by Jermaine Reihana, Oil on Canvas, 2017
New Zealand has only two native land mammals, and they are both bats – the long-tailed bat and the lesser short-tailed bat. The name for both species is pekapeka. They have bodies the size of a person’s thumb (5–6 centimetres from nose to tail) and a wingspan of nearly 30 centimetres.
DESIGN BY GRETA GOTLIEB, WWW.DIGITALBEAUTICIAN.COM PUBLISHED BY DEPOT ARTSPACE, WWW.DEPOTARTSPACE.CO.NZ COLOUR EDITION OF LOUD #70 SPONSORED BY FIREFLY LIGHT & DESIGN NZ FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER & INSTAGRAM [@DEPOTARTSPACE] 2
CONT E N TS 4. OUR MISSION 5. OUR VALUES 6-8. LOUD ISSUE 70 RITES OF PASSAGE: MY TH AND MEANING Article by Linda Blincko 8-11. CAREER RITES OF PASSAGE Article by the Careers Lab team
30-31. ON THE EDGE 21 YEARS IN COMMUNIT Y ARTS 32-33. SPOTLIGHT ON: GL?TCH COLLECTIVE 34-37. DEPOT EVENTS: JULY - OCTOBER 2017 38. ARTIST RESALE ROYALTIES REVISITED
12-18. UPCOMING EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS
39. FAREWELL FROM MARGAUX
19. SHOP LOCAL @ POCKET GALLERY
40-41. RITES OF PASSAGE: ITI KAHURANGI Article by Jermaine Reihana
20-21. SPOTLIGHT ON THE ART ROOM 22.CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN Article by Lynn Lawton 24-25. DEPOT ARTSPACE RITES OF PASSAGE TIMELINE 26-27. DEPOT NEWS 28-29. FROM HOME TO STUDIO: IN CONVERSATION WITH DAVE RHODES
42-43. DEPOT ARTSPACE IN 2018: ADAP TIVE, RESPONSIVE & PROACTIVE Article by Linda Blincko 44.WORDS OF APPRECIATION Article by David Bailey 45. GET A MEMBERSHIP 46-47. MUSINGS FROM THE NEW GIRL Article by Anusha Bhana
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Robyn Gibson
Our Mission
The Depot Artspace is an open and inclusive creative hub established in Devonport, Auckland in 1996. We employ the transformative capacity of the arts to engage, inspire and challenge the community. The Depot supports and empowers artists and audiences through a network of innovative programmes and facilities including an art gallery, recording and music production studios, professional development programme and our publications. We connect with other organisations to explore the possibilities of working collaboratively, sharing and developing resources, and discovering ways of best practice for the artistic community. We strive to deepen our understanding and honour the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.
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The Depot Artspace is uniquely positioned to grow and promote the arts locally and regionally.
Our Values
At the Depot, we value community. We work together and we put people first. At the Depot, we are encouraging. We support each other and our community to reach common goals. At the Depot, we value innovation. We look for new possibilities, we adapt to change and we’re not afraid to think differently. At the Depot, we are inclusive. We are people-focused, fair and welcoming to everyone. At the Depot, we empower people. We provide our community with opportunities, we inspire confidence, and give people the tools to achieve. At the Depot, we take time to reflect. We research, we consider, and we learn from both our successes and our failures. At the Depot, we are professional. We consistently work to high standards, we respect expertise and knowledge, and we deal with everyone equally. At the Depot, we value courageous leadership. We strive to question, to take a stand and be heard, and to tackle the big issues.
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LOUD ISSUE 70 RITES OF PASSAGE: MYTH AND MEANING
Article by Linda Blincko
The road to Kaitaia. ‘Truth is a pathless land.’ Krishnamurti
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October 2017 marks 21 years since Depot Artspace opened. Traditionally 21 has signified the transition from adolescence to adulthood with the attendant privileges and responsibilities such as greater personal freedom and growing recognition of choices to be made that are likely to shape one’s future. Rites of passage, as in other cultures have, in the past been laden with significance and celebrated with due ceremony. Marriage, graduation, employment, ‘starting a family’ all signalled enduring change. Marriage was ‘till death do us part’, graduation meant status and the start of a career, with employment ensuring security until retirement, after which ‘beach and bach’ featured as part of one’s golden years. R.I.P, R.O.P (Rest in Peace, Rite of Passage) Contemporary secular society has reduced the meanings of these rites of passage, or in some instances, expunged them. Perhaps this is because change occurs with such rapidity or because we are exposed to so many changes that each has either less impact on our lives, or there is no time to reflect on
the implications of change. By 21 much of what was perceived as the privilege of maturity has been experienced and achieved – from marriage to making millions of dollars and travelling the world. The first OE, once veiled in mystery and filled with excitement and trepidation, can now be as pedestrian as boarding a bus. Technology tells us where to go, how to get there, what it looks like when we arrive, and prepares us to be amazed, wowed, mind-blown. We are also able to take our friends along for free, courtesy of texting, Skype, Facebook, Instagram and other distance-defying mediums. These days also, 50% of marriages end in divorce and employees can expect to have 30 jobs or more in a lifetime. The sense of a unique experience as implied by a rite is no longer credible. Rite Revival If, as a result, we have lost the key component, the raison d’etre of the rite, then is the phenomenon redundant? Is it an antiquated notion that the baby boomers attempt to reinvent with things like the ‘bucket list’ completing a repertoire of must-dos before death, 7
or renewing vows, or marrying a lifelong partner, all of which indicate that impending mortality may increase meaning? Depot Artspace So how did the Depot’s 21 years take us on this inquisitional excursion? Because, given the title, and as a continually reflective arts space, it behoves us to ask the question in relation to two major milestones, our 21st birthday and 70th edition of LOUD. Does each or either signify a rite of passage? Twenty one years at the Depot have been filled with many milestones, as you’ll see on the centre pages. These largely comprise responses to a changing environment and particular needs, such as the establishment of the PACE programme to meet employment needs in the creative
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sector. Depot Press was developed to encourage a greater insight into the evolving cultural vernacular of Aotearoa, in the face of demographic, economic, social and political change. Each milestone has been achieved because of the Depot’s abiding philosophy, the reference point for new and growing initiatives. Some of these milestones may be regarded as rites of passage, catalysts for transition to an increasing understanding and maturity, but these are less collective phenomena than personal experiences. Perhaps when Jiddhu Krishnamurti contends that ‘Truth is a pathless land’ he means we can simply step out and find our own meaning in the world. And if at the Depot we are able in some way to contribute positively to the world then our meaningfulness continues to be fulfilled.
CAREER RITES OF PASSAGE Article by the Careers Lab team Our working lives offer momentous rites of passage; yet, how well do we support ourselves and each other during these times of transition? It’s an important question to consider because career rites of passage are big – they deserve attention, care and ceremony. Careers Lab seeks
to support members of our community during these transition points through offering a range of services. In this issue of LOUD, we ask you to self-assess your ability to successfully move through career rites of passage with our Career Transitions Quiz.
Step 1: Tick all of the career transitions you have experienced:
Career Transitions Quiz Obtained a first-ever job Completed secondary school Completed tertiary study Survived a long period of unemployment Started a full time job Changed jobs Quit your job without having a plan of what would follow Got fired Started a business Made a complete career change Experienced an epic career fiasco Got made redundant Re-entered the work force after a long absence due to parenting Re-entered the work force after a long absence due to illness Retired from working life 9
Step 2: Career research shows that individuals with welldeveloped career competencies are able to more effectively ride the waves of career transitions. Please honestly rate yourself on the following career competencies by ticking “Often”/ “Sometimes” / “Rarely”. Results: If you mostly ticked “Sometimes”, you are “Career Resilient” and have learned from your recent career transitions. You are likely to be progressing and moving towards enhanced employability and career satisfaction.
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If you mostly ticked “Rarely”, you may be “Career Slowed”. In this state, you are likely to be at risk of underemployment and dissatisfied with where you are at present. Decide which career competencies you would like to improve on and start to make it happen.
If you are facing a career transition, do not hesitate to get in touch with the Careers Lab team at careers.lab@depotartspace.co.nz or ring us on 09-963-2328.
Career Transitions Quiz CAREER
COMPETENCIES
Often
Sometimes
Rarely
PROACTIVITY:
I’m always looking for opportunities
I’m always trying to improve myself somehow
I think ahead and plan for the future
I try hard and keep trying even when things get difficult
I am willing to respond positively to new work environments
I can handle change and can accept new roles that are presented to me
I enjoy ongoing learning
I know what my skills, strengths and abilities are
I am aware of which skills I lack
I understand and can describe my values and goals
I get feedback from others in order to check if my perception of myself is accurate
ADAPTABILITY:
TOTAL NUMBER:
Courtesy: Your 21st Century Career by Heather Carpenter
IDENTITY AWARENESS:
UPCOMING EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS
STEPHEN MCCURDY: METANOIA Main Gallery Opening 2 – 3:30 pm Sat 21 October Sat 21 Oct – Wed 8 Nov 2017 Stephen McCurdy, award-winning composer for film and television in the 80s and 90s, has been painting for the past twenty years. Metanoia promises to be a show rich in ‘concentrated looking’ and a fascinating display of the work McCurdy has completed between 1997 and 2017. McCurdy believes that some kind of narrative is probably inescapable, and even where it is not explicit in the making it will probably emerge
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in the seeing. “Among many other things painting for me is a refuge from language, from words, a way of evading the imperative to define, to quantify, to claim certainty where it most likely doesn’t exist”. Reflecting his years of writing music for drama and documentary, Metanoia demonstrates an underlying fascination with character and feeling, with myth, fable and belief, with identity, isolation and connection. Some of the paintings are bleak, attesting encounters with depression and a pessimistic worldview. Others are more hopeful. There are also lilies, and the occasional joke.
JACQUELINE MACLEOD: MEMORY FOR $ALE Front Gallery Opening Fri 10 Nov 6 -8 pm Fri 10 Nov – Wed 29 Nov 2017 Memory for $ale is Jacqueline MacLeod’s exploration of female online identity, questioning how networked technologies influence women and the relationships women have with each other, e.g. ‘groups’, online ‘friends’, cyber-security, social online discourse and the forming of self. MacLeod is drawn to the aesthetic and economic relationship that exists between the virtual and physical life, describing her work as “constructed
portraiture”. The finely detailed, notquite-photo-realistic paintings and digital prints of people who have never actually existed are modelled first on a computer and later rendered in oil paint. MacLeod’s focus on the effects of digital media within female identity and the forming of multiple selves on online platforms alongside who you are in reality, challenges our reliance on and captivation with technology. Much of MacLeod’s work to-date has consisted of figures that interact with a combination of oil painting and digital work and more recently sculpture.
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ROBYN GIBSON: SOLACE IN FAMILIAR THINGS Back Gallery Opening Fri 10 Nov 6 -8 pm Fri 10 Nov – Wed 29 Nov 2017
animating these objects and instilling in them characteristics that evoke emotional response.
Solace in Familiar Things explores our self-indulgent consumerist society where the products designed for an apparently innocent domestic market are often, ironically, the source of human suffering.
These sometimes dark, ironic paintings, drawings and assemblages articulate and bring to life dichotomies which we somehow manage to either accommodate or ignore; pleasure-pain, addiction-attraction, hunger-gluttony, offering an opportunity for viewers to confront their personal contradictions.
Gibson’s paintings observe characters in relation to a love for objects we so greedily consume and yet so readily dispose of. Oddly these objects become the accessories of our identity. Gibson makes sense of this anomaly by
Solace in Familiar Things is a collection of Gibson’s work in various media, including painting, sculpture, and drawing, all of which raise significant questions about our apparently consumer-driven society.
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UNWEARABLE: 2010-2017 WOW RETROSPECTIVE Vernacular Lounge Opening Fri 10 Nov 6-8pm Fri 10 Nov – Wed 29 Nov 2017 Unwearable: 2010-2017 WOW Retrospective is Beatrice Carlson’s exclusive exhibition of her last 6 entries into the World of Wearable Arts Awards, and a selection of her Perspex etchings and drawings. Beatrice Carlson is a French New Media artist living in Devonport and an eight-time finalist in the World of Wearable Art Awards since 2010. Carlson uses distinctive combinations
of materials to create and assemble other-worldly garments, each of which speak to a specific theme or narrative. Carlson has exhibited her work across New Zealand as well as internationally, with her work appearing in juried shows in Japan, New Mexico, Bulgaria, United Arab Emirates and Portugal. She was runner-up in the WOW’s South Pacific Section in 2010 with her garment “Who is the Pest, I am the Pest”, and the 2012 South Pacific Section Winner with “Marquise Rawahi”. This garment is now part of the World of Wearable Art permanent collection. 15
SAYED ALI KARAM JAWHARY: THE REED PEN’S TALE Vernacular Lounge Opening Sat 9 Dec 2 – 3:30pm Fri 1 Dec – Wed 20 Dec 2017 The Reed Pen’s Tale is the first New Zealand solo exhibition for Afghanistan born calligraphy artist, Sayed Ali Karam Jawhary [Ali]. The exhibition will feature 12 distinctive Persian calligraphic works. Ali is a Master calligrapher, having practised calligraphy for 37 years. For him art is a universal language that transcends culture and travail, functioning as a sacred refuge. Ali’s works draw inspiration from the words and philosophy of Persian poets of old, such as Mawlana Jaluldeen Balkhi Rumi, Hafiz, Saadi and Omar Khayyam, as well as world renowned classical musicians Mohammad-Reza Shahjarian and Ustad Sarahang. The subject matter of his work is varied, combining personal experience with philosophy – it’s a conscious choice to choose beauty over suffering.
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While not typically exhibited in New Zealand, Ali’s Persian Calligraphy demonstrates the intrinsic diversity in art, and invites viewers to connect with an ancient art form - an often visceral connection. Ali was forced to leave his home country of Afghanistan when he was 15 and take refuge in neighbouring Iran where he continued to live for many years. While living in Iran he learned about the best calligraphers, read books and visited exhibitions, all of which challenged him to develop his artistic practice. In 2013, Ali was resettled in New Zealand, along with his son. Ali’s ultimate goal is to introduce New Zealanders to Persian Calligraphy and this exhibition represents an important rite of passage in aligning with his new life in New Zealand. Many thanks to Art for Change, New Zealand Red Cross and the Auckland Refugee Family Trust for their support of this exhibition.
SCOTT, ERICA & LEAH WILSON: DRAWN TO PAINT Front Gallery Opening Sat 2 Dec 2 – 3:30pm Sat 2 Dec – Wed 20 Dec 2017 Devonport local Scott Wilson returns to the Depot along with his daughters Leah and Erica for their first family exhibition, Drawn to Paint. A former commercial creative, Scott has created a series of vivid appropriations in charcoal, which portray the relationship between humans and the natural environment. Leah’s influence is deeply rooted in the landforms of her home in the Waitākere Ranges. Painting large,
loose landscapes, her current body of work attempts to draw the essence out of the landscape yet still show the interface of humanity with the land. Equally enraptured by landscapes, Erica’s inspiration evolved from her appreciation for black and white photography. This manifests in her works as a coalescence of memories of landscape and sculptural forms, from her travels in South America. Drawn to Paint has challenged Scott, Leah and Erica to explore the variations and themes in their mediums and provided them with an opportunity to showcase their mutual love of art as a family. 17
BEVAN SMITH: SAVING OUR SPECIES: NEW ZEALAND BIRDS Back Gallery Opening Sat 2 Dec 2 – 3:30 pm Sat 2 Dec – Wed 20 Dec 2017 Emerging artist Bevan Smith returns to the Depot after his successful exhibition Animal Portraits in March 2016, with an exceptional new series of life-like graphite pencil drawings of lesser-known endangered New Zealand birds. Saving Our Species: New Zealand Birds is Smith’s singular effort to provide a visual education for a serious conservation issue, by shining the spotlight on New Zealand’s less iconic birds facing the threat of extinction. New Zealand has 168 native bird species, 93 of which are endemic – this means they are found nowhere else in the world. The United Kingdom
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in comparison has one endemic bird species. Currently, a third of all native birds are in serious trouble and nearly half face some trouble according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment report, Taonga of an island nation: Saving New Zealand’s birds released in May 2017. Smith’s timely exhibition addresses the desperate situation for New Zealand native birds, due to the introduction of pests. Saving Our Species will also include visual interpretations of extinct birds, inviting the audience to contemplate the possibility of a native bird-less Aotearoa. Saving Our Species will showcase different sized works to demonstrate the diversity of New Zealand birds, accompanied by detailed descriptions of each species and the subsequent threat to its habitat and/or existence.
SHOP LOCAL @
Once spring hits, it kind of feels like we’re on the fast train to summer as we eagerly anticipate the sunshine and holidays with family and friends. The Christmas period always seems to sneak up on us and it’s a little frantic making sure we have the right gifts for our nearest and dearest. This season, we encourage you to shop local! Our Pocket Gallery offers unique hand-made gifts – in between Sarn
and Evolving with all materials sourced in New Zealand. So, not only would you be giving a meaningful gift, you would also be supporting a local New Zealand artist! With a quirky selection of art and objects, Pocket Gallery offers an affordable option for everyone and is the perfect place to find a special gift or personal treasure. From left to right: Rogan James, Sophie Divett, Strahan Clarke, Susie Bonifant. 19
SPOTLIGHT ON:
The Art Room boasts an eclectic collection of works from a variety of artists using a range of mediums, including sculpture, textiles, painting and assemblage. In less than a year, The Art Room has become a popular exhibition space for the Depot’s members and is regularly
visited by our patrons who stop by to check out what’s new and available in this ever-changing salon-style space. As part of our on-going effort to promote our artists, we’d like to showcase a few of our members who took part in The Art Room Extended, in September 2017.
Michelle McIver grew up in the south of New Zealand, and spent most of her childhood with pencil in hand, drawing. This country of often extreme contrasts fascinated her, but Michelle found she was most drawn to the practice of mindfulness and an appreciation of the surroundings and nature. She lives in Auckland, where she enjoys painting and printmaking full-time. Instagram: @michellemciverart
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With an extraordinary eye for the sublime and a naturally quirky insight, Adrienne Ramskill has been creating custom assemblage pieces that have become highly-sought after this year at the Depot. Every piece has its “Story”, told by the Viewer, the Artist and the collision of items themselves in their muddled beauty. Her practice evolves and each assemblage is unique.
Dustin McNeilage is a first time exhibitor, carpenter and avid photographer. His “truly fantastic portraiture” is gaining profile and showcases a stunning visual commentary on New Zealand people and its unique diversity. Dustin also won third prize in this year’s Auckland Photo Day, run by the Festival of Photography, for his “powerful, engaging portrait, perfectly executed”. Instagram: @dustin_streetlight
Jana Hoffman is a Californian ex-pat inspired by the everyday scenes in Auckland, continually examining the internal questions that come up while making art. This is the second year returning to her practice, as she explores and plays with art on a daily basis. Instagram: @janamhoffmanart
Kate Hursthouse specialises in calligraphy, lettering, illustration and typography. Her artworks use the structure and tradition of typography as the foundation to explore pattern and texture. Using different tools and materials she explores how you can manipulate letterforms to the point where you create texture from language. Instagram: @katehursthouse
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CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN Article by Lynn Lawton
In 1999, to fast track my psychology degree, I took a summer paper ‘New Zealand Social History’. This was a seminal ‘rite of passage’ bringing into my consciousness for the first time, an awareness of the turbulent changes Māori experienced following colonisation. In particular, the ways Māori lost so much land often through the unscrupulous actions of some Pakeha, the imposition of the Native Land Court to change communal title and the confiscation of land by government for those Māori who participated in the land wars. The paper marked a transition from ignorance to understanding why the Treaty of Waitangi settlement process was so essential to healing our past and finding common ground to stand on for our future as a nation.
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In 2014, the legislated transfer of ownership of 14 of Auckland’s Tūpuna Maunga (ancestral mountains) to Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau (also known as the Tāmaki Collective), called on us to have a deeper understanding of and respect for the paramount place land has for Māori. For the Devonport local community there will be change in access by road to Maunga Takarunga (Mt Victoria). For the Depot our continued presence on the maunga in Kerr St Artspace, used by local community groups and organisations, is contingent upon our alignment with the conditions of the Maunga Authority and its values and concerns for the respect and treatment of Maunga Takarunga. Māori draw their identity from the maunga and consider them to
be imbued with mana (spiritual authority and prestige) and mauri (spiritual essence). They are places of historical, spiritual, ancestral and cultural identity; places of settlement, agriculture, battles, marriages, birth and burial. These concepts for westerners, steeped in the Judaeo-Christian ideology of anthropocentrism of ‘subduing the earth and having dominion over its creatures’, can leave us ill equipped to respond to such changes and different values. Over the past four months, we have been meeting with representatives of the Tūpuna Maunga Authority. Discussions have focused on the Authority’s concerns for the care and protection of Maunga Takarunga and the Depot’s long history of
consciousness about and response to these values. As founding member of the Depot, Linda Blincko contributed significantly in these discussions and prepared the submission document for the lease of the Kerr St Artspace facility. We still have some distance to travel to conclude negotiations which centre on an ‘Outcomes Plan’ stating how we will contribute to the care and wellbeing of the maunga and the reimbursement for the facility Kerr St Artspace. For me this has been another ‘rite of passage’ with greater understanding of the meaning to Māori of the maunga as living, breathing beings, affected by the roads and buildings perched on its tihi (cone).
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Works Depot becomes vacant and there is potential for development Lobbying for the use of the Depot as an arts incubator
Depot secured and becomes an incorporated society, building is cleared & development begins
Established gallery with movable partitions & artists’ studios, BUS recording studio is set up Launched LOUD magazine
Set up AIMS (Arts Incubator Mentoring Scheme), Small Dog Gallery is formed Opened Spiral Gallery in Queen Street
1991
1994
1996
1998
1999
2000
2001
Morph Magazine first edition released
2005
2006 First Visual Artists apprenticeship launched, closed Spiral Gallery & opened Satellite Gallery in Newton, launched Outerspace Graphic Design service
Kerr St Artspace renovated and opened for seminars and artists’ studios
2003
2002 Gained first PACE (Pathways to Arts & Cultural Employment) contract with Work and Income
Milestone
Year
DEPOT ARTSPACE RITES OF PASSAGE
Developed Creative Apprenticeships Project in partnership with ASB Community Trust, opened Front Room retail gallery Launched Young Morph magazine for youth
2009
2010
PACE becomes ArtsLab, developed Creative Internships Project in partnership with ASB Community Trust
Launched Depot Press and The Vernacularist publication series
Depot Sound is refurbished and Studio Two is built, development of Creative Placements and Internships with funding from Foundation North
2013
2014
2015
2017
The Art Room officially opens, the Roaring Silence publication is released and Depot Artspace celebrates its 21 Year Anniversary
2016 Pocket Gallery is established, Careers Lab (career development & job seeking support for the creative industries) is launched
Started Cultural Genealogy & Cultural Mapping project
2012
2011 Introduced Vernacular Lounge at Satellite Gallery with residencies and events, Cultural Icons website goes live
Opened Depot Sound recording studio, launched JAM Radio internet arts programme and Creative Peoples Centre website
2007
NEWS
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Depot Sound offers friendly, professional and affordable recording studios for musicians and artists of all genres. We specialise in music recording, mixing, composing and arranging original music for singer-songwriters. Over the last few months we’ve had a wide range of artists in the studio: New Found Sound Competition winners Ultrasound came in to the studio to record some live demos. Young local singer songwriter Freya came in with her amazing singing teacher Rebecca Nelson. The Ding Dong Lounge band comp was won by Animalhead who recorded a high energy track called The Devil Told Me So (you can stream it for free on their Facebook page).
We’re excited to have The Rubics back in the studio starting work on a new album. Local band Quarter Acre Lifestyle have also started work on a new album along with pop/rock band Velvetland and singer songwriter Sam Kingston. Heavy instrumental band Thousand Limbs recorded an EP which is out now. Plenty of projects on the go at the moment! In a new initiative for the studio we ran our first home recording workshops in September. Read more about this in the article ‘In Conversation with Dave Rhodes’ on the next page. depotsound.co.nz
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FROM HOME TO STUDIO: IN CONVERSATION WITH
DAVE RHODES
In September 2017, Depot Sound Recording Studio launched their first series of workshops, From Home to Studio: An Intro to DIY Recording. Our new Media/Promo Coordinator Anusha Bhana, had a chat with Dave Rhodes about the initiative. Tell me a little bit about how music made its way into your life. I grew up in a musical family. I used to go to sleep with my parents band practicing right next to my bedroom. When I was 13 I started to learn to play the drums, at 15 I joined my parents’ rock’n’roll covers band. My first studio experience was when I was about 12 and I spent a few days in a studio while Dad was recording a bluegrass album with his friend Paul Trenwith. The whole experience intrigued me, from the tape machines 28
to the flashing lights and sound. When I left school I studied at SAE and went on to work in radio production. The radio production studio I worked in also shared an office with Pagan and Antenna records so I got to meet a lot of musicians and occasionally record things for them. Through those connections I ended up recording the first Blindspott single and mixing their first album which went triple platinum. Eventually I moved on and got a job at Stebbing Recording Centre where I worked with some incredible engineers and continued to learn a lot about recording. By 2012 I was looking for a new challenge and wanted to spend more time working with up and coming musicians. I found the job managing Depot Sound to be the perfect fit and here I am.
What inspired you to run these workshops? I work with a lot of musicians of all skill and experience levels and I often get asked how they can improve their home recordings. I realised that no matter how many YouTube videos people were watching they were lacking the opportunity to get good useful real life information that would apply specifically to them. One of the things that my time at Stebbing showed me was how valuable learning from other engineers can be, even just informal lunch time conversations could be full of amazing information. I wanted to create an environment where we could teach some basic practical recording information but also be able to go in any direction the class wanted to ask about. What were the main skills that you taught and were you happy with how the students responded? We broke the course into 3 parts and spilt it over 3 nights. Part one was all about microphone placement and how to record an acoustic guitar, Part 2 about recording vocals and vocal mic techniques, and Part 3 was mixing. I tried not to get into too much technical detail and just concentrate on good practical advice. We had an amazing group who all responded well and got some really great discussions going.
Was this your first time teaching and were there any key challenges/learnings for you? This was my first time teaching anything like this and it was certainly outside my comfort zone! But once we got going I felt quite comfortable, especially since I’ve been working as a recording engineer for over 20 years so I could pretty much answer any questions that came my way. Although I don’t think I’ve ever talked so much! Any plans for the next workshop series? We are planning to run the course again. Next time we may run the whole thing on a weekend rather than over 3 week nights as we had a number of people who were interested but couldn’t make those times. I’m also really interested in running one specifically for high school students. We are also planning to run other workshops concentrating on electronic music production and other instruments like electric guitar, bass, and maybe even drums. And finally, what was the first home recording you did? When I was about 13 or 14 I was lent a Fostex cassette 4 track. I used it to record bands I was in with other kids from my school. I wish I still had those recordings, I’m sure they would be terrible but it would be fun to hear them! 29
ON THE EDGE 21 YEARS IN COMMUNITY ARTS On the twenty-first anniversary of Depot Artspace it seems timely to produce a compilation of excerpts from LOUD articles written over time. We are now into our 70th edition of this gritty little publication. These excerpts encompass aspects of its philosophy and are the reference points for many of the milestones achieved over the years.
Loud 20, 2007: STATE OF THE ARTS The shameful sale of Colin McCahon’s “Storm Warning” in 1998 by Victoria University to a private collection presaged in both the act and the substance of the work some of these major social trends which finally filtered into the NZ art scene. YOU MUST FACE THE FACT The final age of this world is to be a time of troubles. Men will love nothing but money and self. They will be arrogant, boastful and abusive, with no respect for parents, no gratitude, no piety, no natural affections, they will be implacable in their hatreds.
Loud 37, 2011: WHAT IS THE DEPOT? (And what the Depot is not) The current malaise of the affluent nations demonstrates clearly that material rewards are not enough. The crisis the human race now faces is best described as navigational. Humanity has lost the map, the compass, the guidebook. ‘Changing My Mind, Among Other Things’, 1982 By Timothy Leary
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PAUL TO TIMOTHY The text of “Storm Warning”. In the arts we see the awful effects of this prophetic indictment on human being: • Art transformed primarily into a commodity, a speculative venture on the futures market. • The devaluation of the aesthetic
•
value of the arts in favour of its investment appeal. The commodifying of the arts by creating a brand name out of “collectable” artists.
Loud 39, 2012: SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL The excellent thing about small is that it is infinitely versatile; it can remain small and independent but it can also organise itself into a collective and gain strength in its new form. Individuals united by a common vision or concern have a greater capacity to effect change. The whole is certainly greater than the sum of its parts as movements such as those inspired by Martin Luther King and Gandhi attest. In New Zealand the anti-apartheid movement of 1981 succeeded in bringing disparate groups and individuals together to effect historically significant change for justice and equality. Small can do great things when at its core, which is more easily discernible, are the principles that guide its action. Small is easily exposed and therefore
more readily accountable, more easily accessible and in its smallness more versatile in its response to issues and opportunities. Such is the nature of smallness as embodied by the Depot Artspace, the reason why it remains practically responsive to its community.
Loud 17, 2004: SAY YES-THE DOORS OF POSSIBILITY (Christmas edition) So, in this LOUD what we are celebrating with you is that there is a spirit alive which embodies not only Christmas but a way of living authentically in the world. To live by the spirit of Christmas is to live with good will toward all beings, not just at Christmas as we are admonished to do, but all year round. This is not a foolish or naïve proposition if people believe that these values are important and possible to live by in December then why not for the rest of the year? At the Depot we have found a large part of the spirit of Christmas is generated by our philosophy of inclusiveness and this rests upon the capacity to say yes to people. 31
SPOTLIGHT ON: GL?TCH COLLECTIVE
GL?TCH Collective otherwise known as Amadeo Grosman, Daniel Eaton, and Loretta Riach are three Auckland teenagers with a passion for spreading creativity. They have an ambitious project: to start a collective for like-minded young creatives to come together and produce good quality designs and other works of art to sell and create a profile for themselves. GL?TCH’s ultimate aim for the collective is to see it grow and include others who share the same vision. As individuals, they all have their own distinct personalities, skills, 32
and creative styles, and would love to be able to promote their art at a more commercial level. “This project has been heavily supported by Linda Blincko from Depot Artspace in our hometown of Devonport, who has offered us a wealth of knowledge and boundless enthusiasm to get GL?TCH off the ground” - Loretta Riach – For Amadeo, Daniel and Loretta, art is something they want to follow as a career and GL?TCH is the perfect catalyst to kick-start that passion. We’ll keep you posted on the progress of GL?TCH as it happens!
GL?TCH MANIFESTO GL?TCH is a collective, a community, a hub - we want to bring people together by artistic means to inspire and to uplift each other’s work. We believe in youth as an underutilised creative force with untapped passion, and are willing to work hard to lift the project and find these talented individuals.
WE ARE... •
young artists with a passion for spreading creativity
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believers in self-starters and go getters
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a collective- bringing people together through artistic means
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individuals with our own distinct personalities, skills, and creative styles/ways of working
believers in quality with a want to build a community that appreciates an understanding of what they’re buying and where it came from
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believers in upholding integrity as commercial artists
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driven and focused on building something that will be bigger than any of us
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believers in good design and honest advertising
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believers in youth as a creative force
determined to bring together an enriching and influencing community of young creatives with big dreams and keen attitudes
A glitch is something ever changing; never the same twice. With this in mind, you could call GL?TCH a bit of a blank slate for us. Under this title we can pursue any number of creative projects - design prints, create clothing, host workshops and events. The first of these will be an exhibition in 2018 to christen the collective, hosted by Depot Artspace.
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DEPOT EVENTS: JULY - OCTOBER 2017
Fri 1 Sept 2017 - Lloyd Macomber, 21 in 21 Our Built Heritage (for Architecture Week 2017)
Fri 25 Aug 2017 - 20 Poets in Devonport, National Poetry Day 20th Anniversary (In partnership with Michael King Writers Centre) 34
Sat 9 Sept 2017 - Craig Humberstone, The Seashell Flesh
Sat 19 Aug - Gum Sarn Evolving Notions of the ‘Sweet Earth’ 35
Sat 29 July - From the Rivers to the Shore & The Flyway Print Exchange
Sat 30 Sept - Umbrella, Estranged (for Artweek Auckland 2017) 36
Thu 5 Oct 2017 - The Sargeson Swerve, A literary life on Esmonde Road (for Auckland Heritage Festival 2017)
Thu 7 Sept 2017 - Pecha Kucha Auckland, Courage (In partnership with Torpedo Bay Navy Museum) 37
ARTIST RESALE ROYALTIES REVISITED
Depot Press is excited to announce the imminent release of its revised edition of Artists Resale Royalties Aotearoa (ARRA) which contains updated local and international information and a more detailed analysis of the implications for a resale royalty scheme. An artist resale royalty entitles the artist to receive a royalty payment (normally a percentage of the sale price) from the sales of their artwork on the secondary market. We produced the initial ARRA publication in 2014 in response to the burgeoning secondary arts market. The secondary market involves the resale of artworks, either through private sales or auction houses. Since 2014 this has mushroomed, with six auction houses in Auckland alone
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holding regular auctions, including the sales of significant art collections. As champions of New Zealand artists Depot Artspace continue to advocate for a resale royalty which will allow artists to benefit from the on-sale of their work. The release date for the Artist Resale Royalties book is yet to be announced, so we’ll keep you posted on where/how you can access a copy. For more information on the other publications we have for purchase, visit www.depotpress.co.nz
FAREWELL FROM MARGAUX renovation and created two studios; the launches of significant publications such as The Roaring Silence and The Vernacularist Wāhine – Women; to the implementation of new programmes and software such as Xero, a client management system for ArtsLab and a point of sale system for the Galleries.
The theme of this issue of LOUD is particularly poignant, as I farewell the Depot and embark on the classic Kiwi ‘rite of passage’: the OE. From the moment I started back in 2014, I felt very welcomed. Coming from a background at multidisciplinary art centres such as Corban Estate and Mangere, I was ecstatic to be able to continue working in the arts with a focus on community. My role has often been one of processing and supporting, from the ArtsLab programme to the Galleries to Depot Press, and even a little bit of Depot Sound. It has been marvellous to be a part of many amazing projects and moments in the Depot’s history, such as: when a tank was constructed for the 500 Cook Island soldiers exhibition; when Depot Sound underwent its
The Depot has also personally provided me with encouragement and the opportunity to curate an exhibition. In August to September of this year, I put together Gum Sarn: Evolving Notions of the ‘Sweet Earth’ an exhibition which celebrated the recent history (1900s onwards) of Chinese in New Zealand through photographs, ephemera and a cultural map of Auckland. It was a heartwarming project about my heritage as a second generation born fifth generation resident NZ Chinese, the memories of which I will hold forever. The last 3 ½ years have truly flown by, and I have met and worked with many wonderful and talented people. It’s sad to say goodbye to the staff, volunteers and regular visitors, but I’m excited for this new adventure and for what a new person will bring to the dynamic, everchanging Depot Artspace. A huge thank you to everyone and I will miss you all! 39
RITES OF PASSAGE:
ITI KAHURANGI Article by Jermaine Reihana You could say my rite of passage began at a young age. I was 8 years old when my whānau relocated to Auckland from Wellington where my three younger brothers and I attended the first Kura Kaupapa Māori establishment based in West Auckland - Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae. It was part of a Māori -led language revitalisation strategy that was not initially supported by the government, starting in family garages and on Marae. Our parents and teachers made a huge commitment and many sacrifices to ensure we grew up knowing who we were, both bi-lingual and bi-cultural. Indoctrinated with Te Aho Matua (the philosophical base for Kura Kaupapa Māori education for the teaching and learning of children), we were invested with a strong obligation and responsibility to continue the work required to ensure the longevity of the Māori language and teachings. As a kid I spent time analysing and drawing imagery from Māori children’s books illustrated by Peter Gossage, Cliff Whiting and Robyn Kahukiwa. I would look forward to
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assembly in our Wharenui (Meeting house) ‘Ngā Tūmanako’ on a Monday morning where I would lie down amongst students during whaikōrero (Formal speech) and gaze up and be inspired by the kōwhaiwhai, tukutuku and carved pou elements of the whare. With a thorough understanding of these visual elements within the whare, I developed an appreciation and indepth understanding of our intrinsic connection with the natural world, the cosmic lore of the greater universe and our role as ‘Kaitiaki’ (Guardian). I later graduated with a Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts (Hons.) Degree from Massey University in Palmerston North with a practice in painting. It comes as no surprise that a preoccupation with our native flora, fauna and the visual elements of the Wharenui have become the resonant theme of my work, reworking traditional Māori narratives with a stylistic re-interpretation and juxtaposition of kōwhaiwhai, tukutuku, and whakairo design conventions. With such adaptations I am able to produce a personalised response to cultural practices, suggesting and investigating issues relating to the current social, political and environmental climate from a uniquely Māori perspective. Upon my return to Auckland from study in Palmerston North, I jumped on the dole and was made aware of a
Jermaine at Te Kura o Hoani Waititi (2nd row, 2nd from the left)
programme that facilitates job seekers with a focus in the creative sector called Artslab at Depot Artspace in Devonport. With the skills I acquired from the ArtsLab team I was able to secure an internship with Depot Artspace, work as an art tutor for Kākano Youth Arts Collective and have the opportunity to show my work in group, solo and curated shows. I continue to work with my Depot Artspace whānau, by facilitating them through the practices of Te Reo Māori and Tikanga and how we can perpetuate that in our everyday lives. Recently I was invited to share new work in a show called Reretahi with a close friend and work colleague of mine Mandy Patmore at Corbans Estate Art Centre, where I exhibited the work used for the front cover of this LOUD Magazine. As an ancient indigenous species, pekapeka [New Zealand lesser shorttailed bat] symbolises the impending
endangerment of everything intrinsic to wellbeing in the world; it clings courageously to its rich whakapapa, its wairua, its place at the confluence of Rangi and Papa, as it negotiates a careless and destructive modernity. Both Mandy and I work with some of West Auckland’s most vulnerable youth, through Kākano Youth Arts Collective, based at Corban Estate where we use the arts as a catalyst for positive change. I see now that the function of my mahi [work] in the greater scheme of things is to preserve Tikanga Māori and Te Reo Māori by implementing and being involved with projects and Kaupapa in local communities and abroad, that harnesses the teachings and values of Te Aho Matua to ensure that it will always be a part of our lives.
Kahui Whetu 3, Acrylic on Canvas, 600mm x 600mm
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DEPOT ARTSPACE IN 2018:
ADAPTIVE, RESPONSIVE & PROACTIVE Article by Linda Blincko
Just when you think you’re settling into the year, 2018 is just round the corner, bringing with it quite a few surprises and a mixed bag of opportunities and challenges. Politically the landscape is uncertain. At this writing we have a caretaker government with no inkling about the fall of the dice, and at a council level the local board will have a change of leadership in April, with a possible change in sympathy towards the arts. Politicians and bureaucrats still struggle to understand the value of the creative sector to the economy/society. The distinction between economy and society remains decidedly blurred and this is the nub of the problem. The Depot’s negotiations with the Maunga Authority continue as we find a language of mutual understanding for our continued occupation of Kerr St Artspace. This has been a meaningful process which has both enriched our awareness of the maunga, and raised considerations about the nature of our relationship to Takarunga. We hope
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to reach a resolution to our ongoing conversations before too long. The arts landscape is also changing considerably and is prefaced in our revised publication Artist Resale Royalties Aotearoa. ARRA is a response to the exponential growth of the secondary arts market and its impact on primary arts sales, and essentially our practising artists. We will continue to keep an eye on this phenomenon as the year progresses, and to research other changes. Under these circumstances it has been important for the Depot to remain adaptive and responsive, providing a range of opportunities for artists to exhibit and to sell their works. Our 2018 exhibition call out – The Creative Edge – effectively captures this, with new exhibiting criteria that are less prescriptive and more open to a variety of creative genres, including recent graduates, emerging
artists, conceptual artists and artists addressing social/environmental issues. In the face of change the Depot also remains proactive, developing new initiatives, such as CareersLab that strengthen the creative sector. We also look forward to progressing our longterm endeavour to establish creative apprenticeships and internships. We began working on and advocating for these in 2007, meeting with then Minister of Arts and Culture, Helen Clark, and subsequently seeing them added to the Labour Party’s Arts Policy. Over the last few months the Depot website has also been undergoing significant changes, with the ultimate aim of increasing accessibility to
information about our wide range of services and projects. We are hoping to launch our new website before the end of this year. As 2018 unfolds, new opportunities and challenges are likely to arise as is the nature of grassroots arts. We hope you’ll continue to accompany us on our journey! ‘The Depot has continued to grow and develop from having its ear to the ground, the place where people stand – their turangawaewae – and from which, if nurtured, things grow and are sustained.’ -The Harakeke Report 2017, Depot Artspace -
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WORDS OF APPRECIATION Article by David Bailey By now you should already know this, Because of you my life has a purpose. You got me where I am today, You pick me up with little things you say. Sometimes I get dark, And fall apart. But I’m alive pulling through, And it’s all Thanks to you. I was reckless, I was careless, I was hopeless, Your love saved my life. Trouble breathing, conscience screaming, wasn’t sleeping, Your love saved my life. I was breaking, heart was aching, But you came along just in time, Your love saved my life.
David Bailey is the Depot’s designer, creating exhibition posters, logos, brochures and whatever else requires his creative design skill! He’s been with us for close to 3 years now, having originally joined our community as an Artslab member. Now he’s practically part of the furniture! In keeping with our Rites of Passage theme he found this poem, which he believes epitomises his time at the Depot and the rite of passages associated with his journey.
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It’s like you’ve known me forever, You’ve shown me things do get better. Because of you I’m more careful then I used to be. Now that you fixed everything. Your words stick in my head, If not for you I would have been dead. Regardless of what life will bring, You will always be my everything. I was reckless, I was careless, I was hopeless, Your love saved my life. Trouble breathing, conscience screaming, wasn’t sleeping, Your love saved my life. I was breaking, heart was aching, But you came along just in time, Your love saved my life. -AnonymousThank you everyone at Depot Artspace
Join... ...... and you’ll be joining a creative community offering a
range of opportunities. You will also be supporting the Depot Artspace and its objectives. BENEFITS: • LOUD magazines and monthly e-newsletters • Invitations to all exhibition openings and special events. • Opportunities to exhibit in the Galleries. • Get involved by becoming a Volunteer. • Use of the Recording Studio (charges apply). Membership Rates (for one year membership) Individual $30 Family $40 Organisation $40 International $35 Youth (under 20) $10
To join the Depot Artspace fill out the Membership Form below, drop it in to our front desk or pay online, bank account # 12 3015 0013510 00 Please place your name and the word ‘membership’ in the reference section. Depot Artspace 28 Clarence St, Devonport, Auckland, 0624
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MUSINGS FROM THE NEW GIRL Article by Anusha Bhana
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Anusha - the new Media & Promotions Coordinator for the Depot. I’ve been part of the Depot whānau for just over 3 months now and if you’ve read some of the posts on the Facebook page or perused the Depot E-News in the last 3 months, you might already be accustomed to the ‘writer’ version of me. My hope is that by reading this article, you’ll get to know me a little better, without it getting too deep and meaningful! I did a lot of thinking around the theme of Rites of Passage, and like some of my colleagues it wasn’t as straight forward to write about as we thought. In fact, it requires a decent amount of introspective thinking. As Linda mentions in her editorial – there is dissonance between what is expected to be a milestone or cause for celebration
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and what constitutes a significant event in our individual lives. What I consider to be a rite of passage may not be perceived as one by someone else. But in saying that, our personal rites of passage can also be relatable to others and help us strengthen our interpersonal relationships. As the person who gathered the content for LOUD Issue #70, I got to read everyone else’s interpretations of the theme before writing my article. This led me to draw similarities and differences with my own rites of passage’s. In the Career Transition Quiz by the Careerslab team, I can tick just about every box in that list, I didn’t realise I’d been through so many career transitions! Jermaine’s article about drawing inspiration from his heritage caused me think about my constant search for inspiration in my
art. Lynn’s insight into the power of knowledge and how this can lead to greater understanding and empathy, led me to think about all the times I learned something new and used it to inform my actions. And Dave’s interview reminded me how fulfilling it can be to pass on what you know, and enable others to hone their craft.
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At its most basic rites of passage signify “the transition from one phase of life to another”
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For me, rites of passage have been a combination of ‘first times’ , things that consistently happen but still can be deemed a transition from one phase of life to another and formal celebrations. Not all of them were hugely momentous occasions. Some happened on ordinary days with no ceremony. A few of them were internal and could only be judged by a feeling or sense. Some of them I can only recognise as rites of passage in hindsight.
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Here are a few: • The first time I was paid to write. • The first time I learned (and understood!) a really hard concept at uni, and was able to teach it to someone else. • The first time I finished a painting and actually liked it. • The first time I went to a live concert. • Everytime I witness the power of art (be it music, performance or painting) to bring about positive
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change. The first time I had a real sense of what I wanted to do as a career. Everytime I survive something really difficult. Everytime I take a stand for something I believe in. Everytime I truly appreciate the people, places and experiences I’ve had/have in my life. Everytime I am completely blown away by the natural world. The first time I finished something significant. Everytime I can use my skills to help to create positive change, restore humanity or generate empathy. Everytime I meet or learn of someone with ridiculous amounts of drive, passion and intelligence. The first time I assumed responsibility for another living being. (My cat and the peace lily I’ve kept alive for the last 9 years! )
It’s been a privilege to put together this issue of LOUD alongside the rest of the Depot Artspace team, and the 21st Anniversary of the Depot makes it even more special. It feels like a rite of passage within itself - joining this team during an important transitional period, especially considering all the noteworthy milestones that have preceded me. Until the next LOUD, Anusha
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