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LOUD #67 - VERY VERNACULAR EXHIBITIONS + INTERVIEWS + ESSAYS + NZ MUSIC MONTH + MORE! 1
LOUD ISSUE 67 - ‘Very Vernacular’ 30 April to 20 July 2016 3 5 9 10 12 20 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 34 36 37 38 40
Exhibition Opening Photos Linda Blincko - Very Vernacular The Vernacularist Manifesto Depot Sound Upcoming Exhibitions Depot Artspace Autumn Calendar Studio Visit: Paris Kirby Depot Gallery Proposals / Uber Uno gallery Artist Residency: Janet Mazenier Pocket Gallery Depot Volunteers Robyn Gibson Lynn Lawton - Vernacular Map New Staff - Amelia Harris & Lila Pulsford ArtsLab - Career Influences Artist Interview: Jermaine Reihana Studio Visit: Jenny Nicholls Devonport Dog Parade Film Review Depot Artspace Info Membership Info
Edited by Chris Cudby. Cover image by Jermaine Reihana. Special thanks to Emma Badeia and Louise Evans for their work in putting together LOUD 67. Welcome to LOUD #67 - the Depot Artspace quarterly magazine showcasing exhibitions, events, artists, music, musicians and a host of other creative initiatives.
LOUD is a condensed representation of our values; a clear and informative voice as well as a practical guide to what’s happening at Depot Artspace. LOUD is the voice of Depot Artspace. LOUD is about respect, support, advocacy and promotion of the arts. LOUD is about liberation of the arts from current narrow definitions. LOUD is a forum for discussion and opinion. LOUD is loud because it needs to be – art is an incredibly undervalued aspect of our culture, significant to our history and our society. All content © Depot Artspace and the respective artists, 2016 For magazine contribution, comment or criticism contact Linda (09) 963 2331 or linda.blincko@depotartspace.co.nz
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Depot Members exhibition: U.F.O Show / Gallipoli Remembered opening Fantastic turnout to the opening of our annual Members exhibition: UFO Show and Cynthia & Chris McKenzie’s Gallipoli Remembered on Saturday 9 April. Special thanks to our members and everyone who came along for your support.
Photos by Chris Cudby. 3
Hunter Dreamer Stranger Thief / Still Tho / Portraits exhibition opening Thanks to all who came along to the openings of Anderson, Claxton, Giles and Mickell’s Hunter Dreamer Stranger Thief, Daif King’s Still Tho and Bevan Smith’s Portraits exhibitions on Saturday 6 February.
Photos by Chris Cudby. 4
Very Vernacular by Linda Blincko - Depot Artspace Creative Director Our year so far has been filled with circumstances causing reflection on the theme of Vernacularism. With international exposure and recognition trending as the benchmark of “success”, not only in the arts but in all competitive and market-oriented fields, the Depot has intentionally explored for the past five years the inner, oft neglected land of vernacularism, whereby we identify and define the characteristics which comprise Aotearoa NZ’s unique cultural identity. We are thus able to stand confidently upon the terra firma of our own place, even as we may enter terra incognito. This exploration is both introspective and comparative.
Photographer unknown c. 1970.
We look outward to differentiate the values and components particular to the Aotearoa. We turn inward also to ascertain the likely effects on our collective psyche of identifying with a local vernacular and its attributes.
Barry Brickell - The Great Vernacularist One significant circumstance was the recent passing of Barry Brickell, one of Aotearoa NZ’s most ardent and articulate vernacularists. Barry Brickell left these shores seldom and only upon invitation asserting that Aotearoa offered all essential resources for making and learning and for leaving the world a lot better off. Barry Brickell abhorred internationalism which he asserted in his wrertings* caused in New Zealanders a condition called ‘overseasure’ or ‘grass is greener’ syndrome, the ultimate manifestation of which is to finally leave and settle in allegedly more creative climes. Barry’s legacy, as well as the wisdom of this expressed contention, was a rich and prolific array of accomplished clay work, a remarkable railway, the last remaining commercial brickworks in Aotearoa and air that breathes with the life of thousands of newly planted kauri, rimu and other indigenous species. On a scale of priorities where caring for our planet may be fairly advanced, Barry’s vernacularism is paramount. A cyberworld does not facilitate feet on the ground. 5
Cultural Icons – Passed, Present, Future The Cultural Icons series was initiated in 2010. In nearly eighty conversations between close friends and contemporaries the common denominator has been their knowledge about, passion for and connection to the cultural landscape of Aotearoa New Zealand. These Icons continue to fuel our fascination with, and search for, a local vernacular. Each of their stories is also a story of Aotearoa, referencing and in many instances providing insightful analysis of its people, landscape, politics and history from a singular perspective. www.culturalicons.co.nz
Image from the archives of Alister Taylor.
As we continued to develop this series we encountered a number of emerging artists whose practice is their passion and the medium through which they examine, celebrate and give form to the world. This new aspect to the series is titled The Calling which Media Producer Amelia Harris describes as articulating the call to create. “This new series aims to highlight and pay homage to individual journeys within the context of the wider environment, adding further to the dialogues recorded on the Cultural Icons website.”
Meaningful Maps “What a marvellous thing is a map. Marvellous and civilising. Without some kind of a map we only have a small idea of where we are, an even smaller one of where we have been and not the slightest chance of where best we might go”. Hamish Keith, Map of the Cultural Heart, NZ Listener, 2011. The genesis of the Depot’s Meaningful Maps project, which has taken more significant form with a layered Devonport map we have been developing, can be found in the Cultural Icons series. Listening to the Cultural Icons one begins to notice each interviewee referring to the key influences in their life and the direction these factors have given their practice. It became clear that maps, apart from delineating physical features of an area, could be a means to referencing many influences: landscape, genealogy, interconnectivity and attachment. Meaningful Maps is working on ways of providing multi-level layers of meaning and understanding to more deeply and personally engage these aspects of our lives and environment.
The Vernacularist Lounge
From time to time the Depot reinstates its Vernacular Lounge to showcase features of New Zealand’s distinctive cultural identity as defined by its art, architecture, literature, film and other cultural forms. The “lounge”, while not peculiar to New Zealand, is traditionally and typically the social hub of the New Zealand home. At the Depot it is a comfortable community space which features published writings on our local vernacular and which acknowledges and celebrates those Cultural Icons who have significantly contributed to and who enliven and enrich our lives as New Zealanders. 6
This time around we have our extensive collection of Vernacularist journals published by Depot Press on display. This new and challenging printed journal delves into the evolving vernacular identity of Aotearoa, New Zealand with thought provoking articles written by contributors passionate about prevailing themes such as identity, environmentalism, rural and urban living - all informed by the place Aotearoa New Zealand occupies on this planet. “Cultures are not manufactured by artists or declared by committees. They are the responses of peoples, in a particular time and a particular place, to that time and that place…They are not shaped by social revolutions but by a continuous accumulation of personal rebellions. They are enriched by the tensions of challenge. They are about difference more than they are about sameness” Hamish Keith.
Vernacularism Is An Essential Social Movement Vernacularism is the fundamental expression of the culture of a community, of its relationship with its environment and, at the same time, the expression of the world’s cultural diversity. It is a continuing process including necessary changes and continuous adaptation as a response to social and environmental changes. “Vernacularism and its many forms of expression/articulation are threatened world-wide by the forces of economic, cultural and architectural homogenisation. How these forces can be met is a fundamental problem that must be addressed by communities and also by governments, planners, architects, conservationists and by a multidisciplinary group of specialists. Due to the homogenisation of culture and of global socioeconomic transformation, the vernacular is vulnerable, facing serious problems of obsolescence, internal disequilibrium and disintegration.” International Council on Monuments and Sites, 1999. The more globalised we are the less grounded we are likely to become. “We experience the global and the subsequent erosion of indigenous/local culture through its residual deposits– plastic bottles and other disposables – and appropriated cultural products such as dress, language, religious/spiritual beliefs, and relationships such as with the environment and our community.” Kathleen Wyma, The Hindu, 2010. In the wake of these manifest concerns we produced the Vernacularist Manifesto, a statement of the values and conditions necessary to counteract globalism and cultural colonisation – cultural, economic and political forces that work to “homogenise and standardise even as they stratify and marginalise.” Linda Blincko
Image by Nigel Brown 1985. 7
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THE VERNACULARIST MANIFESTO The Vernacularist Manifesto is a work in progress, open to debate, change and addition. We welcome your observations, challenges, changes or additions. • Communities and cultures are endangered species as globalism homogenises and hegemonises the world, posing as freedom and the right to choose. • Mass consumerism is fuelled by the forces of corporate capitalism. Nothing is free from commodification, including significant cultural products and features, such as language, attire, rites and rituals, all of which have deep meaning specific to the group, community or culture. • The appropriation of unique identifying cultural products or symbols is colonisation. The disastrous effects of appropriation – of land, resources, language, cultural symbols or products – on colonised peoples have been explicitly documented, especially in recent times where colonisation has been recognised as the source of much significant social malaise. (Previously it was pathologised and became a self-fulfilling prophecy through the treatment of a distinct group or population.) • The antidote to rampant and unrelenting colonisation is Vernacularism. • Vernacularism expresses itself through shared language, shared values/beliefs and outwardly recognisable symbols. • The vernacular is a unifying factor amongst cultures and communities. It is the basis of shared meaning, identity and sense of belonging. • Vernacularism is the integration of self with cultural, historical, environmental and social components which give the self both form and meaning and are the compass points by which we give meaning to the world. • Vernacularism is the empowerment of cultures and communities as they recognise, retain, document and celebrate distinctive cultural products and values. • Vernacularism consciously asserts itself and stands against the colonising global forces of cultural appropriation and commodification. • Vernacularism is the new Utopianism. “The world is too dangerous for nothing less than Utopia.” Buckminster Fuller. • The vernacular evolves, recognising the evolutionary nature of culture. It is not static, insular, archaic or xenophobic; it knowingly and responsibly incorporates other cultural products to develop, enhance or contemporise its own culture or community. • Vernacularism ensures a culture or community remains strong, cohesive and meaningful to its members. When the vernacular is stripped away the culture loses its reference points and is vulnerable to colonisation. Linda Blincko
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Depot Sound Depot Sound has recorded six artists performing live in the studio to celebrate New Zealand Music Month this May. Each artist has a stand alone video with an interview and live performance which will be screening in the gallery for the length of the Seen and Heard exhibition (30 April to 18 May) and available to watch on the Depot Sound website, Facebook and Youtube channel. The videos showcase a small selection of the diverse mix of musicians who pass through Depot Sound and the enormous talent of both well known and emerging artists in New Zealand.
Average Mars Experience
Brendon Thomas and the Vibes cruise through an intimate set of bluesy original music. All girl punk band Blue Ruin perform a blistering set of energetic tunes. Veteran performers Hamilton County Bluegrass Band deliver their fun, harmony filled, Kiwi take on bluegrass. Average Mars Experience play a precise, riff-laden set of instrumental progressive rock. Our only solo acoustic performance is from the sweet sounding songwriter Sophie Mashlan, and after interviewing all the bands, your host Swizl Jager also performs a set of his own unique style of Hip Hop, mixing classic Kiwi themes performed in Te Reo and English. Special thanks to the NZ Music Commission for their support of the Seen & Heard video series and exhibition. For more info visit www.depotsound.co.nz
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From top left: Blue Ruin, Sophie Mashlan, Hamilton County Bluegrass Band, Brendon Thomas & The Vibes, Swizl Jager. Photos by Dave Rhodes / Depot Sound. 11
U P C O M I N G E X H I B I T I O N S
SEEN & HEARD Saturday 30 April to Wednesday 18 May Main Gallery Depot Artspace celebrates NZ Music Month with the Seen & Heard exhibition and video showcase The visual arts and music merge in an exhibition that celebrates NZ Music Month at the Depot Artspace. Depot Galleries feature an exhibition of some of Aotearoa NZ’s talented musicians who are also visual artists. While many of these artists have made their name through their formidable musical talent they also have an established visual arts practice. Artists in Seen & Heard include: Archie Bowie (Underdogs), Ben Buchanan (Erik Ultimate), Bek Coogan (Sheville, Cortina), Stella Corkery (White Saucer), Tim Dustow (West Coast Bullies), Julien Dyne, Liam Gerrard (The Veils), Andrew McLeod (Evil Ocean, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), Kody Nielson (Silicon, Mint Chicks), Lou Rawnsley (Underdogs), Robert Scott (The Clean, The Bats), Coco Solid, Gemma Syme (Instant Fantasy, Shocking Pinks), Dane Taylor (Invisible Threads, Voodoo Savage & His Savages), Imogen Taylor (Ruby Suns) The exhibition also includes a photographic display of musicians who feature in NZ’s contemporary music history – these photographs are a selection reproduced from Kevin Hill’s book Visual Memories. In another take on the title Depot Sound presents the month-long Seen & Heard video showcase of recording artists, screening in the gallery and at www.depotsound.co.nz including Brendon Thomas & The Vibes, Hamilton County Bluegrass Band, Blue Ruin, Average Mars Experience, Sophie Mashlan and Swizl Jager. Special thanks to the NZ Music Commission for their support. Image by Archie Bowie. Opening Saturday 30 April, 2 –to 3.30pm 12
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS REMEMBERING PENNY EVANS
Saturday 30 April to Wednesday 18 May Small Dog Gallery A retrospective exhibition of etchings, pottery, embroidery and other aspects of her life in the Devonport community. Penny Evans died just after Christmas two years ago. She was a potter for many years and then a printmaker. She lived in Devonport since 1977 and contributed much to our community. The exhibition will feature Penny’s etchings, pots and embroidery and will also reference other aspects of her life and contributions to the Devonport Community. It will be set up to facilitate friends of Penny sitting and talking about her and perhaps adding contributions to a “memory tree”. Opening Saturday 30 April, 12pm to 1.30pm.
Anja Purolainen: EXPANDING HORIZONS
Saturday 30 April to Wednesday 18 May Verge Gallery
Anja Purolainen paints using strong bright colours and acrylic textures and glazes. She is always looking for new and better ways of using acrylic media to transfer her pictures from her head to canvas. Before Anja started painting in acrylics she used to design and make Finnish ryijy rugs. “My thoughts and feelings create images in my mind which I want to interpret with colours, shapes and rhythms. Some paintings become clearly pictorial to me, while others express my feelings at the time. I am always interested to hear when other people see my paintings differently... I like my paintings to be an open experience.” Opening Saturday 30 April, 2pm to 3.30pm. 13
Gail Hocking: I WASH MY STEPS IN BUTTER Saturday 21 May to Wednesday 8 June Small Dog Gallery I Wash My Steps In Butter is a sculptural dialogue that explores the liminal state of displacements that create a subtle disturbance. “Through a sculptural, spatial art practice there is a potentially perilous excavation of self buried within the interior emotional terrain. My identity is rendered unstable due to leading a nomadic lifestyle.” Opening Saturday 21 May, 2pm to 3.30pm. Artist talk Sunday 22 May.
Brendan Moran: EMULSIONS AND DISPERSIONS
Saturday 21 May to Wednesday 8 June Verge Gallery
Emulsions and Dispersions is based around the concept of painting as cipher. “When I make a painting, I often think about how that painting may look to someone who is seeing it for the first time. That point of view is very interesting to me as it is something I am never going to experience in relation to my work. It is, with regards to that particularity, an impossible outcome. It is something that has hugely frustrated me with painting… I am trying to make work that, in its creation, is open to interpretation. It is painting as cipher, referencing its original definition as the concept of zero” Brendan Moran was educated at Whitecliffe College of Arts & Design, graduating in 2012. He has work in the Wallace Arts Trust collection and exhibits regularly in spaces around New Zealand. Opening Saturday 21 May, 2pm to 3.30pm. 14
Jacqueline Macleod: EXPOSURE DISCLOSURE Saturday 21 May to Wednesday 8 June Main Gallery Jacqueline Macleod’s exploration of female identity in urban existence questions the way in which “digital” now mediates and controls our social lives; the current pressures and stresses of digital hyper-connectedness, loneliness and isolation; identity cloning and the impact of networked technologies upon human relations and the formation of self. By exploring new representational paradigms involved in the intertwining of painting and computer generated imagery, her work reflects upon the breakdown of barriers between physical and virtual space and its psychological implications. Macleod’s focus on specific relationships within “digital society” results in a new visual cultural mesh of social media mania, coercion and narcissism. Opening Saturday 21 May, 2pm to 3.30pm.
Paris Kirby: SUPER-NATURAL Saturday 21 May to Wednesday 8 June Main Gallery
“The paintings in Super-Natural can be seen as a reflection of the wilderness they depict. The process is devotional, the time spent with the surface of the painting is time immersed in communion with the memory of being in the natural world. These paintings present a fantastical vision of nature that displays a level of artificiality, tapping into the aesthetics of natural environments and expressing an unadulterated confidence in the power of visual stimulation and the seductive influence of the image.” Paris Kirby lives and works in Auckland, New Zealand. Her practice explores the intersection of natural environment, culture and society, and visual arts through a cross-disciplinary approach to production. Opening Saturday 21 May, 2pm to 3.30pm. 15
Emma Badeia: DUST & PINECONES Saturday 11 June to Wednesday 29 June Small Dog Gallery In early 2015 Emma Badeia embarked on a journey that took her through the South Island of New Zealand in pursuit of the clarity of thought that she found to facilitate creative flow. Adventure and a transient lifestyle came with a fresh perspective and the simplicity which allowed her to wholeheartedly indulge in her craft. The camera provided the opportunity to observe this territory more closely, documenting vernacular details that come with a warm familiarity for those well acquainted with Aotearoa. Dust & Pinecones serves as an intimate reminder of our individuality as an island nation in the South Pacific. Presented as part of the Auckland Festival of Photography Fringe Programme. Opening Saturday 11 June, 2pm to 3.30pm.
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS Drew Hill: IN YOUR FACE Saturday 11 June to Wednesday 29 June Verge Gallery In Your Face is an exhibition dealing with a fast food culture, which has become an epidemic in Aotearoa. “By printing my images on wrappers I am using the corporation’s fast food propaganda. Like they are mass producing their food, I am using the wrappers to mass produce my work. Some wrappers still have “DNA” of the burger stuck on them. You find wrappers everywhere on the streets as litter. This is my canvas. This is In Your Face...” Opening Saturday 11 June, 2pm to 3.30pm. 16
AUCKLAND FESTIVAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY SIGNATURE EXHIBITION George Chance and Anton Maurer: CONTEMPLATIONS OF PLACE: EIGHT DECADES ON Saturday 11 June to Wednesday 29 June Main Gallery George Chance - Pasture beside Lake Wakatipu, N.Z.
Works by George Chance, who arrived in NZ in 1909, and contemporary works by Anton Maurer. Working in this young country, what are photographers contemplating when picturing New Zealand landscape and the impact of man on the land? Often, it seems, other places. These suites of photographs and the narratives contained within, with their qualities of the bucolic and time stilled/stillness, reward contemplation. Aesthetically, when viewed together, the eight decade time-difference and our perceptions of the past may collapse. Artist talk: Margreta Chance (granddaughter of George Chance) in conversation with Anton Maurer Saturday 11 June, 12pm start. Opening Saturday 11 June, 2pm to 3.30pm. Presented by McNamara Gallery Photography as part of the Auckland Festival of Photography Signature Programme.
Anton Maurer - Waitaki Hydroelectric Scheme, Mackenzie Basin, 2013. 17
Jermaine Reihana: TE MATAHI 2.0 Saturday 2 July to Wednesday 20 July Small Dog Gallery “Tui is both beginning and end, point of departure and destination, and symbolises life as a sacred mandala, an ever-present whole into which Tui is forever woven. Tui’s voice is the golden thread of unity and the assurance that we are not alone. Tui’s presence brings the promise of harmony and that all is of the greater plan.” Opening Saturday 2 July, 2pm to 3.30pm.
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS We encourage you to come and be a part of the community. All are welcome at Depot Artspace exhibition openings and events.
Lyndsay Brock: CIRQUE Saturday 2 July to Wednesday 20 July Verge Gallery Cirque evokes the exoticism and mystery of female circus performers in varied roles. The characters in Lyndsay Brock’s parade wear wonderfully elaborate costumes and each painting has, in turn, brought a hand painted “Venetian” mask to life. These evocative works marry the precision of pencil drawing with the flow of paint. Sometimes colour swirls into another or fades into light, faces are pale and luminous, winsome or impertinent and garments celebrate the excitement of a timeless travelling show. Opening Saturday 2 July, 2pm to 3.30pm. 18
Nyle Major: OUT OF THE DARKNESS Saturday 2 July to Wednesday 20 July Main Gallery Out of the Darkness is a retrospective exhibition based on the classical tradition of painting, development of a personal creative vision and an expression and definition of humanity through pictorial form whereby a relationship is established between an artist and artefact the real and ideal. The paintings use theatrical elements of lighting, costume, drapery and music. These elements are conventions of the stage that dramatise the subjects as players set in another time and place, in an ideal space where the lines between reality and the imagined become blurred - through not only the setting but also the man-made instruments the musicians are playing and the music being created. This is the third and final exhibition within a larger body of painting which has been in progress for over six years. Out of the Darkness brings the previous exhibitions together, compressing those many years of development into an intense visual experience. Opening Saturday 2 July, 2pm to 3.30pm.
Julia Oram: BEING HERE
Saturday 2 July to Wednesday 20 July Main Gallery Being Here explores the intersection between digital processes and the traditions of painting through photography, painting and moving image. Julia Oram’s work reflects on our experience of being in the world and the passage of time, where the moving image can re-create a sense of consciousness or “being here”. Oram’s process investigates the ephemeral nature of video, and the random extraction of snapshots of movement and change that capture the process itself. The fluid nature of the work and the medium draws us in to reflect on how much we are like our world, at the same time solid and liquid, and ready to change at any moment. Opening Saturday 2 July, 2pm to 3.30pm. Artist talk Saturday 16 July, 2pm start. 19
Exhibitions open Saturdays 2pm-3:30pm
Opening 30th april ‘seen and heard’ NZ Music Month GROUP exhibition
main gallery ‘Remembering penny evans’ Memorial exhibition opens EARLIER 12PM - 1.30pm
small dog gallery
Opening 21st may
‘Expanding Horizons’ Anja purolainen
‘Super-Natural’ paris kirby ‘Exposure Disclosure’ jAcqueline mAcleod
verge gallery
Closing 18th may
main gallery ‘I Wash My Steps In Butter’ gail hocking Artist Talk Sun 22 May
small dog gallery ‘Emulsions and Dispersions’ brendan moran
verge gallery
Closing 8th june 20
Opening 11th june ‘Contemplations of Place’ anton maurer & george chance Artist Talk Sat 11 June 12pm
main gallery
Opening 2nd july
‘dust & pinecones’ Emma badeia
small dog gallery
‘Out of the Darkness’ nyle major ‘Being Here’ julia oram Artist Talk Sat 16 July 2pm
‘In Your Face’ drew hill
verge gallery
main gallery
Closing 29th june
‘Te Matahi 2.0’ jermaine reihana
small dog gallery
Sunday is “meet the artist day at the depot”. Swing by between 11am-3pm for a personal insight into the creative practices of our exhibiting artists
‘Cirque’ lyndsay brock
verge gallery
Closing 20th july
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Studio Visit: Paris Kirby
The world of Paris Kirby is an inquisitive, inspiring and busy place. Her Birkenhead studio is a hub for freedom and exploration, much like her art practice which flows organically from painting to textiles to publication design, events and even paper making (with regular intervals for hula hooping practice).
Paris navigates these mediums as a means of expressing her intrinsic and intuitive relationship with nature. The New Zealand bush serves as constant inspiration for the artist both visually and spiritually, and through the meditative processes that she adopts to create her work this connection is fostered even further.
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Sharing her practice with a wide audience provides the opportunity to initiate conversation about and further explore our connection to our environment. This has become prevalent in a society that shares a complex and some would say progressively more distant relationship with the natural world. Don’t miss Paris’s Super Natural exhibition at the Depot in our Main Gallery from 21st May – 8th June. Paris Kirby: Super Natural opening Saturday 21 May, 2 - 3.30pm Words and photos by Emma Badeia.
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Depot Gallery proposals The Depot Artspace’s philosophy, “Creating an environment which encourages creating,” is brought to life by the approach we hold in regard to exhibiting work. We are looking for artists with a strong cohesive body of work who are committed and want to attract and engage their audience. We welcome proposals that relate to notable events on the cultural calendar, eg. Pride Festival, Matariki. If you’re interested in exhibiting work at Depot Artspace, please check out our proposal guidelines at www. depotartspace.co.nz/proposals/ Image by Robyn Gibson.
We encourage you to come and be a part of the community. All are welcome at Depot Artspace exhibition openings and events.
Uber Uno Gallery Inspired by a local light artist and sculptor, Uber Uno was established to accommodate works that require an intimate, darkened environment. Uber Uno is likely the smallest gallery in Aotearoa and the most accessible, with work able to be viewed 24/7 through its street frontage porthole ‘eye’. Uber Uno derives its name from this exclusive viewing experience, allowing one person at a time to observe the exhibition. The ‘eye’, a repurposed brass oil pressure gauge, provides an elegant entry into the world of the exhibiting artist. Uber Uno now awaits its next inspired artist to bring the space to light and life. This is currently a free-to-exhibit space and we would love to receive new proposals. Contact Exhibitions Manager, Chris Cudby: chris.cudby@depotartspace.co.nz 24
Artist Residency: Janet Mazenier When a gallery is envisaged, the space is primarily designed to enhance the visual impact of the works that it will contain. The Depot Artspace is a light-filled, welcoming space that imparts much more than showcasing the works of the community. And, it is so much more than a single gallery, with the recording studio, ArtsLab and its three smaller gallery spaces. The amazing feeling of inclusiveness pervades the whole building and this spirit is lived every day by the incredible staff and volunteers who populate this ecosystem in the heart of Devonport.
Image: Insure It by Janet Mazenier, created in the Main Gallery throughout her Leveraged exhibition at the Depot, from 19 March to 6 April 2016.
I completed my three week residency in the Depot on the 6th of April, in conjunction with showing my work in the gallery. I painted while exhibiting and didn’t know quite what to expect when earlier we had discussed the idea of a residency, having moved to Devonport only a few months earlier. During this time, musicians entered and exited along with artists, writers, volunteers and children - a cast of characters that represented a huge range of community interests, many who visited several times. I observed they were always greeted with a warm and friendly loving kindness, the staff and volunteers ever curious to know their news. People often just popped in to say hello to various members of staff, sometimes to wander around the galleries. One of the cast is Linda’s glamorous griffon Mia, resplendent for special occasions in her pearl necklace, and sometimes found sitting beside me with her beanbag toy waiting for a game. She’s a delight to many of the visitors and I’ll miss her. Often the staff, unbeknownst to folk, will voluntarily work weekends to support their artists and musicians - filming, helping at openings and artist talks and being around just for support. While painting at the Depot I received the utmost respect from everyone, some wonderful feedback and a real feeling of belonging. The sense of pride from the Devonport community for this space is palpable. I somehow created a painting that felt like it developed organically and which imbues a feeling that I couldn’t have worked into the painting if I’d tried. The Depot Artspace is more than a space to visually show work, it is a community space led by a group of people who really care about what they do and how they do it. I was immensely privileged to have spent some time experiencing this. Ka kite Linda, Lynn, Robyn, Chris, Emma, Amelia, Dave and all of you who work and volunteer in and around this wonderful space. 25
Janet Mazenier
Pocket Gallery Curated Retail Gallery
There is joy to be found in the handmade. Perhaps it comes as a result of the energy that is devoted to the creation by the maker – driven from a place of stillness which is accessed through the tactile process of working with your hands and a love for the creative process. This devotion is then destined to be shared with the purchaser, who is driven (compelled?)to welcome the piece into their daily lives. Whether it’s the ceramic bowl you eat your muesli from every morning, your woven shopping bag, your gracefully ageing leather diary, the prints on your wall, the jewels around your neck or the wooden platter that houses your fruit; we can all make thoughtful and considered decisions about the things we fill our lives with, where they have come from and the story they tell. Thus the functional becomes beautiful and inspiration can be found in the everyday. As consumers and art appreciators we (all) play an integral role in this sharing of creative energy and the Depot’s Pocket Gallery is proud to facilitate this process by providing the opportunity to support New Zealand makers. As the air gets cooler and the night gets shorter this season, we will be keeping it fresh in Pocket Gallery with a diverse range of works. If you would like to join our team of exhibitors then please head to www. depotartspace.co.nz to download a Pocket Gallery guide book, or swing by the Depot to get your your copy and check out the gallery. 26
Emma Badeia
A Word From Our Volunteers Linda Jarrett has recently joined our team of volunteers and brings with her a passion for the arts and for people. Originally from the UK, New Zealand has been my home for the past five years. My former life was wrapped up in psychology and sociology, in this life I indulge in all things art. I live part time in Mangonui in the Far North, where with my husband we have an olive grove and produce olive oil. The rest of my time is spent in Devonport and whilst my husband works hard in the city, not only do I get to study art and photography but I am a volunteer at the Depot Artspace. Here I get time to look at different art, learn about the exhibition process, meet the artists, learn about their artwork and meet interesting members of the community. Not only that but I get to eat delicious cake made by staff members! Volunteering is also a chance for me to give something back to the community that I have made home. As for my art - I am an abstract and impressionist photographer, I have been known to dabble in abstract painting and I’m soon to learn ceramics.
Linda Jarrett
Erica Smith is a long-time friend of the Depot, her smiling face will be the one to greet you on a Saturday visit to the galleries. “We must every day, try to love the essential, and not the superficial”. Sri Chinmoy How do you describe somewhere you couldn’t live without, where you enjoy yourself and the company of those around you, where you are challenged and which makes you feel listened to and valued when you leave at the end of the day? Somewhere where you have enhanced a visitor’s day by talking with them about a current exhibition, calmed an artist’s pre-exhibition nerves, sold a piece of art someone fell in love with, or encouraged an artist to become a member and give consideration to working towards participating in an exhibition. For me, these are just some of the experiences I value as a part of the Depot Artspace team. I am never shy about explaining to people how important being a part of the Depot is in my life and would encourage others to volunteer here and enjoy a rewarding experience.
Erica Smith For more info about volunteering at the Depot and to fill out an application form please head to www.depotartspace.co.nz or email emma.badeia@depotartspace.co.nz 27
Image by Robyn Gibson. 28
Vernacular Map This past week I have reflected with several people on how nostalgic moments from our youth seem to paint a picture in our minds of what is normal, morphing into a cultural foundation of what is vernacular to us. I wonder if a young person growing up in the world in fifty years’ time may well have a very different idea of what is NZ’s vernacular based on the nostalgia of their experience. My NZ vernacular is: a real person immediately answering the business phone of any company, everyone worked and jobs plentiful, hippies who were so different from corporate me, no mixed flatting, frequent protests on university campuses and marches down Queen St protesting the Vietnam war, compulsory military training if you were balloted and all males did military drill one afternoon a week at high school, jet travel just beginning, every make and model of car distinctive with few Japanese cars, the advent of jandals, no rush hour traffic, no swearing on radio or TV, no booze patrols, speed limit 80 kph, the Beatles and Beach Boys, Top of the Pops, one private pirate radio station in NZ on a boat moored off Great Barrier – Radio Hauraki. But is this all the NZ vernacular is? My vernacular? Something particular to each and any person, a personal potpourri of my nostalgia that has limited connection with previous or following generations? In Search of the Vernacular (Depot Press 2015) defines “vernacular” as “Aotearoa/New Zealand’s rich, diverse, evolving and distinct cultural identity”. The word “evolving” for me captures an essential aspect of vernacular. When mentoring visual artists on ArtsLab, I often find recent graduates have never heard of Len Lye, Toss Woollaston, Nigel Brown and many New Zealand artists of the past century. It seems that many arts courses have little content concerning our arts history. Hamish Keith writes in The Big Picture “artists and their works, though, provide the language in which is described a fascinating and sometimes exhilarating account of the peoples creating a new culture out of the old cultures they brought here with them, and then using the new culture to adapt and respond to new waves of people arriving with new old things.” English writer Terry Pratchett writes “It is important that we know where we come from, because if you do not know where you come from, then you don’t know where you are, and if you don’t know where you are, you don’t know where you’re going. And if you don’t know where you’re going, you’re probably going wrong.” http://www.goodreads.com/ quotes/317062 Lynn Lawton - Depot Manager
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New Staff
Amelia Harris - Media Producer I’ve recently joined Depot Artspace in the newly created role of Media Producer. This comes after working in the art and film industries for the past eight or so years. I’ve been involved in curating exhibitions, documentary production, feature production and archival film work. Over the following few months I’ll be working in a new series of Cultural Icons videos, as well as developing video content for local organisations and businesses. Stay tuned!
Lila Pulsford - Creative Careers Consultant Through listening to clients’ career stories, Lila works to amplify clients’ self-awareness and then assists them to design a future for themselves through realistic and manageable steps. Lila has a background in the tertiary education sector, helping new graduates with their job search strategies. Lila is also a yoga-believer and avid reader. Photos by Emma Badeia. 30
ArtsLab - Career Influences The latest theme of ‘Very Vernacular’ is particularly pertinent to the ArtsLab programme. We work with individuals to develop them professionally and enhance their career capabilities, by looking at who they are and their distinct knowledge and experiences. Career development theory emphasises that “the uniqueness and wholeness of the individual is of paramount importance.” Career decisions require us to explicitly scrutinise who we are as individuals and how we have been affected by our culture and our environment. In fact, career decisions are fraught with complexities because every individual’s unique identity is shaped by innumerable factors that may enhance or hinder progress: our socio-economic status, the political situation of our country, our self-belief, our mental health, our gender, our whānau, our appearance, labour market demands… the list goes on. It is therefore unrealistic, for example, to believe that individuals can merely discover their interests and then effortlessly find a suitable job which matches their interests. Instead, as most people have experienced, there are often significant barriers standing in the way. An effective career intervention invites an individual to subjectively define their current career problem to an active listener. Then the career practitioner and client can together decide what a good solution might look like and co-construct an action plan that is highly personalised. Ultimately, individuals are able to create a preferred future by acknowledging and accepting some insurmountable barriers and by crafting creative solutions to address other barriers. The end result is a life designed with an individual’s personal and unique values intact – what could be more rewarding?
The ArtsLab team www.depotartspace.co.nz/arts-lab/
The Artslab team have expanded into a new room at the Kerr St Artspace for their weekly group job seeking sessions. This room is also available for hire if you’re looking for a local small classroom space. If interested please contact Margaux on 09 963 2328 or Margaux.Wong@depotartspace.co.nz 31
Artist Interview: Jermaine Reihana
Exhibiting at Depot Artspace in July 2016, artist Jermaine Reihana will be showing a selection of his recent painted works as part of an installation in the Small Dog Gallery. We caught up with the artist himself who generously lent his time towards answering a few questions for LOUD. Interview conducted by Chris Cudby, all images by Jermaine Reihana. You’re currently taking part in an ‘off-site’ residency with Depot Artspace - what does your residency involve? Are there any specific planned outcomes? This is a relatively new opportunity provided by Depot that enables me to remain based in my studio at Corban Estate and work towards a solo show at the end of June. I attend weekly staff meetings give me great insight into how the Depot’s projects are progressing. We’ve began introducing the practice of tikanga (protocol) Maori; for example we open and close our hui (meeting) with karakia (prayer or incantation). There are a lot of projects that we are engaged with that are significant to the community. The commute through traffic to attend staff meetings could seem like a world away, but it has added a sort of structure to my practice from weekly progress reports to featuring in projects such as the emerging Cultural Icons. It’s sure to keep me on point for the busy year ahead. To wrap the residency up I will be organising a show in September promoting emerging artists. 32
What are your thoughts around your upcoming exhibition at the Depot? What are you planning? The opening is on the 30th of June in the Small Dog Gallery. Speaking of dogs, Linda (Depot Artspace Creative Director) has a dog named Mia who has become somewhat transfixed by me. At times she’ll sit right at my feet and I swear she stares directly into my wairua(soul) haha! Anyway, the exhibition will be an innovative use of the space with an installation supported by 2D acrylic works on canvas. I’ve always been intrigued by the idea that if a traditional 2D painting allows the viewer to appreciate the craftsmanship of the artist, then an installation allows the viewer in this case to experience the ‘artwork’ in an attempt to challenge and rethink our attitudes and values. I was brought up on the marae and I’ve always been interested in realising the wharenui (ancestral house) as a concept for my artwork. How it informs and lays the platform for understanding who we are, where we come from and what we can aspire to achieve in our life’s journey as Maori. What do you feel your role is in the community as an artist? I’m fortunate to be in a position where I can be active in the community arts project working with troubled youth (at Corban’s). I see my roles at Depot and Corban’s as a chance to bring together two communities that can benefit collectively from shared resources. To achieve a common goal, and provide a culturally rich experience from the arts in a multicultural and constantly diversifying society. What’s / who’s inspiring you to make art at the moment? The Tui has featured a lot in my work over the years. It’s taken a while for me to understand why I was so preoccupied with this majestic and ancient bird. I’ve had countless encounters - as a kid I remember finding a carved Tui nestled and hidden in the raparapa (extended bargeboards) of my wharenui (Nga Tumanako). More recently when driving I could see a black bird jumping across the road and swerved to miss it thinking it would eventually fly away. I saw then that it was a young Tui, with no white tuft on its chest yet. After taking it to bird rescue, I learnt that it had probably fallen from its nest and not ever flown yet. We were brought up to be open-minded and aware of the mauri (life’s essence) that surrounds us at all times. I found an encapsulation of this when reading a few lines from a text I encountered recently: ’Tui is both beginning and end, point of departure and destination, and symbolises life as a sacred mandala, an ever-present whole into which Tui is forever woven. Tui’s voice is the golden thread of unity and the assurance that we are not alone. Tui’s presence brings the promise of harmony and that all is of the greater plan.’ During my years at art school I had the privilege to work with well-established artists who to this day continue to inspire me and set the benchmark for my practice. While working with the likes of Ngataiharuru Taepa, Israel Tangaroa Birch and Kelcy Taratoa we would always speak about both the process and the finished quality of the work. I’ve painted on many surfaces and dabbled in everything from sculpture to fashion design. But I would eventually revert back to working with paint on canvas. Those tightly woven fibres remind me of the whariki (woven mats) my tupuna (ancestors) would congregate on and engage in discourse about societal issues and the sharing of matauranga(knowledge). I do what I can with what tools I have available to me. I’ve been using geometric shapes in my compositions more recently and enjoy problem-solving measurements.I’m not afraid to mask things out and hit it with a roller, I do what feels right at the time. The figurative imagery in my work is rendered in an illustrative type style with a small pencil-like brush. It’s tedious but I do enjoy those meditative zen moments. When I manage to pull myself away from the work, my vision is slightly impaired and everything isn’t what it seems, like a scene from the Matrix... haha! Jermaine Reihana: Te Matahi 2.0, Saturday 2 July to Wednesday 20 July, Small Dog Gallery 33
Images by Jermaine Reihana.
Studio Visit: Jenny NicholLs
The Devonport community knows her as their treasured local cake maker but Jenny Nicholls’ many creative talents extend far beyond sweet treats. 34
It was a natural progression from icing to clay as she describes: “it felt so right”. Like anything she does, Jenny has brought her own distinctive approach to her ceramic work. Her gentle personality and quirky sense of humour shine through each piece and their characteristic style makes them instantly recognisable on the Pocket Gallery shelves at the Depot. “Absorbing myself in making things is essential to my well-being, it reduces internal dialogue and induces calm. The passing of time matters not, preoccupations disappear and humour surfaces. I love to make people smile – in doing so I light up as well.”
Words and photos by Emma Badeia.
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Devonport Dog Parade A great doggy day was had by all at the Devonport Dog Parade on Sunday 3 April at the Windsor Reserve. The Depot was proud to support the event with a gift voucher from Pocket Gallery.
Photos by Justin Newcombe. 36
Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict (2015) Film Review Eccentric, positively narcissistic and ahead of her time, the colourful life of Peggy Guggenheim offers no shortage of fascinating stories. Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict, produced and directed by former fashion designer Lisa Immordino Vreeland; delivers a witty, moving and perceptive documentary about one of most important art collectors in the 20th century. Featuring interviews with art critics and historians along with previously unheard audio recordings of Guggenheim herself, the intimacy of the film’s subject is palpable. Dividing her movie into five chapters, Vreeland focuses on how Guggenheim’s travels proved fruitful in shaping the defining moments of her career. What is immediately striking is Guggenheim’s frequent voyaging, from America to Europe, from New York to Paris and London. It is no surprise that she decided to settle for the rest of her life in Venice, a transient city for art enthusiasts from all over the world and where her museum still stands. Born to the wealthy Guggenheim family, she was the daughter of businessman Benjamin Guggenheim and niece of Solomon Guggenheim, the founder of the famous New York art museum which bears his name. Her father died aboard the Titanic when she was thirteen years old. Affected by the absence of a paternal figure and longing for a strong presence in her life, Vreeland zeroes in on Guggenheim’s tumultuous relationships with sculptor Lawrence Vail, writer Samuel Beckett and prolific artist Max Ernst. An established bohemian and socialite, Guggenheim had an extraordinary sense of self, exuding a sexual aura which left a long lasting impression on many admirers. Guggenheim’s avid travelling was dictated by an affinity towards new and thought provoking art. Her visit to Paris in 1920 led to meeting some of the defining figures of Modernism; Pound, Duchamp, Picasso and Stein. In London she opened her first gallery, Guggenheim Jeune, where she exhibited the work of her protégés which included Brancusi, Kandinsky and Mondrian. Returning to New York from Europe after the outbreak of World War II, Guggenheim opened the Art of This Century gallery, which exhibited the work her most famous discovery, Jackson Pollock. Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict is an insightful look at Modern Art’s great believer. Her curiosity in the movement proved influential, surrounding herself with some of the most reputable artists of their time and fostering their talent. For Guggenheim “art became the way to find herself emotionally”, as told in the documentary. Engaging and thoughtful, Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict is rewarding and entertaining in equal measure. Directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland. Written by Bernadine Colish and Lisa Immordino Vreeland. Running Time: 95 minutes. Jordan Esekia 37
A MULTIDISCIPLINARY CREATIVE COMMUNITY Depot Artspace is an open and inclusive multidisciplinary community that encourages engagement in all art forms. To this end it offers a variety of facilities, services and events that support the creative community and provide opportunities for participation and appreciation. www.depotartspace.co.nz Depot Galleries are three galleries in the Depot that provide diverse exhibiting opportunities for artists – the Main Gallery exhibits large bodies of work and group shows, Small Dog is a light-filled, street facing gallery hosting solo or small group shows and Verge Gallery links the galleries and Depot Sound. It provides a great opportunity for artists to exhibit their work for a minimal gallery rental, ideal for small solo exhibitions. Depot Press is the publishing arm of the Depot Artspace with an emphasis on exploring Aotearoa/New Zealand’s unique cultural identity. www.depotartspace.co.nz/depotpress Depot Sound is the Depot Artspace recording studio. Depot Sound is dedicated to providing a friendly and productive outlet for artists along with support and advice for musicians. Rehearsal rooms are also available to hire. www.depotsound.co.nz Ph. (09) 963 2328 Kerr Street Artspace is a large space, located at the foot of Takarunga/Mount Victoria, for workshops, performance and theatre as well as an intimate space for self-managed exhibitions and meetings with very reasonable hireage rates. ArtsLab offers professional development workshops, seminars, and mentoring to creative people seeking career guidance and employment in the creative sector. Ph. (09) 963 2328 Cultural Icons is a series of interviews with iconic New Zealanders who have shaped the arts and culture landscape of New Zealand. www.culturalicons.co.nz
DEPOT ARTSPACE, 28 CLARENCE ST, DEVONPORT, AUCKLAND PH: 09 963 2331 WWW.DEPOTARTSPACE.CO.NZ OPENING HOURS: MON: 12-5PM TUE-SAT: 10AM-5PM SUN & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: 11AM-3PM
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