Jenna Packer - State of Grace by Jonathan Grant Gallery

Jenna Packer State of Grace

Jonathan Grant Galleries

Jenna Packer State of Grace

The exhibition, State of Grace, comprises of two parts, with draw up a written deed of common ownership of land, for Reading that in 1890, 1% of people in New Zealand a one hundred and fifty year interval, but recognizably the Opotiki, putting in writing what was already customary owned 65% of all private wealth, I thought of Mark Twain’s same setting. practice, and making land sale to prospective British comment that: The first part, an alternate-history, is an extrapolation on settlers more unlikely. Also that Pompallier’s printing press the supposed French Catholic threat to British, Protestant soon became the property of Waikato Maori and was used “history doesn’t repeat but it does rhyme”. for the printing of King Movement newspapers. aspirations for Aotearoa. In the mid 1800’s a Wesleyan missionary wrote of the Interesting too that in 1860, when a gathering of tribes swore influence of the“Popish Bishop”, ‘by dint of presents, dazzling allegiance to the Maori king, a Kingite flag and the French vestments and superstitious forms he has produced some effect.’ tricolour were hoisted together on the flagpole. And most Henry Williams wrote complaining of obstacles to incongruous to me, the 15 metre long war flag belonging signature gathering for the Treaty that ‘the Popish Bishop to Te Kooti, and known as Te Wepu (the whip) was made has been endeavoring to poison the minds of the natives but by catholic Marist nuns. (The flag was actually made for has not succeeded. Many of the chiefs hung back for some time, Ngati Kahungunu, and later captured by Te Kooti). Like having been told that they would be sent to break stones as the most historical ‘facts’ it is quite misleading without context convicts of Port Jackson.’ but these paintings are a fiction which takes it’s historical And Governor Fitzroy, after Hone Heke’s attacks on starting point as a place to leap off into a sort of colonial the flagpole at Kororareka, wrote to Lord Stanley; conspiracy theory, and uses it to think about what might ‘that Frenchmen as well as Americans have instigated and have happened, and to better ask what did happen. encouraged the natives to resist the authority of Great BritainTo my mind, referencing familiar imagery of the era, with to treat her majesty’s name with contempt - is certain. The irony or humour, refocuses us critically on what we assume Roman Catholic Bishop and his priests, all Frenchmen, are in constant communication with the French frigate Le Rhin...these to be truthfully recorded history. While the story itself looks Frenchmen go about the country very secretly; they are most light, it touches down on difficult terrain, in the history of Jesuitical in their manner and conduct. There is always one, of choices made and paths not taken. much intelligence, at Auckland ... ’ The other part of the exhibition is set in contemporary If you take some of the bare ‘facts’, as recorded in New Zealand as Homes of National Significance. It is contemporary writing, then a story can be spun from them. most obviously about the disparity of wealth, health and I was interested to read that Bishop Pompallier did in fact possibility in New Zealand now. 2

Jenna Packer - State of Grace