'repo' - Mike Crawford 2023 e-catalogue

Repo Mike Crawford 28 October – 18 November 2023

Mike Crawford, Matuku, 2023

cast bronze Gaffer glass; H334 x W370 x D190mm

$13,000

Mike Crawford, Kōtare, 2023

cast copper blue Gaffer glass; H450 x W200 x D130mm

$12,000 SOLD

Mike Crawford, Pūkeko, 2023

cast steel blue Gaffer glass; H430 x W340 x D160mm

$13,500

Mike Crawford, Kōtuku, 2023

cast clear Schott crystal glass; H610 x W170 x D220mm

$14,250 SOLD

Mike Crawford, Mātātā, 2023

cast yellow/orange Gaffer glass; H410 x W140 x D145mm $10,500

Mike Crawford, Whio, 2023

cast jade Gaffer glass; H275 x W290 x D200mm

$10,250 SOLD

Mike Crawford, Pīwakawaka, 2023

Mike Crawford, Pīwakawaka, 2023 cast steel blue Gaffer glass H230 x W165 x D125mm & H130 x W280 x D125mm

$11,500

Mike Crawford, Tauhou, 2023

cast olive green Gaffer glass H224 x W200 x D105mm & H143 x W260 x D100mm

$8,500 SOLD

Mike Crawford, Riko, (eel) 2023

cast olive green Gaffer glass; H135 x W650 x D130mm

$14,250

Piharau, (lamprey) 2023

cast copper blue Gaffer glass; H100 x W645 x D125mm

$13,000

repo - Mike Crawford

October 2023

Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau Repo is the māori word for wetland. I visited Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau, a wetland south of Dunedin, after dropping someone at the airport one day in late summer. It is an area of repo beginning to be returned to its former state having been returned to the local iwi Kai Tahu after several generations of being drained and used for farmland. Although it is still far from its natural state, I was struck by the difference of the environment to those of forest and beach that I am used to seeing. The light, the sound, the topography, the smells, the noise, everything was different. And, although punctuated by the odd plane flying overhead, peaceful. It was ostensibly a bird spotting walk though I am no twitcher, no patience for that. But I did see tauhou, pūkeko, korimako and some huge ginger hares, not sure what they were doing there. And no one else. Just me, and the birds, and the dragonflies. Awesome. Another thing that I noticed was the linear nature of the grasses and flax that were everywhere. I think I decided that that could be something I could use in these new works to help connect to the place, the repo. I am always asked ‘When are you going to do something other than birds?’ Well now I have. Two tuna (or eels). The name riko I saw in an video artwork by Rachel Rakena and discovered it was a large tuna with a greenish back, and I also watched a Waka Huia program on lamprey or piharau, (or kanakana in te wai pounamu). They are black in the streams but turn a bright blue when they are spawning at sea. Tuna are lithe, dynamic creatures and hopefully I have captured some of that essence in these works. The repo is an important place for mahinga kai (food gathering) and the tuna used to be plentiful in Te Nohoaka o Tukiauau, hopefully soon as they develop and replant more of the wetland the natural filter systems of our wetlands can be revived and so with it the birds, fish and insects can return too.

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