INTERVIEW

Left to right: Katie Blundell with some of her ‘Fruity’ series; Lofty Dreams; Katie working on her current reduction woodcut.

Katie Blundell –

THE JUNG AND THE SCULPTRESS

Based at Clevedon’s Riverhaven Artland, Katie Blundell is at the heart of art in our region. Recently, JON RAWLINSON made the pilgrimage to this splendid sculpture park to chat with her and her father, Guy – nephew of Whit Blundell, a former mayor of Howick.

Clevedon’s Katie Blundell is an impressive artist; following Carl Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious, it could also be said that she is merely the conduit through which impressive art is channelled.

“In a way, that’s true – I’m as much a product of my work as my work is of me,” she says. “I have some idea of where I’m going when I start a piece but I feel the process will inform it. I think others relate to the thoughts and feelings that come across because they’re all based on human experience. I wear my heart on my sleeve, anyway, and that’s definitely so when I’m making art.”

But, if Katie creates based on signals from a collective human psyche rather than personal experience, I must ask who gets paid when her work is sold?

“I do, obviously!” she laughs.

In efforts to ham-fistedly sum up a complex theory one could (mis) quote the wise words of another great philosopher, Jiminy Cricket, to say Katie ‘lets her unconscious be her guide’.

When it comes to her choice of medium, despite printmaking being the focus of her Masters degree, Katie does not play favourites, equally enjoying painting and sculpture. While making a habit of mixing up her media, there are some common stylistic aspects regarding the messages conveyed.

“I see myself as a multimedia artist. The medium I reach for will be decided by the idea. I really love expressionism, abstract expressionism and Japanese woodcuts. I think those kinds of style are apparent,” she says.

“I don’t have a fixed message; it’s all open to interpretation. Sometimes people tell me narratives they’ve drawn from my work which I never considered and I think ‘well, yeah, maybe it was that after all!’ It doesn’t really matter what type of reaction you’re getting as long as you’re getting a reaction.”

Last year, Katie added to her extensive portfolio with her Stay Local series, mostly created during last year’s lockdowns.

“The artworks are relatively uplifting and designed to raise spirits during a difficult time.”

Katie grew up with a love of art, inspired both through school and on the home front.

“When I was a kid, I loved Walt Disney and drew cartoons, which was one of my first introductions to art. I don’t do cartoons anymore but I guess you can see humour in my work. My mum [Sue Blundell] was a hairdresser but she was very creative, Dad is too, and my auntie Sue also went to Elam [School of Fine Arts], so art was always celebrated in my family,” she recalls.

“My experiences in education [Clevedon Primary, Diocesan School for Girls and Elam] were also positive. I had a lot of supportive teachers who encouraged me and inspired me to travel and get into teaching.”

After finishing her Bachelor of Fine Arts followed by a Masters degree, Katie worked as a tour manager for Contiki, an experience which definitely broadened her mind.

“It was fantastic! I got to travel Europe while getting paid, exploring galleries and learning history. It was an invaluable experience.” After a year or so, Katie returned to New Zealand where she studied teaching before taking up positions at Onehunga High School and, later, her alma mater, Diocesan. In 2014 she took a leap of faith to pursue art fulltime.

“It was a major step, quite the lifestyle change. I enjoyed teaching but pouring a lot of energy into helping students didn’t leave a lot in the tank for my own work. I’m really happy now, focusing on art. However, I still run workshops and mentor other artists, which is rewarding and inspiring; I learn from them too.”

Although winning awards has never been her main aim, this enterprising creative has been well recognised, even reaching the finals of the prestigious Wallace Art Awards in 2019.

“I totally cried!” she grins. “It was very fulfilling. I don’t set out to win, not especially, but I do have a competitive streak, they open up opportunities and you get to meet wonderful, inspiring people along the way.”

Since her school days, Katie has exhibited regularly at a wide range of galleries. Her work is on permanent display at her own gallery, as well as the Art Industry gallery and Corner Kitchen and Bar in Clevedon.

KatieBlundell’s‘Turned acorner’limitededition reductionwoodcut.

Tours of Riverhaven Artland (and/or Katie’s gallery) are available by appointment. See www. riverhavenartland. com for contact details. “I don’t have a fixed message; it’s all open to interpretation. Sometimes people tell me narratives they’ve drawn from my work that I never considered and I think ‘well, yeah, maybe it was that after all!’ It doesn’t really matter what type of reaction you’re getting as long as you’re getting a reaction.”

KatieandGuywithKatie’ssculpture What’sthetime MrWolf.

RIVERHAVEN – A SANCTUARY FOR SCULPTURE

Riverhaven Artland founder, Guy Blundell, is as down to earth as they come but he’s no stranger to artistic musings either. In total, the sculpture park showcases pieces by (approximately) 20 artists, all appearing to ‘live’ in harmony – and sometimes, deliberately, in opposition – with their surroundings.

“I was interested to see if I could do it; turns out I could. It just took a lot of bloody hard work!” Guy laughs.

Another trait common among good artists was required to develop this English country garden in Clevedon further, into ‘a place where nature meets art’. confesses. “Seriously, though, it seemed natural to add sculptures and that requires hard work. We don’t just plonk them down, we do a lot of earthworks to make sure they all fit into the landscape and look like they are exactly where they’re supposed to be.”

Originally run as a dairy farm, Guy’s parents later converted it to a fruit orchard. Guy began replanting the property as an arboretum some 20 years ago, soon after his wife (Katie’s mum) passed away.

“I’ve always loved the autumn colours from exotic trees. I didn’t really have a plan but I just kept planting and planting, thousands of trees. In a way it was [a memorial] to my wife and my parents, and I thought it was something nice to do with the land.”

While an esteemed philosopher is among his daughter’s muses, Guy credits Bev McConnell (of Ayrlies Garden, Whitford fame) for motivating him with his creation as well as a world renowned landscape gardener.

“Capability Brown should be considered alongside the greatest artists in history because he created so much beauty. He always planted the difficult bits of land while leaving the flat parts open, which creates an illusion of space. I’m not comparing myself to him, but that’s what I’ve tried to do here, on a much smaller scale, and I think it’s worked.” park but says Katie’s input is vital; she also organises Riverhaven’s involvement in the annual Franklin and Clevedon Art Trails.

“It’s nice to work with other artists and for people to be able to talk with artists about their work,” Katie adds. “I don’t see anything more authentic when it comes to experiencing art than that.”

The recent Riverhaven Artland Summer Sculpture Festival helped raise funds for Franklin Hospice.

”My wife received hospice care,” Guy adds. “The people were wonderful so it is very important to us, on a personal level, to help give something back to these amazing organisations while sharing something we love.”