headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF

Images from the exhibition - what you can expect

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:58:58 +0000

Graham Bennett triggers the question: who, when and where are we?

admin — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:00:16 +0000

T.R.I.G - how near, how far?

In typical fashion, Graham Bennett looks to challenge what balance means in our lives, the actions and relationships with the earth and with others.

Jeff Thomson’s - Water-tank

Kirstein — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:20:33 +0000

Inspired by a boat sinking he witnessed while participating in Sculpture on the Gulf 2007 Thomson has steadily been working on Water-tank, an interactive and exciting addition to headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF 2009.

To experience this well known artists look at an imaginary underwater world come visit headland from 23 January – 15 February where you will see this huge tank filled to the brim where commonly-found materials will take on quite different meanings when placed in an unusual underewater environment.

Louise Purvis - Dispensary

Kirstein — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:19:37 +0000

In inticipation of headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF artist Louise Purvis has been busy experimenting with her work Dispensary, creating linear cylindrical forms that twist and turn in any direction. This allows for innumerable shapes and configirations to be assembled and consisting of some eighty cages we wait with baited breath to see this large snaking sculpture on Waiheke this summer.

How to make the most of headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF

admin — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 22:33:44 +0000

Some people have asked me what’s the best way to see headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF?

So here are a few tips:

Getting There: Take Fullers passenger ferry from downtown Auckland or Waiheke Shipping’s car ferry from Half Moon Bay to Waiheke. Buses connect to and from the passenger ferry.

Slip, Slop, Slap - Ladies and gentlemen, wear sunscreen. It’s New Zealand in the height of summer - enough said!

Confortable Shoes - You will be walking around 2km, the last thing you want is poor footwear, sprained ankles, blisters, again enough said.

Water - Drinks will be availible from the end of the walkway. Water and soft dring during the day, beer and wine in the evenings. However on a hot day, you’ll really appreciate having a bottle of water right there on the track with you.

Allow Plenty of Time - You’ll be captivated by the sculptures and find yourself spending time examining them from all angles. Take your time, remember, it’s Waiheke Island - What’s the rush?

Take a Camera! You’re about to see 26 spectacular sculpture from some of New Zealand’s leading artists, along one of the most picturesque coastline in the Auckland region. Take some photos - remember, these sculpture’s are only on display between January 22nd and February 15th 2009. To ensure you get some great shots - check this out - Oh, and when you’ve got your great photos, feel free to share them with us!

Artist Profile - Jeff Thomson

admin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:00:11 +0000

Jeff Thomson is unquestionable one of New Zealand’s most popular contemporary artists. However, this is not suprising as his work with corrugated iron certainly holds historical connotations to the country’s cultural identity. This, and his quirky almost comical use of the media, lends itself to the nation’s sense of humour.

Thomson was born in Auckland in 1957, and attended the Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland from 1978 to 1981. He went on to receive a Diploma of Teaching in 1982 and taught secondary school for four years, but later turned to sculpting full time.

His works are unmistakable. Take for example, the Holden HQ station wagon at Te Papa, and the Gumboot in Taihape [pictured ]. Thomson has been Artist in Residence at several establishments, including Sergeant Gallery in Whanganui and University of Otago in Dunedin. He has also featured in a number of outdoor sculptural exhibitions, including each of the past headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF exhibitions. His works are picture below:

Jeff Thomson - Float - 2007

Jeff Thomson - Contour - 2005

Jeff Thomson - Waiheke Show Home - 2003

For further reading try:

http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/sculpture/artists/jeff_thomson.shtml

http://www.art-newzealand.com/Issue100/thomson.htm

Artist Profile - Charlotte Fisher

admin — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:00:54 +0000

Whangarei–born Charlotte Fisher is a graduate of Auckland University’s Elam School of Fine Arts. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in 1980 at Auckland University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1989 at Elam.

Fisher lives and works as a practising sculptor in Auckland, exhibiting regularly and contributing works to public and private collections around the country. In August 1998 the Whangarei Art Museum mounted a survey exhibition of her work. Following this, she was involved with Sculpture 2001, a millennium project aimed at installing eight new sculptures in the Auckland Domain grounds. Her work Arc was completed in December 2004 and is situated on Centennial Walkway.

Fisher creates her organic, abstract forms with bought, salvaged or donated demolition or recycled wood combined with found natural objects. The resulting works are simple, primitivistic explorations of form, scale and solidity.

Charlotte is returning to headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF for the second time. Her 2007 work, The Sea Around Us: Hole, Slot, Bearing, Sighting, Slit 2007 is pictured above.

Bio courtesy of Art Associates:

Artist Profile - Paul Cullen

admin — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:00:39 +0000

Paul Cullen was born in Te Awamutu in 1949. He attended the University of Auckland and graduated with a B.Sc. in 1971, before continueing on to study Fine Arts at Canterbury University, where he completed a Diploma of Fine Arts with Honours in Sculpture.

In 1975 Cullen held his first solo exhibition at the Centre Gallery Christchurch and was a finalist in the Hansells Sculpture Awards, held in Masterton at the Wairapa Arts Centre. Since then he has exhibited throughout New Zealand and internationally, including Avize, France, in 1996 as the recipient of the Moet et Chandon Artist fellowship.

In 2000 Cullen completed his MFA (1st Class Honours) at Auckland University. In 2002, he received a MIT Research grant to attend Documenta 11 in Kassel, and Manifesta 4 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He was also selected as a Judge of the NZILA Biennial National Landscape Awards.

Paul Cullen featured in the very first headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF exhibition in 2003 with ‘Observatory” [pictured]. Most recently Paul has bacame a Senior Lecturer in Visual Arts, at AUT University, Auckland.

Bio adapted from content from http://www.artagent.co.nz/paulcullenintro.htm

Artist Profile: Stephen Mulqueen

Kirstein — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:04:54 +0000

headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF artist Stephen Mulqueen has spent a great deal of time acquainting himself with Waiheke working on his culminative exhibition Making History as the 2008 Artist in Residence at Waiheke Community Art Gallery.

Arriving on Waiheke in early June, 2008 Mulqueen quickly set about researching the histories of places, place names and natural histories responding to the unique location of Waiheke Island and wider Hauraki environs.

The artist says “on arrival to the island in early June (2008) my broad plan was to find a way into the Waiheke/Hauraki fabric via the aperture of ‘place’ as named histories. I had been given an introduction to the work of Historian Paul Monin through my Dunedin friend and Irish Historian Rory Sweetman prior to the residency and had read ‘Waiheke a History’ as a prelude to my arrival. However I discovered Paul’s more recent publication ‘Hauraki Contested’ during my first weeks here which I readily consumed and it is from this work that I have been able to draw out a poetic metaphor regarding the shared bi-cultural history in Hauraki – Toroa/Albatross, which has become a major focus for this exhibition.”

Along with Making History Mulqueen produced his work for headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF 2009 in his time on the island and will be returning soon to make final touches before installation begins in mid January.

Artist Profile - Pauline Rhodes

admin — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:22:40 +0000

Born in Christchurch, Pauline Rhodes lived in Wellington, Westport and also abroad in Nigeria and England before returning to Christchurch in 1970. She obtained her Diploma of Fine Art in Sculpture at the University of Canterbury in 1974. Rhodes became one of New Zealand’s early environmental sculptors when in the mid 1970’s she began working outdoors and incorporating elements of nature into her work. Exhibiting in galleries throughout New Zealand, Rhodes also holds the distinction of being the first recipient of the Olivia Spencer Bower Award in 1987.

Her alterations of the landscape are often colourful, gentle and temporary, frequently opting to work in remote, isolated and seemingly uninhabited land, placing rods and other materials that she has brought with her to the site. Rhodes photographs her works before removing the display, and may at times be the only eyes to see the physical sculpture.

Pauline Rhodes exhibited at the last headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF exhibition, erecting a colourful sculpture entitled ‘treebody’ from aluminium tubing and fabric high in a tree overhanging the coastal walkway. [pictured above]

As an accomplished sculptor, Pauline has a wealth of experience at challenging our preconceived notions of public sculpture and its response to the environment. We are therefore very pleased to once again have Christchurch based sculptor, Pauline Rhodes exhibiting her work at headland SCULPTURE ON THE GULF 2009.