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.

Tags: Artist, Stephen Mulqueen

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