Soar
Stoneware Coiled Statuettes and Accompanying Photographs - 2020
Stoneware Coiled Statuettes and Accompanying Photographs - 2020
When you are there, it feels like you have been transported back in time to a forest that our ancestors might have once wandered in. |
The Ruatiti Valley is a rugged harsh wilderness surrounded by many farmlands. The Old West Town is situated at the heart of the valley where I had the privilege of working as well as staying with friends who are the caretakers of this beautiful, eerie place. A daily encounter with the bird life there includes such a variety from Tui, Miromiro (Tomtit), Korimako (Bellbird), to the uncommon Koekoea (long-tailed Cuckoo) and rare Whio (Blue ducks) who keep returning to the same place along the stream. At twilight it comes alive with the sounds of Ruru in what seems like a surround sound conversation, calling out to each other from opposing shadowy hills.
In the dark of the night, you can hear the high-pitched piercing call of the male kiwi and the low gravelly growl of the female responding to the cry of her companion. Sometimes other kiwi chime in, letting rivals know where their territory is. The sparkle of the night sky is so magical and unpredictable, much like the life in the land beneath it. The land around the Old West Town is a place of paradox, it has both a haunting history and a magical serenity. There are lurking dangerous hidden tomo (deep chasms in the ground), people who swear they see ghosts wandering, and folk who tell tales of buried treasure around the campfire. It is also where time seems to stop, without connection to a digital world, it becomes a place of relaxation, adventure and discovery. You can disconnect from the anxiety of everyday modern life and follow the tracks into the bush to find a new kind of existence growing everywhere you turn. There are also remnants of people that once hunted, lived or got up to mischief there too. The birds carry the spirit of this place through into the images in the exhibition. |