Heta: Power & Fragility - Photographs by Mark Cross

November, 2004

WAM presents two concurrent exhibitions - Heta: Power & Fragility is the work of artist Mark Cross who experienced the fury of a cyclone that devasted the small island nation of Niue and chronicled its aftermath in this collection of photographs.

The second exhibition is a selection from the work of four Northland artists: Quinton Carrington, Vaughan Gunson, Andrea Hopkins and Wilson O’Halloran. This exhibition includes both new works and works selected from the exhibition Out of the Blue curated by Maree Saunders, Whangarei Art Museum and held at the Geoff Wilson Gallery, Northland Polytechnic in June this year.

Hospital #2, 2004, C Type Print, 1500 x 1220 mm

At this time when cyclones, Hurricanes and tornados are topical events, leaving a trail of destruction and devastation around the globe the Whangarei Art Museum brings this significant exhibition by a well-known New Zealand artist, Mark Cross to Whangarei. Heta: Power and Fragility records the aftermath of cyclone Heta on Niue.

The importance of this exhibition is bi-fold: this is the first photographic exhibition of the artist famed for his oil on board paintings, most of which now belong to major private and public collections in New Zealand as well as internationally.

Secondly, the exhibition is dedicated to the post-cyclone disaster zone in Niue, and as such represents an invaluable visual historic record of Niue and the record of the greatest natural disaster affecting it in the 21st Century.

I came to realize that this power and horror was fossilized in the remnants of the buildings and the hearts of the people whose lives where so cruelly affected by the storm.

In this exhibition I have tried to convey the power of this storm through images of the aftermath. Although experiencing the wind first hand, I, like so many others were mesmerized by the incredible damage done by the waves and by the stories of the people who were involuntarily thrown into the gnashing teeth of Nature, some literally clinging to trees for hours desperately awaiting that lull so that they might glimpse the Angel of Deliverance. How can static images of the day after, a sunny, breezy, tropical day grasp any sense of the amalgam of energy and horror of the proceeding afternoon? I came to realize that this power and horror was fossilized in the remnants of the buildings and the hearts of the people whose lives where so cruelly affected by the storm.

A fundraising 'evening with the artist' on Friday 19th November, 5.30 PM, will be an opportunity for the public to meet the artist and hear of his direct experience of Heta and the effect on Niue and its people.

Heta: Power and Fragility is supported by the government of Niue. The exhibition will offer additional printed and filmed material on the process of rebuilding Niue and the resources required.

Entry will be by gold coin and all proceeds will go towards rebuilding the Museum of Niue.

Exhibition accompanied by a colour poster.

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Culturally Safe (Sex), 2004, Quinton Carrington, mixed media, 450 x 2000mm

Selected works by Four Northland Artists

These works are informed with the theme of cultural, political and social commentary and reflect the divergent art practice of the four artists with interweaving threads of artistic concern and conceptual thinking.

Quinton Carrington, Ngati Hine, a Northland born contemporary Maori artist, enjoys and encourages the idea of a circularity of nonsense in his work. The three works included in this exhibition are his visual response to cultural growth and cultural consumption and continues to explore his interest in a narrative of non-narrative, playing with the viewer’s anticipation and expectation of explanation, revealing a cool irony.

Occupy! (1), 2002 (2004), Vaughan Gunson, digital print on canvas, 1200 x 700 mm

Vaughan Gunson’s art is often concerned with the questions “What is (arts) purpose? What relationship does it have to society, to politics, particularly a Left politics?” And while he believes “art can have some influence” he also believes that ultimately this is a matter for practical political struggle by people at the grass roots. His current art practice follows the International trend that sees political commentary in art take on a more activist role. In his 2003 exhibition,    I Know the World will be O.K. held at the Porcine Gallery, Whangarei, Gunson explored the infiltration of globalisation into the Whangarei environ though the  juxtaposition of  digital  and video imagery depicting  International conflict, icons of globalisation in the Whangarei cityscape and the printed word. These works continue to explore a similar theme, but this time the artist provides the viewer handouts of his digital poster circulating his imagery and message outside of the gallery walls.

Hikoi, 2004, Andrea Hopkins, acrylic on board, 400 x 1200 mm

Andrea Hopkins, Ngati Paoa, Ngati Maniapoto, Ngati Maru, Ki Ngapuhi, was born in Whangarei in 1974 where she now lives and works. Although Hopkins has exhibited successfully at SOCA Exit, Auckland, throughout the North Island, in Malaysia and Australia, Out of the Blue was her first Northland exhibition since graduating from Northland Polytechnic Applied Visual Art Diploma course in 1999.
Hopkins states “Some advocate revolution. I dream of evolution. I dream of stories shared by people who have forgotten more than they remember. Some hunt. I consider myself a gatherer. I gather these stories, as well as my own, historical and contemporary then retell them as a visual narrative, a record of experience and expression.”  Hopkins’ works, Hikoi 2004, and Turangawaewae ‘a place to stand’, 2003, on loan from SOCA Exit, Aucklandare evidence of this.

Fifteen Murders of Fame, 2004, Wilson O’Halloran, mixed media, 6000 x 2000mm

Wilson O’Halloran’s concept for the work Fifteen Murders of Fame, completed while living in Australia and shown for the first time in Out of the Blue, was initiated by a statement by Jed Town in Pavement Magazine which describes how plastic surgery and physical deformities have become everyday family entertainment. Fifteen Murders of Fame comments on the public’s lust for, and the media’s presentation of, other people’s misery and tragedy as entertainment. The glamour of fame and the hype created by contemporary mass is referenced in this work with names familiar to us all through press coverage of their often sad and gruesome murders are spelt out in sequined letters, made many times larger than even the boldest headline, larger than life one could say, a roll of honour titled “Fifteen Murders of Fame” for the now famous dead.

Selected works in this exhibition are for sale by referral to the artist or to the artist’s agent. Out of the Blue Catalogue available.

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