Author: Hope Manaakitia

Firstly I want to say thank you to the lecturers who have bugged me, hugged me and put up with me throughout my first year in BVA. It’s been refreshing to learn under your guidance and overall it’s been an absolute pleasure.

I am honoured to be here alongside like-minded and talented people.

Within this final brief, I have been exposed to the possibilities that sculpture offers. Not only as an object of viewing, but an encompassing of ideas and emotions. Thought provoking and interpretational. Not only that but the process in which we”create.” By using the “Verb List” you think about the action of making rather than focusing on the product and if it’s “ugly” or not.

Painting has always been my preffered art process. But I learnt that Painting, Sculpture and Photography are interchangeable and are essentially one big happy family which was weirdly comforting.

Overall this year has been a year of mistakes and development. I always thought once I got to University I would get this boost of productivity and just cultivate beautiful art straight off the bat. But it’s more than just “going to University.” It requires consistency and dedication. Having the strength to decline social gatherings to focus on studies. Growing the motivation to work on your art so you can create something you’re proud of. I have a lot to work on and a lot of mistakes to reflect on.

It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.

The idea behind my sculpture’s based on Consumerism. Whether that applies to consuming bought goods or even culture.

All day, every day people continue to consume. I wanted to subtly imply the flaws of it and also suggest a much needed growth through the plant pot and the jug. So close, yet so far from the connection they so desperately require.

The use of plastic vernacular materials was an aspect I was really interested in trying. It was highly influenced by Don Driver and Jessica Stockholder who use these materials excessively throughout their assemblages. There’s a certain witt or uncomfort that comes with seeying familliar objects in an abstract scenario and I wanted that flair to be implimented in my works.

The fabric piece in particular is a sort of “withered korowai.” It consists of the black, red and white colours of the tino rangatiratanga flag, which was also inspired by the works of Chantel Matthews and Nikau Hindin. The black feathers are arranged in a disordarly fashion, uneaven and imperfect. This expresses my own uneasiness in my maoritanga and the romanticisation which results in the cultural appropriation of maori art, performance and so forth.

The helmet represents the travesersity of consumerism. Hanging from the ceiling on a thick rope allows the helmet to swing around the space. An interactive piece if you will. It is bashed and battered which juxtaposes the simplicity of the other two sculptures. Exposing the conflicts, disorientation and confusion of consumption as an idea.

As a finalized piece I am afraid of what people will think of it, but at the end of the day this is apart of my learning and is that not what I’m here for?

Chantel Matthews:

“I do not remember having much fun, just responsibilities. The artist in me arrived at thirty-something years old, somewhere between corporate burnout and my residual grief from cultural disconnection from my Maori whanau (family), hapu (sub-tribe) and iwi (tribe).” (Matthews, Chantel. pg 13, 2021)

I love how her art is centred around culturally sound, family-oriented practices. It’s always heart-warming to see contemporary maori artists because it makes me feel like I can follow in their footsteps.

I like the black and white colours of the rangatiratanga flag and the simplicity. It shows that a little can go a long way.

Jessica Stockholder:

I enjoy Jessica Stockholders ability to displace vernacular objects in a whimsical or bizarre scenario; and somehow throughout all of the chaos, she creates artworks that become objects of discussion. Offering viewers the space to question and wonder.

Nikau Hindin:

Nikau Hindins art is highly influenced by voyaging and the stars and how our ancestors naviagtes the seas. Majority of her art is ingrained with marks that represent the star constellations and all of her materials are naturally sourced.

Similar to Chantel Matthews, I love her art because it’s influenced by maori culture. She’s advocating maori heritage in the art community and inspires me to learn in-depth about my maoritanga

Don Driver:

Similar to Jessica Stockholder, I love his use of every-day items placed in uncommon situations. His pieces were made to provoke emotion and challenge the boundaries of contemporary art in New Zealand. I love the witt and charm imbued in his art and it inspires me to express that in my own art style.

Bibliography

Matthews, Chantel. 2021. “I Sea a Vessel Filled with Tea: A Sculptural Practice Exploring Day-To-Day Wahine Ways through Whakapapa Layers.” Masters Theses, Auckland University of Technology.

Wet labs Workshop

We were thrown straight in the deep end and made a double mould with the chosen fruit/vege we were supplied with.

(I chose a kumara as you’ll see)

This whole process was very draining, but necessary. Now that all the hard mahi has been knocked out, we get to focus on creating rather than worrying about the basics.

Brunelle Dias:

I was first introduced to this artist by Dieneke when she saw similarities between my work and Brunelles. Brunelle was a BVA student at AUT, so I felt like I could relate to her in that sense. Her art communicates an appreciation for everyday situations and repositions them in an unknown context.

I love how these seem to be two different images but they are by the same person. That just goes to show that art changes and art styles shift all the time. Art has no solid rules or boundaries.

Gerhard Richter:

Gerhard Richter has a very unique way of doing his paintings which initially sparked my hyperfixation on scraping and removing and applying paint like he does. I love how the base paint is shown when he scrapes across with his special tool. It shows depth and field and really frames the painting as a whole.

Jason Martin:

Jason Martin explores the assumed characteristics of what a painting is and tries to bend that assumption. His art reminded me of “Necessary Distractions” and posed the question “what is a painting?” It’s abstract yet minimal and conveys a chaotic yet peaceful feeling.

He inspired me to try out thicker mediums and build texture on my work.

Endnote:

I just wanted to say that the biggest inspiration or influence on my art was my peers. It’s always fun to take a step back from stressing about my own art and taking the time to appreciate the people I work with.

I am surrounded by talented artists and it’s inspiring to witness their growth first hand.

“Process into image” has been quite a challenge.  

When I was introduced to the idea of painting, I was over the moon. I came to this course to pursue painting so why wouldn’t I thrive at it?  

Week 1:

In Week 1, we were asked to create marks using the “Verb List” by Richard Serra’s famous 1976 work.

As the brief outlines, we are exploring the possibilities of painting mediums and process, not making a pretty picture. So I embraced it whole-heartedly. I enjoyed this part the most because I could play around and not worry about proportions or deadlines, this was just some fun exploration to get us started for the next few weeks.

A problem I faced was my inability to listen to instructions and could not keep the pieces to a singular verb. I wanted to “spread” and then I wanted to “smear’ and “plop” and “scrape” all on the same canvas.

I would also like to mention that I was sick in Week 2 and in Week 3 I was preoccupied with some uncomfortable issues.

Following Weeks: More Experimentation

So, I had a lot of difficulties producing work as you can tell. I was afraid of making mistakes and making “bad art.” After last Semesters challenges, I thought I would be over that mindset by now. But it was all I could think about when I stared at a blank canvas. “What if I waste all this time on a piece and it comes out bad?”

Something very important to note: I never knew how to paint properly before this. Yes, I chose this course for painting. But I only knew how to draw well. Drawing is my speciality. I was quite disheartend when I couldn’t use any of my drawings. But University is not about doing something that you are good at. It’s about learning and growing in your desired practice. So I’m happy for the stumbles I made. I managed to push out an almost decent amount of works and learnt how to paint better through trial and error.

I learnt that you need to prime your surfaces on both sides, with multiple layers, to have a good starting point for your painting. I learnt about Moulding Paste and pouring medium and how to use them. I learnt how to mix colours to create light and dark tones. I learnt that it’s best to start with a base colour.

Final Works:

I apologize in advance for the videos. I wanted to try something new.

I chose to show the process of this piece as a video because it means a lot to me. It’s a painting of my mum and my sister, when my sister was a baby. You can tell I connect with this piece from the amount of studies I did.

For context: This was my very first attempt at making a large scale painting. I’ve always been the type to draw and use small For canvas’s so I was treading in unknown territory. A very important learning curve for me to experience.

There are no process images for this one because I didnt believe it was good enough to post.

I didn’t enjoy how it looked when I first started doing it so I was going to throw it out (as per usual). But Jeena urged me to keep going so I did. Needless to say, I am pleasently surprised with the results.

It’s a photo of my mum and aunty at our family beach. I love my family and I felt like if I made art about something I love, it would make it easier and genuine.

Now these pieces were made in the spur of the moment. I needed an escape from portraiture and tried out landscape painting. I did my best to follow Jeenas advice and observed the tones of the reference photo rather than copy it piece by piece.

These hold a special place in my heart because they taught me how to mix colours, how to block out main objects and to follow your gut.

Surprisingly enough, this was the most enjoyable painting to make for me. Not only was I focusing on portraiture (my favourite thing to draw), but it made me realize that I am improving, even if it is a little bit. I put my understanding of painting into action and made something unexpected.

Don’t get me wrong, there are many things to improve on. He’s a little wonky in places but this piece represents most of my learning put into practice.

Have I stressed about this brief? Yes. Did I do everything last minute again? Yes. Did I learn anything from these experiences? Of course, and in my mind that’s all that matters. My only regret is not applying myself more to this brief and producing more works.

I’ve had an absolute blast this semester and I cant wait for the rest. Mauri Ora.

Now, during the creation of this project, I went through a lot of variations trying to tweak the appearance.

I was never fully satisfied with how it looked and kept adding tiny changes. At first I wanted to create some depth and added the two pieces of wood in front of the lego blocks. But as much as I wanted to have that element, it felt wrong. So in the end, I removed them and added them on the outskirts to frame the piece.

Lamp:

I also wanted to utilize light in my piece to enhance the reflective material I had been using. I didn’t want the lamp to just “be a lamp on the floor”. So, I further utilized the materials I had on hand and created an area for it. At first, I placed yarn into the bowl. But I felt like the space felt too crowded so I removed them. The bowls aesthetic connected to the mirrors aesthetic and it felt fitting to tie it all together. The red yarn (which is also implemented into the actual piece itself) represents interconnection. In this instance, the chair is “held hostage” by the yarn and represents confinement. The confinement of the physical and mental state. Something I have been struggling with and I’m sure many other people can relate.

Final Sculpture:

Now, as a final sculpture this piece is all about “Self-reflection”.

The lego blocks and cds represent the past. The mirror represents the present and the yarn represents the continous flow of our future. The plywood cutouts are organic and inentionally painted differently. At first they had the ink I had printed on myself in the printmaking studio. But, the design wasnt shown clearly, so I went with my gut, and hand painted over them. I did a bit of painting with a paintbrush and a bit of finger painting. Implementing a childhood value (the past) to the piece. Some pieces are painted black because it shows that in life, we have dark times. Coupled with the shattered cds adds a fragmented element to the piece. Yet with the yarns connectivity it provides polarizing opposites that compliment eachother.

Also if you hadnt noticed, I had the idea of having a dry floral foam block and sticking barbeque skewers into it. To me, it has two different meanings. For one, it reminds me of a sea urchin or a “kina”. Kina is a delicacy where I’m from and it reminded me of the days at the marae, where my nanas and poppas would be munching on kaimoana without a care in the world. My mother in particular loved kina so I connect to that piece quite deeply. Secondly, it reminds me of my childhood days. I’ve always loved drawing and I would draw my brothers hair like that frequently because thats how my mind processed things. Not to mention the fun I had creating it, added a playful and humourous element that I didnt expect. I apologize for the in-depth explanation. But I felt like it needed to be said because it is a very random element to implement.

I do admit, as a final piece it is chaotic, abstract and quit hazardous to say the least. Not to mention, I didn’t follow my planning at all. But that’s the reality of life. Sometimes life is messy and there are challenges and obstructions that get in the way. Things will never always go your way. We have moments of strength and moments of vulnerability. We succeed and we fail. We love people and we lose people. We need to self reflect and embrace those imperfections and scars with open arms to find fulfillment and see the exuberance in our lives.

Jessica Stockholder:

“Making sense of ourselves, the choices we make, and our reasons for living we must account for feelings alongside thoughts. I don’t believe the two are separable.”

– Jessica Stockholder

When I first saw Jessica Stockholders art, I was instantly mesmerized. It’s external appearance is abstract, chaotic and quite confusing. I’ve always enjoyed the mystery behind art and her pieces encapsulate a strange yet fantasy-inspired world that makes you question everything.

But as I researched the context behind her art I fell in love with the way she operates. She’s always been interested in colour and as she grew up, she began experimenting with colour and expanding from 2D to 3D. She enjoys using mundane, common objects and placing them in an abstract and colourful environment to invigorate an excitement for life. She loves using cheap and colourful plastic to engage in conversation about consumer culture. Which has inspired me to not only upcycle plastics and implement that into my art. Yet, despite this idea, her art has no literary story behind her art. It is simply a visual focus that is up to interpretation. Her works inspire me to make works that are vibrant and tumultuous, yet organized and provokes a deeper meaning.

Sara Hughes:

“Listen with your eyes”

-Sara Hughes

I love the simple, yet complexity of her artworks. Their appearance is easy to digest from afar, yet when assessed from a closer perspective, you can see the extreme detail she’s put into it. As I researched her, I discovered that her art is highly influenced by watching her sons grow up. Which is such a beautiful sentiment to her career. Its inspired me to implement my family into my art and use the polarizing opposites she creates. She has monotone pieces and colourful pieces, sharp edged lines and soft edged luminous forms.

Imi Knoebel:

“When I am asked about what I think when I look at a painting, I can only answer that I don’t think at all; I look at it and can only take in the beauty, and I don’t want to see it in relation to anything else. Only what I see, simply because it has its own validity.”

– Imi Knoebel

Imi Knoebel exemplifies an abstract yet minimal use of colour in his works. Similar to Sara Hughes, his artworks are simple but speak for themselves. He explores the use of material, colour and form to represent an unspoken meaning. His art inspires me to extend my thinking beyond the meaning and create something possibly unexpected. To engross myself in my own identity and enjoy the process of uncertainty.

In this new brief, we were introduced to the 3D workshops to show us the possibilities for our “sculptural paintings”.

Printmaking Studio:

First we were introduced to the Printmaking studio. We were asked to bring in a hard drive of our desired print design (which was tweaked in photoshop for our printmaking needs) and printed it with special settings.

Gary showed us how to oil our prints (I neglected to document this step), vacuum press our prints into a pre-made frame and then water blast the frame to remove unwanted residue and allow the ink to pass through the gaps.

The Printmaking Process:

Before I started printing onto my woodwork pieces, I tested out my design onto paper to see how it would come out. I felt uneasy with the results because the design was printed very faintly on paper and I was concerned the pattern wouldn’t show on my plywood. (Sadly, that turned out to be the case, but I neglected to photograph the ply-wood with the designs on them because I didn’t like them.)

Woodwork Lab:

The following day we were introduced to the Woodwork Lab. The Woodworks technician, Glenn, taught us how to use the machinery and the hazards behind it . It was important for each of us to take a turn using the machinery so we got comfortable and so Glenn can confirm that we are capable of using them safely.

Glenn explained that before we step off the carpeted area, we need to scan the QR code to sign in. Then, grab a pair of earmuffs, protective eyewear and place our health and safety papers into the shelf. It is also important to note that you should not have your phone on you whilst around the machinery. But he allowed us to take photos for documentation.

I was very hesitant to try the bandsaw, but once I had a go it was really easy. But I noticed once I got the groove of it, I became a bit reckless and kept bending the blade too harshly. Thankfully, Glenn could hear me from across the studio and informed me of the problem. (The plywood pieces are shown in the “Planning and Processing” post)

For this new brief, I wanted to plan my ideas instead of going with the flow. Therefore, I did a bit of brainstorming in my sketchbook as you can see below.

I knew I wanted something organic, abstract and weird. I thought about creating something simple and geometric, but it wouldn’t hold true to my art style.

Plywood Cut-outs:

I didn’t have a clear idea of what I was trying to achieve, but I decided to follow my instincts and carved out accordingly. Though, despite my uncertainty, I knew that I wanted the shapes to be organic and followed that idea. The shapes reminded me of the lofty mountains from my turangawaewae up north. I never intended for this to happen, but again, I wanted to run with the uncertainty and tap into my creativity.

Materials:

I gathered a plethora of random materials excluding the plywood we were provided with. I was heavily inspired by Jessica Stockholder and wanted to use plastic (the lego bricks) and common household assorted items to represent a familliar, yet other-worldy aura.

First drawn Concept:

With the materials (including the plywood) I had at hand, I quickly sketched up a plan to visualize how I wanted the piece to look. I knew I wanted the mirror to be the centre piece and went from there. I wanted the wood to accentuate the mirror and place cds around it to enhance the mirrors presence, acting as mini mirrors themselves.