ISSUE 69 - JULY 2017 - DEPOT ARTSPACE
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
Philosophy of LOUD Established in 1996 the Depot Artspace has been involved in independent publishing since its early days. LOUD is the Depot’s quaterly publication dedicated to the creative activities of the community. Now we celebrate our 69th issue.
DESIGN BY GRETA GOTLIEB, WWW.DIGITALBEAUTICIAN.COM PUBLISHED BY DEPOT ARTSPACE 2
CONT E N TS 5. OUR MISSION 6-9. LOUD ISSUE 69: THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS Article by Linda Blincko 10-11. TONY MCNEIGHT New chairperson of the Depot Arts and Music Space Trust 12. CULTURAL ICONS 13. DEVONPORT ART CONVERSATIONS Sam Melser Artwork by Robyn Gibson 14-15. THE ROARING SILENCE 16. POCKET GALLERY & ART ROOM SEEKING SUBMISSIONS 17. FLASHBACK: THE VERNACULAR LOUNGE 18-20. EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY 21. DEPOT SOUND NEWS 22-24. WORDS BY THE DEPOT MANAGER Article by Lynn Lawton
24-25. CAREERS LAB Article by the Careers Lab team 26. OUR VALUES 27-29. CONNECTER SUR LE MÉTRO Article by Morgan Allen 30. UPCOMING EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS 31. SOMEONE’S MANA: MICHAEL KRZANICH 32. HANDWEAVERS AND SPINNERS GUILD: ON THE WING 33-34. GROUP SHOW: FROM THE RIVERS TO THE SHORE AND FLYAWAY PRINTS 35. GUM SARN: EVOLVING NOTIONS OF THE ‘SWEET EARTH’ 36. CRAIG HUMBERSTONE: THE SEASHELL FLESH 37. GROUP SHOW: THE ART ROOM EXTENDED 38. GROUP SHOW: ESTRANGED 39. GET A MEMBERSHIP
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DEPOT ARTSPACE
Our Mission The Depot Artspace is an open and inclusive creative hub established in Devonport, Auckland in 1996. We employ the transformative capacity of the arts to engage, inspire and challenge the community. The Depot supports and empowers artists and audiences through a network of innovative programmes and facilities including an art gallery, recording studio, professional development programme, and our publications. We connect with relevant organisations to explore the possibilities of working collaboratively, sharing and developing resources, and discovering ways of best practice for the artistic community. We strive to deepen our understanding and honour the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. The Depot is uniquely positioned to grow and promote the arts and address social issues locally and regionally.
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LOUD ISSUE 69 THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS
Article by Linda Blincko
Forests are the lungs of our planet; without them cease to exist www.greenplanetfax.co.za 6
PROPOSITION 1: Attributed to Aristotle this aphorism is axiomatic and actually more significant in its implications than we may initially consider. Take an audience, an exhibition, even a painting; all have constituent parts that make a whole to which a label or title is then attributed, giving the whole its significant or greater meaning. It is the whole to which people generally relate and from which they derive meaning or purpose, even a sense of belonging. A mass of fragments, without delineation, appears tantamount to chaos. The creation of critical mass also adds visibility, credibility, strength and power to one’s capacity to achieve objectives; a movement or valuebased organisation builds strength and draws attention to a cause and its values. People are also galvanised by the values a cause or organisation represents/embodies. The Depot, for example, comprises galleries, recording studio, ArtsLab, Depot Press and Kerr St Artspace. These parts together accommodate all creative disciplines. While each of the parts may appear selfcontained and sustainable they are, in fact, interdependent; functionally,
financially, socially, they come together to support one another and to build an identity for the arts. The Depot’s long-standing values of inclusiveness, accessibility and innovation form the hub within which its activities, services and facilities take place and are referenced. As with the creative, everything is in motion and continually changing; the value-based hub thus informs, moderates and monitors the changes. Under these circumstances we remain unified and cohesive; we validate this proposition by ensuring that each of the Depot’s ‘parts’ remains responsive and relevant in the face of change. PROPOSITION 2: The paradox of this aphorism is that while the whole is greater than the sum of its parts it is not greater than each of the parts it comprises. Each part informs, gives form, substance and meaning to the whole, and in doing so it is essential it is nurtured, protected, has its own integrity and value. If its parts are illconsidered or poorly constituted then the whole is compromised. A whole affected by malfunctioning parts is a fractured whole and likely to fall apart in some spectacular way.
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Buildings that topple or incinerate because they lack the necessary infrastructure, even societies that selfdestruct because of internal ideological dissension and conflict, are some of the countless examples that populate our planet; the whole is disintegrating as its parts are constantly compromised. Sadly, practically preparing for these possibilities, ameliorating likelihoods before they become actualities seems beyond us as the giant whole which is our earth becomes infected by conflicting and self-interested parts. PROPOSITION 3: The apparent contradiction between this and our previous LOUD theme, Barry Brickell’s (also axiomatic) ‘It’s Not the Thing but How’ is now reconciled. The parts from which the thing is made, and which also make up the process, are so important that the thing itself ceases to be of concern, is superseded. The part and its making become the primary concerns. Only when process and parts have integrity does the thing contain meaning or significance. In our society there are many fractured and failing ‘wholes’ and thus greatness eludes them. Trump’s ‘making America great again’ has little
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regard for being part of a whole that is greater than oneself. Take our own Supercity, a maelstrom of random, dissociated and often competing parts – CCOs, authorities, boards, consultants, departments – where public process is shackled by endless rolls of red tape, from resource consents to rubbish removal. This is why the small remains the most beautiful, because the whole into which its goals, values and aspirations are formed is able to be attended to, nurtured and continually monitored. Thank goodness for groups and organisations, which like the Depot, reference the whole and align the parts to it. We saw at the Refugee exhibition, ‘Where Shall We Call Home’ and accompanying programme of events, that each refugee support group involved, such as Refugee Family Trust, Red Cross and Amnesty International, shares values and vision and as a result have raised awareness, understanding, and compassion along with funds to assist refugee resettlement. It is here that the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts and has the capacity to change the world.
Fritz Eichenberg, wood engraving “A Descent into the Maelstrom.� Random House, 1944 9
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TONY MCNEIGHT New chairperson of the Depot Arts and Music Space Trust
Tony grew up in Devonport where building foxholes on Cheltenham beach and sliding down Mt Vic were his golden summers. Attending Vauxhall and Takapuna Grammar he graduated to art school which led to a career as a creative in advertising here and overseas. Tony came back to New Zealand, married, had a family and set up his own graphic design consultancy which he ran successfully for 15 years, also lecturing design degree students at AUT. Taking time out from work Tony opted to live in Western Australia. Inspired by the light, unique landscape and flora he started painting huge tree bark paintings on canvas.
- the size of a football field, raising $60,000 for the RSA in the process.
He returned to New Zealand in 2014 with a big idea to create a huge art installation which he did in the Auckland Domain in 2015 called the Giant Poppy Art Project. People wrote messages on 59,000 bright red poppy discs to loved ones who had given their lives in WW1 then placing them on the ground making a giant poppy shape
Tony continues to work closely with the Depot Artspace team as a board member looking to create new directions and initiatives for the Depot’s future.
Moving back to Devonport he started travel sketching classes to follow his dream to share with others his passion for creativity. In mid 2017 he was invited by the French Government along with another Devonport artist, Helen Pollock to create a joint artwork in the Northern town of Arras, a town where New Zealanders soldiers had built tunnels to help liberate the town in WW1. The President of France and Prime Minister of Canada attended the commemorations laying the last two Poppy messages.
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Conversations with iconic people
EPISODE 75 OUT NOW www.culturalicons.co.nz/episode/sheridan-keith In this engaging episode of Cultural Icons, artist, author, and owner/curator of Blikfang Art and Antiques, Sheridan Keith, discusses her life and practice with Michael Smythe, designer, design consultant and author.
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Much like the narrative of Keith’s award winning novel Zoology (1995), their conversation begins in the present and works its way back in time.
DEVONPORT ART CONVERSATIONS Sam Melser Artwork by Robyn Gibson The Depot Artspace is hosting a series of monthly “conversations” around art. Coordinated by Devonportian artist and art enthusiast Sam Melser, the concept is to provide a platform for artists and art lovers to discuss art and ideas and to connect. “A wealth of creativity exists here in Devonport” says Melser and “we want to encourage different perspectives and voices, a forum for inspiration exchange”. The full programme is yet to be finalised but the conversations will be kicked off by Elam PhD candidate, artist and art critic Julian McKinnon. He will talk to us about contemporary
art and the internet. Subjects as diverse as art restoration, abstract expressionism, the role of museums, fashion and creativity in business are all on the cards. In a climate of permanent business restructuring and intolerance of diversity where only the utilitarian and the pragmatic have currency, artists and art lovers are hungry to express alternative visions. We will post further details of the conversations in our e-news. If you’d like to be included as speaker contact Sam melser.samuel@gmail.com 13
THE ROARING SILENCE Depot Press titles are published by Depot Artspace. Although Depot Artspace may be best known for its galleries and recording studio it also offers a variety of facilities, services, publications and events that support the creative community and provide opportunities for participation and appreciation. Established in 1996 the Depot has been involved in independent publishing since its early days. LOUD is the Depot’s publication dedicated to the creative activities of the Depot community 60th issue in August last year. You can stay updated on Depot Press by visiting www,depotpress.co.nz The Roaring Silence has had excellent publicity in the media over the past two months through the great support of publicist Lorraine Steele from Lighthouse PR. The book has been reviewed by several people and here is the one by NZ Booklovers: The Roaring Silence
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is a collection of articles, interviews, poetry, fiction, prose, and art on the sensitive subject matter of suicide. It is a book that aims to demystify suicide and inspire conversations about suicide prevention. It is a visually appealing book, with artwork and photographs that are thought-provoking, sometimes challenging, but always presented with care. All of the contributors to The Roaring Silence have experienced suicidal thoughts, or have survived a suicide attempt, or have lost a loved one to suicide. There are also people working in the mental health field. They have certainly been courageous in sharing their work in this book. It is wonderful to see the variety of expression on this subject matter, and I think the diversity of the pieces will resonate in different ways with readers. The interviews are particularly useful, but in many ways the poetry, fiction and art are equally as illuminating in showing what it is like to be affected by suicidal thoughts or to have lost a loved one to suicide.
The Roaring Silence A book about suicide and suicide awareness Interviews, essays, poetry, art and prose from 79 contributors, each deeply affeted by suicide. Copies available at the Depot Artspace $30 each
I applaud the people who contributed to this book, and I’m sure this book will go on to inspire and assist people who may be struggling with anxiety or depression, and for families with someone who has committed suicide. The book is now stocked in Whitcoulls stores and available at the Depot Artspace and you can order a copy by emailing: lynn.lawton@depotartspace.co.nz
A Collective Memory of Barry Brickell’s Devonport Days is a bricolage of anecdotes, memories, photographs and doggerels celebrating our much-loved Aotearoa New Zealand cultural icon, potter, painter, engineer, Barry Brickell, and his Devonport days. Loretta Riach was one of the ‘key three’, along with Editor and Designer Julia West and Linda Blincko, in putting together the book, On sale at the Depot $20.00 15
Photo: POCKET GALLERY
POCKET GALLERY & ART ROOM SEEKING SUBMISSIONS
The POCKET GALLERY is a curated retail space showcasing high-quality, original art, craft and design. As the name suggests, our focus is on small objects at affordable prices. In order to maintain a constant turnover of diverse quality work we have identified a number of criteria important to both the Depot and our audience. In establishing The ART ROOM is a salon-style gallery, the Depot wanted to capture a sense of vibrancy and to become a destination for visitors keen to discover and engage diverse new work. While eclectic and lively, The Art Room is a curated space that ensures exhibited work is featured to its best advantage and is quickly become a destination for art lovers and avid collectors! We are currently seeking new works, so if you wish to apply to either Pocket or
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the Art Room, please visit the Proposal section of the Depot Artspace website. Please note: Members may apply to exhibit in either the Art Room or the Pocket Gallery through a simple application process. 1. Please ensure you thoroughly read the criteria and conditions for exhibiting at the Depot before applying. 2. The application form details how to submit an application and the application process. 3. If you are not yet a member, please ensure to fill out the membership form as part of your application. For more information, please visit our website or contact the Gallery Manager, Amber Lamana. amber.lamana@depotartspace.co.nz
FLASHBACK:
THE VERNACULAR LOUNGE Flashback: The Vernacular Lounge has been the venue in June for Celebrating Devonport’s History Of Peace Activism: The Photographic Work Of Gil Hanly And John Miller. In 1987, 30 years ago, Aotearoa New Zealand’s Nuclear Free Zone Act was introduced establishing this country as a nuclear and biological weapon-free zone. In 1981, 6 years earlier, Devonport Borough had declared itself a Nuclear Free Zone, New Zealand’s first. It was an expression of Council’s concern at the proliferation of nuclear weapons and part of growing trend towards NZ developing an independent ethical approach to foreign policy and to our environment. By November,
1983, 33 other municipalities around the country had joined Devonport in declaring themselves nuclear free. The Depot Artspace exhibition comprises iconic images of the anti-nuclear protest activities of the 1980s by two of our most significant photographers, Gil Hanly and John Miller, whose photographic documentation of major social movements and public events since the 1970s established them as pre-eminent recorders of New Zealand’s recent history. The Vernacular lounge will continue to organise and host exhibitions which explore evolving cultural identities of Aotearoa New Zealand.
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EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY
Sat 25 Mar 2017 - David Barker
Sat 15 Apr 2017 - Be There, Be Square - Member’s Show Opening 18
Sat 6 May 2017 - Niki Hill Fresh, Fur and Flesh
Sat 27 May 2017 - Celebrating Devonport’s Peace Activism 19
Sat 27 May 2017 - Bob Nelson, Light Industry
Sat 17 Jun 2017 - Where Shall We Call Home 20
NEWS Depot Sound offers friendly, professional and affordable recording studios for musicians and artists of all genres. We specialise in music recording and mixing as well as composing and arranging original music for singer-songwriters. DEPOT SOUND NEWS: Molly + the Chromatics recorded some live videos in the studio recently. You can find them on their facebook page at Facebook.com/ mollyandthechromatics. We’ve also had local rapper Mike Class in the studio with a huge group of supporters from the Takapuna Bar open mic night. Crimson coast from Thames have been back in the
studio working on their debut album. Annee 2 CU blues band and The Scones have been working on new albums and the epic Mothra have just tracked drums for their next record. We’ve also been working with a wonderfull all female bluegrass band called Hot Diggity on their new album which will be out in August.
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WORDS BY THE DEPOT MANAGER Article by Lynn Lawton of the bookselling community and the importance of reading for all ages. Your support over the years has encouraged and enabled him to exercise and broadcast his passion to the wider community of young readers and together you have created a business with a reputation that far exceeds the sum of its physical parts’.
When and why ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ has been my consideration over this past week. A tribute I read recently following the death of John McIntyre, New Zealand book industry children book’s champion, began to lead me to an answer. In offering condolences to his wife Ruth, Booksellers NZ Chief Chair, Tony Moores stated, ‘The Board of Booksellers NZ wishes to acknowledge the colossal contribution John has made to the professionalism and profile
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Further research found this fascinating article online: A wire rope is made up of many tiny wires and strands twisted around each other in a spiral way. This special arrangement creates friction between the wires and strands making the rope able to sustain tremendous loads, MUCH greater than the sum of loads each wire or strand can bear. Somehow the parts interact (it’s usually called synergy) and produce a result that is larger than each part added together. In each of the above, apart from and beyond all the business activities by John and Ruth and the multiple wire strands in the rope, there was an active energy and synergy creating the ‘whole’ that is greater than the sum of its parts’.
The Depot has a staff of 9, each tertiary qualified with professional expertise in their field of work. Five trustees serving on the board (Tony McNeight, Cathy Gunn, Bill Bates, Chris Mullane and Lynn Lawton) each bring particular skills and experience from their professions. Sixteen volunteers in their front of house role provide valuable support. The energy and synergy of the ‘whole’ that is the Depot arises, I believe, not just from all the skills and experience we together bring to this place, but especially from our shared commitment to our Vision ‘creating an environment that encourages creating’ and the values we believe in and practice. There are times when this synergy is especially vital. This year the Depot
achieves 21 years of serving the arts and the creative community of Devonport and beyond. We are experiencing a changing and increasingly challenging environment – socially, financially, demographically (both local and arts-centred), politically (local and national). These have created different priorities which need to be examined in terms of their value and the ongoing viability for the Depot. The research undertaken show these significant and ongoing changes are affecting art sales through the changing arts market and the increasingly diverse means of selling art. There are other areas of the Depot services that are growing with constraints on space and need for staffing; like the recording studios, ArtsLab and Careers Lab consultancy and media services in design and filming. In response the Trustees and staff are undertaking a ‘review and visioning’ of the future direction and place of the Depot in the creative and arts environment, in particularly the role of our galleries. Our shared vision and values are the firm ground we stand on, the clear reference point in our decision making. We recognise that these infuse all we do and create the ‘whole that is greater than the sum of its parts’. 23
The Careers Lab team
CAREERS LAB
Feedback from Careers Lab Client What did you find the most valuable about your Careers Lab consultation? Lila, my career consultant, was extremely friendly and warm from the start and because of that I felt immediately at ease to open up and discuss all the dreams and visions I’ve always had for my life and career, without feeling uncomfortable or ‘silly’. We discussed my strengths, the skills I enjoyed using, the companies and business leaders that inspired me, and what I valued the most in life. She challenged me with all the right questions, particularly ones that brought up any ‘fears’ I had around pursuing my dream career, which may be holding me back. These are the questions we rarely ask ourselves before jumping into a job for ‘security’ reasons, so I was very grateful of this time and space to discuss them openly with a person that understood 24
and genuinely wanted to guide me to reaching these goals. Lila’s encouragement has played a big part in the steps I have taken. What has happened as a result of your Careers Lab experience? Careers Lab has helped me develop the courage not only to listen to my passion, but to ACT on it. I have received a fountain of knowledge, including; NZ companies that are in line with my values, sectors and industries I may want to explore more, job titles and how to re-brand my LinkedIn profile. This research has led me to contacting business leaders & entrepreneurs in my field of interest for advice on their career journey, and in turn, has resulted in support from these people and solid next steps to becoming a life coach.
Explore and Pursue Meaningful Work with Creativity and Optimism Article by the Careers Lab team collectively The Whole is Greater than the Sum of the Parts – when we consider this truism in relation to Careers Lab, it brings to mind humanity as a whole. In having career conversations with clients and in helping them create a preferred future for themselves, what kind of a world are we ultimately co-creating? Hooley (2016) argues that “career guidance... has to be understood as a political act which facilitates change.” The whole is greater than the sum of the parts implies that there is value in considering all that everyone thinks, feels, and sees. In assisting individuals to create a better life for themselves and for their families, we are developing society for the better.
industry’ we view kindness as a crucial aspect to all of our work. Careers Lab will offer you hopeful suggestions, strong encouragement, and insight into a pragmatic way forward. If we are successful in having a positive impact on you, we know that you will continue to have a positive impact within your sphere of influence. If we can together begin to co-create a more positive, hopeful and kind world, then we will demonstrate the truism that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Career considerations are therefore inextricably linked to the goal of social justice. Recently, career development research topics have dealt more and more with the concept of social justice, since career practitioners deal directly with access to opportunities and access to job choices. The quest for social justice is, in our view, a kind pursuit. As part of the broad range of professionals who work in the ‘helping
critique of moral decline sociology. British
REFERENCES: Habibis, D., Hookway, N., & Vreugdenhil, A. (2016). Kindness in Australia: an empirical Journal Of Sociology, 67(3), 395-413. Hooley, T. and Sultana, R. (2016). Career guidance for social justice. Journal of the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling, 36, 2-11. Tabick, Jackie. (2009). The Balancing Act of Compassion. https://www.ted.com/talks/jackie_tabick 25
DEPOT ARTSPACE
Our Values At the Depot, we value community. We work together and we put people first. At the Depot, we are encouraging. We support each other and our community to reach our common goals. At the Depot, we value innovation. We look for new possibilities, we adapt to change and we’re not afraid to think differently. At the Depot, we are inclusive. We are people-focused, fair and welcoming to everyone. At the Depot, we empower people. We provide our community with opportunities, we inspire confidence, and give people the tools to achieve. At the Depot, we take time to reflect. We research, we consider, and we learn from both our successes and our failures. At the Depot, we are professional. We consistently work to high standards, we respect expertise and knowledge, and we deal with everyone equally.
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At the Depot, we value courageous leadership. We strive to question, to take a stand and be heard, and to tackle the big issues.
CONNECTER SUR LE MÉTRO ‘Connecting on the Metro’ Article by Morgan Allen The theme for this issue of Loud ‘the whole is greater than the sum of its parts’ reminded me of an amazing concert I attended in Paris whilst travelling through Europe recently. It’s not the concert itself that is reminiscent of the theme but the manner in which I ended up there in the first place. My friend Pavel and I were on the metro heading back to his apartment after a fairly sedate Friday evening enjoying some beers by the Seine. Halfway through our journey the train ground to a halt in between stations and I was greeted by a somewhat anxious and agitated announcement by the train driver over the loudspeaker. Being that my Francais was ‘n’est pas très bon’ (a phrase I became rather good at during my stay there) I turned to Pavel in search of a translation. Was the train on fire? Had they found a suspicious item left behind in one of the carriages? He informed me that we weren’t in any immediate danger but someone had been spotted on the
tracks hence the delay. We waited for some time without any further update, striking up conversations with the fellow stranded passengers on the train. After about ten minutes a guitar emerged and somebody began to play. Being musicians ourselves, my friend and I started to stroll the train in search of the mystery player. Once located Pavel pulled out his saxophone and began to play too. For fear of being left out I dug through my bag till I found an egg shaker, it seems I was resigned to percussion duties for the evening. We jammed on the train for another ten minutes or so before we started to move again. Our mini-concert was greeted by enthusiastic applause across the train as we finished. Once we arrived at our station the three of us got out of the train and began to play some more on the street. Truth be told I was becoming somewhat tired of the shaker by this 27
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point but not wanting to ruin the party I kept up the groove. Just as we were about to part ways a group of people approached us exclaiming ‘you’re playing at the funk-fest!’ We told them we knew nothing about funk-fest but that we were interested to know more. This didn’t seem to quite sink in (possibly due to my limited French and an exaggerated expectation of their English vocabulary) as next thing we knew they were taking us by the hand saying ‘you’ll be playing at the funk fest!’ With all childhood lessons about stranger danger being thrown out the window we followed our new found friends to a nearby music venue. Seeing the imposing bouncers checking for tickets outside, Pavel and I thought we might as well try our luck passing off as musicians for free entry (we were ‘playing at the funk fest’ after all). The old routine worked a charm as we were waved through a bustle of people, doors and a long toilet queue into the venue. As we entered a 20 piece afro-beat band mid way through their set greeted us. Backup vocalists in full traditional dress from their African country of origin danced their way with vigour round the impressively wide stage. The vocalist stood still in the centre of the stage with a commanding presence. Moving only his hands to gesture towards the sky as he emphasised his political statements. The band concluded their performance with a
rousing rendition of one of afro-beat’s most famous songs, Zombie by Fela Kuti. Afterwards there was an excellent range of DJs playing retro house, funk and disco till the early hours of the morning. We left at the modest hour of 3am but the party showed no signs of slowing down at that point. It’s fascinating to me that had one little thing changed in our evening’s itinerary we would have never stumbled across such a vibrant and exciting show. Right from the train we took, to the delay in the metro, the jam on the train, the jam off the train and the serendipitous moment where the concertgoers spotted us with a saxophone. These events led us right to the concert in their own, weird treasure map kind of way. Whilst they are memorable in themselves, they were nowhere near as special or enjoyable as the concert itself.
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Upcoming events & exhibitions 28 Clarence St, Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand.
Opening Hours: Mon 12–5pm | Tue – Sat 10am–5pm | Sun 11am–3pm Public Holidays 11am–3pm
MAIN GALLERY LISTINGS Openings held Saturdays of shows first day from 2-3:30pm. HANDWEAVERS AND SPINNERS GUILD: ON THE WING Sat 8 Jul - Wed 26 Jul 2017 GROUP SHOW: FROM THE RIVERS TO THE SHORE AND FLYAWAY PRINTS Sat 29 July - Wed 16 Aug 2017 GROUP SHOW: GUM SARN: EVOLVING NOTIONS OF THE ‘SWEET EARTH’ Sat 19 Aug - Wed 6 Sep 2017 CRAIG HUMBERSTONE: THE SEASHELL FLESH Sat 9 Sep - Wed 27 Sep 2017 GROUP SHOW: THE ART ROOM EXTENDED Sat 9 Sep - Wed 27 Sep 2017 GROUP SHOW: ESTRANGED Sat 30 Sep - Wed 18 Oct 2017
OTHER LISTINGS SOMEONE’S MANA: MICHAEL KRZANICH Vernacular Lounge Fri 30 June - Fri 14 July 2017 30
mana can be measured as influence, authority, charisma, or spiritual power. Whether inherited or achieved through many complex means, it can also be reduced or lost.
SOMEONE’S MANA: MICHAEL KRZANICH Vernacular Lounge Fri 30 June - Fri 14 July 2017 Melbourne based Kiwi photographer Michael Krzanich explores the contemporary entity of mana in this exhibition drawn from his photo book Someone’s Mana. In 2014 and 2015 Michael Krzanich explored the undercurrent of remote New Zealand and found a resonance unique to that part of the world. The evocatively personal images in Someone’s Mana depict people and places that have a deep connection with the mystical nature of Maori life and the land (whenua). “Mana” is defined as a supernatural force in a person, place, or object. A delicate aspect of Maori culture,
Krzanich asks us to imagine what entity and type of mana is represented within the carefully chosen perspective that he takes in each photograph. Together with Maori and English poetry by artist and Maori cultural advisor, Haare Williams, and the editorial guidance of eminent Maori writer Witi Ihimaera, we are invited to consider how and where mana might exist in each image, if it remains, or if it has diminished. Also shown this year as part of the Head On International Photo Festival in Sydney, the series pulls the concept of mana back to the land and sea. Shot in large format film and digital, the vivid colour and detail convey the strength of the show’s central theme. Sold in over 40 countries by renown art book publisher HatjeCantz, the photo book ‘Someone’s Mana’ was a finalist in the recent New Zealand Photo Book of the Year. With introduction by Witi Ihimaera and Haare Williams, and poetry by Haare Williams, the book and show offers a tribute to this very special cultural attribute.
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HANDWEAVERS AND SPINNERS GUILD: ON THE WING Opening: 2-3:30pm, Sat 8 Jul 2017 Sat 8 Jul - Wed 26 Jul 2017 The Depot Artspace is proud to be hosting another exhibition by the Handweavers and Spinners Guild. The Guild was formed in 1964 to “advance and encourage the crafts of hand weaving, spinning, dyeing and related fibre crafts�. The Guild has a very active membership and offers a comprehensive education programme, with the aim to share and demonstrate their skills to the public. Titled On the Wing, the exhibition presented an exciting challenge to members of the Guild to produce work relating to the theme. Utilising techniques such as spinning, knitting, felting, tapestry weaving and more, Guild members have melded traditional methods with innovation ideas to create textile works full of unique expression and flair. Demonstrations will occur on each Sunday between 11-3pm during the run of the exhibition. Many thanks to Creative Communities Scheme for funding this exhibition.
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GROUP SHOW: FROM THE RIVERS TO THE SHORE AND FLYAWAY PRINTS Opening 2-3.30pm, Sat 29 Jul 2017 Sat 29 July - Wed 16 Aug 2017 From the Rivers to the Shore and the accompanying exhibition, The Flyway Print Exchange, are art projects that explore the connectivity of place through migratory birds. The shorebirds that nest on the South Island’s braided river beds and seek our northern warmer waters over winter, and those others that move annually from New Zealand estuaries to breed in the distant reaches of Alaska, reflect our own migratory traditions. From the Rivers to the Shore is curated
by Devonport printmaker Celia Walker, with over 40 artists from the far north to the deep south invited to produce specific responses to their local environments, particularly highlighting the birds that move between the North and South Islands every year. The shell banks and tidal reaches of Shoal and Ngataringa Bay host a wealth of bird species that change with the seasons, with many southern visitors over winter, including the South Island pied oystercatcher, pied stilt, and black-billed gull. Flocks of the endemic wrybill, with its curious sideways kink to its bill, have been observed in the inner reaches of
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Shoal Bay, within a stone’s throw of the Harbour Bridge, long way geographically and metaphorically from their nesting grounds in Canterbury high country. All of these birds face multiple threats in both their breeding grounds and overwintering locations, it is hoped that this exhibition will increase awareness and highlight local opportunities to help keep these birds safe. The Flyway Print Exchange is an international project that saw 20 printmakers from across the EastAsian Australasian Flyway for migratory birds produce an edition of prints to raise funds for shorebird research. A print by each artist was posted unpackaged along the migration routes of the birds, from Australia and New Zealand to Alaska and back, and are exhibited
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showing all the stamps and marks of their journeys. The artists involved in these two projects range from Aboriginal printmakers from remote communities, to city dwellers of Melbourne and Auckland, local Devonport artists, and others from more distant parts of New Zealand. This is a chance to bring these works together to show our different responses to the surrounding environment, reflecting on why these birds make these places home. Left page: By Pauline Bellamy, Spoonbills Rising Right page: Various Artists, Flyaway Prints
The Chinese people have often referred to New Zealand as ‘Gum Sarn’ when describing where relatives or friends have gone to. Translating to ‘Gold Mountain’ 金山, it is grounded in reality, as travellers in the late 19th Century were literally searching for gold in the mines of Otago, California and British Columbia. As time passed and many travellers settled, the term
Photo: Ng Wong Hop hitting beans to get the seeds out. Photo courtesy of Sewmoy Wing.
GUM SARN: EVOLVING NOTIONS OF THE ‘SWEET EARTH’ Opening: 2-3:30pm, Sat 19 Aug 2017 Sat 19 Aug - Wed 6 Sep 2017 Gum Sarn: Evolving Notions of the ‘Sweet Earth’ celebrates the recent history (1900s onwards) of Chinese in New Zealand through photographs, ephemera and a cultural map of Auckland.
‘Gum Sarn’ has become imbued with new meanings for different generations. To say someone has gone to ‘Gum Sarn’ could mean they have gone in pursuit of new opportunities. A participatory exhibition, Gum Sarn: ‘Evolving Notions of the Sweet Earth’ consists of contributions from various generations of New Zealand Chinese. It will feature photographs and ephemera, such as poll tax certificates, old Chinese restaurant menus, images of the Oriental Markets and more. There will also be a large map of Auckland which will be pinned with historical and contemporary places of significance, from the Chinatown on Grey’s Avenue in the 1920s to the Orient Restaurant of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Gum Sarn will examine the opportunities that have been explored and created by New Zealand Chinese, and the way they have shaped New Zealand’s unique culture, from food, horticulture and more. The exhibition will build awareness and appreciation, and showcase aspects of a culture which enriches and is integral to New Zealand life. Many thanks to the Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust and the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board for funding this exhibition.
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CRAIG HUMBERSTONE: THE SEASHELL FLESH Opening: 2-3:30pm, Sat 9 Sep 2017 Sat 9 Sep - Wed 27 Sep 2017 The Seashell Flesh is a series of oil paintings on historic slate roof tiles. The tiles once graced the roof of Highwic - the Auckland home of the Buckland family, built in 1862. Sourced from the Penrhyn Slate Quarries in Wales, the tiles arrived in New Zealand as ballast on sailing ships. Recently replaced during renovations, the tiles have been on the Highwic roof for over a hundred years, however, in geological terms, the material is several million years old. The paintings depict complex natural compositions from the foreshore, mud flats and high tide zones of Butler Bay, Northland. Some subjects will disappear with the next high tide; some will stay for longer drying, dying and decaying, while others will remain for many years. Craig Humberstone seeks within a detailed, representative style, to document these subjects and situations and the results of these cyclical processes of nature. His thorough documentation freezes that momentum and becomes a visual recovery or extension of these moments in time.
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GROUP SHOW: THE ART ROOM EXTENDED Opening: 2-3:30pm, Sat 9 Sep 2017 Sat 9 Sep - Wed 27 Sep 2017 Since establishing The Art Room to provide an opportunity for Depot members to sell their works without committing to a full exhibition, or to maintain a profile in the community or test audience response to their work, visitors are now calling in more regularly to check out what’s new and available in this continually changing salon-style space. To celebrate its success and to promote its presence we are extending The Art Room in the in the back half of the main gallery in his exhibition, while Craig Humberstone exhibits his remarkable paintings on historic slate roof tiles at the front ofthe main gallery in his exhibition.
To Apply: An application form will be available on the proposal section of the Depot Artspace’s website, on the 15 July and will close on the 26 August. Members may apply to exhibit through a simple application process. If you are not yet a member, please ensure to fill out the membership form as part of your application. Please thoroughly read the criteria and conditions for exhibiting at the Depot before applying. The form will provide details on how to submit an application, the application process and both the criteria and conditions for exhibiting. For more info please contact Amber Lamana, Gallery Manager. amber.lamana@depotartspace.co.nz 37
GROUP SHOW: ESTRANGED Opening: 2-3:30pm, Sat 30 Sep 2017 Sat 30 Sep - Wed 18 Oct 2017 Umbrella is a group of Master of Fine Arts Graduates: Barbara Smith, Rowan Belcher, Monica Seo, Ken Martin, Barry Ross Smith, Elsa Lye, Gitte Steen-Andersen and Julie Woodward, who graduated from Whitecliffe College of Art and Design in 2010-11 in Auckland. United by the fact that they studied together for over two years and some as undergraduates prior to that period - they have stayed united since and have become a new phenomenon in today’s Art world in New Zealand.
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The Artists have challenged themselves to express how they identify in a world of change. Estranged, the title of their first show as a group will encompass works that have evolved as a result of years of planning and collaborating both individually and collectively. Artists have worked to elucidate the title, a serendipitous term on this occasion; Estranged reflects how we may be experiencing the world now.
Photo: Rowan Belcher, Quarter Flag.
Join... ...... and you’ll be joining a creative community offering a range of opportunities. You will also be supporting the Depot Artspace and its objectives. BENEFITS: • LOUD magazines and monthly e-newsletters • Invitations to all exhibition openings and special events. • Opportunities to exhibit in the Galleries. • Get involved by becoming a Volunteer. • Use of the Recording Studio (charges apply). Membership Rates (for one year membership) Individual $30 Family $40 Organisation $40 International $35 Youth (under 20) $10
To join the Depot Artspace fill out the Membership Form below, drop it in to our front desk or pay online, bank account # 12 3015 0013510 00 Please place your name and the word ‘membership’ in the reference section. Depot Artspace 28 Clarence St, Devonport, Auckland, 0624
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