On a flying visit to the Wairarapa, I went to (and not limited to…) the Gladstone Sunflower Farm, Jet Fabric Store, Clareville Nursery, and ofcourse Aratoi – Wairarapa Museum of Art and History. I was really keen to see Madison Emond’s The River Sees exhibition before it finished up. This talented woman has been making work with intricately made pinhole cameras to capture the life and vitality of the river.
Madison Emond: The River Sees
Rhode Island-based artist Madison Emond has been collaborating on photographic works with the Kaiwharawhara Awa. This river is undergoing the process of obtaining legal personhood; Emond's collaborative creative process and resulting images seek to mirror this legal framework by highlighting the awa's intrinsic personhood and vitality. River stones, river clay and decaying plant material on the Kaiwharawhara’s banks have been shaped into light proof structures resembling wells that sit in the awa’s current; each is a pinhole camera and their apertures face the forest canopy above. The final photographs show one way that the river sees and will be displayed from October 11th to 15th.
Emond received a Fulbright Award for her photography and traveled to Aotearoa New Zealand to complete her year long award in January 2023. In Pōneke | Wellington, NZ, she is an artist-in-residence with the Whiti O Rehua MFA Program at Massey University and a member of Te Waituhi ā Nuku: Drawing Open research and artist collective.The Kaiwharawhara Awa river is undergoing the process of obtaining legal personhood; Emond's collaborative creative process and resulting images seek to mirror this legal framework by highlighting the awa's intrinsic personhood and vitality. River stones, river clay and decaying plant material on the Kaiwharawhara’s banks have been shaped into light proof structures resembling wells that sit in the awa’s current; each is a pinhole camera and their apertures face the forest canopy above.
– Photo Forum NZ
The Kaiwharawhara Awa river is undergoing the process of obtaining legal personhood; Emond's collaborative creative process and resulting images seek to mirror this legal framework by highlighting the awa's intrinsic personhood and vitality. River stones, river clay and decaying plant material on the Kaiwharawhara’s banks have been shaped into light proof structures resembling wells that sit in the awa’s current; each is a pinhole camera and their apertures face the forest canopy above.
– Aratoi
On at the same time were Tatyana Kulida: Wairarapa Felt and Kathy Bartlett: Teas Light Lunches both incredible in their own way – Tatyana’s work I would be delighted to hang on my wall; and Kathy’s just seems to nail that feeling of everyday life, small town NZ – I wanted the whole series :-)
https://www.tatyanakulida.com/
Tatyana’s impression of the Wairarapa was immediate: she was enamoured by the beautiful rural setting and the slower pace of life, breathtaking mountains and crisp rivers, big open sky and delicious fruit fresh off the tree, and the adventure in diving for kaimoana. The exhibition is a reflection of the scenes, objects and experiences from the Wairarapa region.
– Aratoi
Wairarapa artist Kathy Bartlett presents her new series Teas Light Lunches. The small oil paintings continue her eclectic and often lighthearted exploration of belonging and home that can be found in the simple things:a chipped enamel colander, a favourite fish 'n' chip shop sign and the immense Wairarapa skies.
– Aratoi
And… a visit to The Gladstone Sunflower patch! They do this venture every year to raise money for the local highschool’s fundraising efforts:
