More information on works needed please

MIKE. Linked to this month's celebration of La Fiesta!, two new exhibitions opened last weekend, both showcasing the work of female artists. On Friday I was at Gallery 85, elbowing my way — with decorum — through a large, enthusiastic gathering. Girls, Girls, Girls — Not To Be Overlooked included Claudia Borella, Rita Dibert, the two Andreas (du Chatenier and Gardner), Rachel Garland, Sue Hendeles, Lynn Hurst, Sheila Pearson, Margaret Silverwood and others whose names escape me. (I knew I should have jotted them all down!) While I was admiring a gilded painting, Lily, by Sheila Pearson, Graham Hall informed me that it was based on a piece by Gustav Klimt. When I found it on Google, I thought Klimt had been given a run for his money!

However, using this as a starting point, I would like to repeat a previous appeal for further information. Merely placing the artist's name and title of the work next to it, is insufficient for many viewers. Surely the medium used is a prerequisite for any item, plus, if possible, a more detailed back story. A few years ago, at what was then Community Arts, I described what a painting "said" to me, what I personally saw in it. A few days later I happened to meet the artist, who immediately took me to task, claiming that my interpretation was quite incorrect. Politely I pointed out that, firstly, she had provided no information on the content, and, secondly, was art not meant to be what the viewer made of it? At Gallery 85 it was often difficult, for the untrained eye, to discern the medium. This was especially the case with Alice McDonald. Both her creations, which appeared to me to be photographs, were, as Cath Watson explained, incredibly detailed ink drawings.

Delicacy in art always appeals to me (cf. Sarah Williams and Prakash Patel), so I contacted Alice and was delighted when she agreed to talk to me about her work.

ALICE McDonald and Yearning, a work on show at Gallery 85 in Glasgow St. PICTURE / MIKE STREET

After taking a UCOL course in Glass Design and Production in the mid-2000s, she changed tack, concentrating on drawing. She has been working on a series of 12 (No. 5 is in Cath's gallery), which describe her innermost feelings. Titled

Tete a Tete

, it is a private conversation with her husband about their marriage and relationship. The "moment of feeling" created inside the composition reflects that within the marriage. The background is white, with lines built up on it. Alice plans the design for her shape, deciding where the shadowing is to be light or dark. According to the design, she may start from a corner, or the middle of the paper. The instrument she uses is a permanent marker with an extremely fine point. This, she told me, enables absolute precision, giving her total control. One of the series was accepted last year for the Contemporary Art Award at Hamilton Museum.

How long does it take to produce a work of this nature? Impossible to quantify, as Alice has to fit it into any spare time she finds from her jobs and daily responsibilities. A few minutes one day, perhaps a couple of hours another.
The patience and total concentration required! Incidentally, when I mentioned that I had thought it was a photo, she said many people had thought the same. Are you listening, Cath?

The interview concluded with Alice taking me into the Sarjeant, to show me her work which has been accepted for the Whanganui Arts Review this year. A new series, she has called it Yearning, based on missing someone or something, and it comprises a black background and lines formed by a gold pigment pen. Check out Alice's work at Gallery 85 before March 14.

The following day I attended the inaugural opening of Sarah Williams' new Space Gallery. Over a few years, and scarcely more metres, Sarah has edged along Taupo Quay, turning the corner into St Hill St, where her gallery now resides in the refurbished building originally owned by Dalgety and Co early last century. It is a vast area, with high ceilings and wide floor space, ideal for accommodating the requirements of varying artistic displays.

Beginning with a powhiri, in front of a large audience, it was a joyous occasion, as well as an emotional one for Sarah, her voice breaking as she thanked her parents for all their support. The walls were covered with works by Maori female artists, organised by Vanessa Edwards under the title KuaOHO WOKE. My Maori dictionary translated "oho" as "wake suddenly, with a start", while "woke", I knew, is a word in modern parlance, used in a different context. Vanessa's thorough information sheet explained that it is not the past tense of "to wake", as may be expected, but has a usage of African American origin, meaning "to be aware of and alert to" injustice, both social and racial. For the exhibition she cleverly provided a suitable acronym for "Women of Knowledge Empowered", showcasing "the strong, female indigenous narrative to honour mana wahine". The works of the artists under Vanessa's umbrella are supported by solo exhibitions of Tia Ranginui and Teresa Goodin.

What did I particularly enjoy? Gabrielle Belz' reduction linocuts on different subjects, particularly her sheets of harakeke, referencing her ancestral kuia. Also Cecelia Kumeroa's interesting video presentation. Intrigued by a photograph by Tapirioterangi Pirikahu, I was fortunate to have the artist explain how she used her son and the juxtaposition of two mirrors to obtain her unusual effect.
I intend to return for a second visit next week, to soak up both art and building, and can thoroughly recommend the exhibition, which runs until March 14.
Comments and suggestions to mjstreet@xtra.co.nz