I was chosen to be part of the Autumn exhibition Call & Response at the Sculpture Park at the Waitakaruru Arboretum near Hamilton. I reinstated my macrocarpa flagpole, this time with Flags for the Locals. The first flag flying is dedicated to the humble blackberry.
Big thanks to Kate Darrow & Kim Paton for selecting my work for one of five Ebbett Prestige Seed Funding Awards of $500, and of course thank you to Ebbett Prestige for supporting the exhibition, much appreciated!
Blackberry
Concept: Rather than being
‘unwanted’, the weed could be regarded from a Darwinian perspective as a winner
of an evolutionary process. For arguments sake the attributes of the local
weeds, Pampas, Blackberry and Gorse can be seen in a beneficial light – beauty,
food source, shelter etc. Though in hindsight the introduction of Gorse into
New Zealand was an ecological mistake, the protection it can give native
seedlings in their early stages of growth during ecological re-colonising is a
valuable attribute. These oppositional ideas draw
an analogy to and describe the cultural conundrum I am faced with as I address
my need for pride in my cultural heritage as descendent of colonial immigrants.
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