Te Aotūroa (The Long-Standing Light)
Te Aotūroa is a body of work exploring the beautiful natural landscapes of Aotearoa New Zealand, their digital footprints and their connections to stories and peoples of new and old.
Each piece is built in a particular area of the country, with an examination of the local environment, its nature and ways of life. An overlay of the digital world in varying forms is imagined depending on the populous and development of the location.
The basis of this series is divided into three different pieces of work.
Waimamaku Stream / Te Tai Tokerau
The Haven / Te Tai-o-Aorere
Plains of Old / Waitaha
With this series of works, I explored the merging of both the natural and digital worlds.
My work has always touched on this theme throughout the years. But being in a country like this, so far removed and isolated from the rest of the world, in all its natural beauty inspired me to focus on these elements with renewed awe. The art takes on the form of environments I got to call home during the year here, from the Northlands to Tasman Bay and Canterbury. The works, depending on location also explore local Maori lore and legends, from creation story’s to the tribes that got to call these area’s home at one point or the other.
Since I started making Digital Fine Art my work has always been visually digital heavy and I believe that is because of my experiences of the time. Generally, I would be making them whilst living in cities like London and whilst travelling in places like Florence or Edinburgh. I’d always try to push natural elements like plants/foliage and making it more nature-centric, but I found it hard. With this series Te Aotūroa, I feel like this might be the first time I have been truly able to work on nature elements because of the present experience.
Depending on the piece, the digital elements are prevalent or minuscule depending on the isolation experienced. In the first two pieces, the experiences were more nature-centric whereas the third was mostly in a city, which highlights more of a digital footprint.
Waimamaku Stream / Te Tai Tokerau
The first piece.
The sound of Cicada’s was deafening, the nearby water in the bay gently rising and fading with the sounds of birds and sea creatures.
The cicadas greatly inspired my direction with this piece. Pukenui and the Northland region was naturally very dense in foliage, with a very tropical and humid climate. I stayed here during the last month of Summer.
Waimamaku Stream tells a story of my renewed connection to a land I admire greatly. A retreat and a place of peace after years of urban settings back in the UK.
Waimamaku Stream takes inspiration from the tale surrounding Tāne Mahuta and the separation of the Mother and Father (Papatūānuku & Ranginui). Giving us the land and trees we see today. The sacred Te Aroha tree also resides in this piece, acknowledging key sights of the Northlands.
The Haven / Te Tai-o-Aorere
The Second Piece.
The Tasman area including the bay and the Abel Tasman National Park, all the way up towards Collingwood was an ecological treat. Te Waikoropupu Springs in particular was an extraordinary place. The spiritual aspects of the springs to the Maori left a lasting impression.
Nelson stood out to me through its history as one of the earliest colonial settlements in the country, and it’s easy to see it when around the town. The natural harbour when seeing it from the vantage points of the surrounding hillsides gives this feeling of awe in what nature can do and provide for us to use. A refuge for ships after months at sea, a new home for people looking for a new life.
The Haven comes as this admiration for the Abel Tasman area, its ecological diversity but also a real appreciation for the small townships of Aotearoa like Nelson.
Plains of Old / Waitaha
The Third piece.
I spent most of my time in this particular environment. Canterbury and Christchurch were where I was mostly based in my time here. My home away from home. A place I’ve become very fond of. Christchurch is the second biggest city in the country, but it still felt small. The Canterbury plains were central to this piece.
Christchurch is featured in this composition and gives the piece more of a digital footprint. From here the surrounding ranges that border the Canterbury plains take form.
This piece honours the Ngāi Tahu (People of Tahu) and the diverse culture Christchurch now embodies. Plains Of Old also pays homage to a structure in the landscape that is reminiscent of my home. Agriculture is a cornerstone of the Canterbury way of life, similar to the rural area’s of England and the expanses of rolling green hill’s that grow the food we eat. The connection between these ways of life somehow makes me feel at home despite being the other side of the world. A common connection of people and bloodlines through time.