Ngā Rongo a Tāne (The Sounds of Tāne)
Ceramic, paint, Kauri, recycled native timber
The 2018 Dalton Trust Artist Residency was awarded to Todd Sheridan from Gisborne, New Zealand
Kei te Ngū te Ngahere
The Forest is Silent.
We all need to be concerned about the silence of our forests. Where once it was deafening today you hardly hear a sound. We should take heed, we should do something, before it is too late lest we be deafened by silence. Our ancestors would hunt the birds, they maintained the stocks by shifting their hunting weirs throughout the forest. These instruments were ingenious, they were part of the landscape. Introduced pests and rodents know no bounds they are prolific. They have no predators only us, those who brought them. Therefore, it is up to us to change that.
The ‘waka kereru’ pigeon hunter is now ‘waka whangai manu’ bird feeder, a gateway, the ‘purerehua’ a wind chime. The ‘mokomoko’ a marker, a reminder.
The Artist Residency supported by the Dalton Trust was an awesome learning experience for both me and my partner Jo. With the added joy of having our godson Kahukura on the journey we really didn’t know where this was going to lead us other than he was going to be a big part of it.
The concept of creating something to entice the birds to frolic and play bringing more sound to the bush was always the intention of this proposal. Turning around what was once a hunting mechanism to a feeding tool appealed to the carving background I brought into the residency.
Searching for fallen trees, branches or bamboo or anything else that might spark the idea into action seemed to occupy, very quickly, the first 2 weeks and before we knew it we were returning home to Gisborne. On return for the final 2 weeks later in the year I was none the wiser, although having friends in high places certainly helped prod things along a little. With a piece of ancient kauri and some recycled weather boards I could begin. And with a few bags of terra-cotta clay to take home with me I was away. This freedom allowed me to sculpt of the clay in my own studio whereas I was able to get the sculptural wooden pieces done at Wharepuke.
What special place with equally wonderful people. Meeting other artists was an absolute bonus and would be one of the highlights. The freedom to explore and experiment pushed my art into an area outside my comfort zone and look forward to seeing this finally realised. Nga mihi nui ki a koutou The Dalton Trust me korua hoki Tania korua ko Mark.