Saturday, May 22, 2010

Discuss?
 It's by an artist called Barry Ross Smith who was born in 1964, in Northland. L and I like it a lot, but it's certainly caused a lot of controversy as well. We've just bought the very small sized print, no bigger than a postcard. It's a conversation starter.

12 comments:

  1. Very nice it is too.....

    ReplyDelete
  2. thought it would be up your street Joanna.
    Not everyone's taste though!

    ReplyDelete
  3. WendyJW10:10 am

    .....so is that a traditional tatoo or zombie dribble .. I can't quite tell? (I'm not anonymouse either!)

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's a moko and certainly there are people who feel that this is very wrong. The Maori people I know have no problem with it. There are a few articles online.
    Here's a couple of links - one if from the website of the artist

    http://www.barryrosssmith.co.nz/info.asp?pageType=11&InfoPageHeaderID=741

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3171317/Queen-with-moko-portrait-draws-complaints

    I'd love to know what the queen thinks.

    ReplyDelete
  5. totally totally love it - does he have a studio up north where you can buy his prints?? do you know if he is still doing the captain cook as hone heke - guessing its the same artist? ooooo this time next week... country paradise!

    ReplyDelete
  6. oo Bella, I don't know about the Hone Heke one. We actually got it at the Stone Store of all places and they have some of his prints.

    Lester hall, who we know well
    http://www.lesterhall.com/
    Does some very interesting prints as well. His website is also incredibly interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hey Bella, I was down at the Acorn painting the kitchen floor this morning to make it nice for you!

    ReplyDelete
  8. oh you shouldnt be doing do that!!! a total of 12 feet on a freshly painted floor.... he he

    ReplyDelete
  9. I like the juxtaposition of the two cultures. What one culture thinks of as 'uncivilised' the other doesn't and visa versa.

    And I better go and read those articles - they sound interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oooo, I went and read the articles and some of the comments! People surely have their opinions, and strong ones at that! I think what the artist might be trying to show is exactly what the Maori Warden was complaining about. She was saying that only women of the chiefly line are permitted to wear the moko. Well, the queen is of the chiefly line - not Maori obviously, but as I commented earlier, the artist is making a comment on what a chief in one culture would do, another one in a different culture would abhor - and which one of them is right? I don't think it's about the moko at all, it's a statement about tolerance for difference. (In my humble opinion...)

    ReplyDelete
  11. totally agree.
    I suppose the argument is that they are both right, really. It then just depends on what you feel yourself.
    I thought the articles were thought provoking at the very least.
    L found the site of the company in NZ that actually does the prints and one of their orders came from Windsor Castle.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great artwork! I like it.

    ReplyDelete

I love it when you leave me comments, it lets me know there are folk out there reading my ramblings! Thank you, I appreciate them loads and loads
Laura x