ARTbop photographer, archival photographer and poet Lee Switzer provides his impressions and visual images of the recent exhibition by Tauranga mixed media and textile artist, Deborah Forkert. Switzer’s images bring you the diversity of style and use of Forkert’s basic materials and capture the artist’s personal style and enthusiasm as she discusses her work.
Remains of the Day, a title that at first reminds one of a rather macabre ending. What went before? What caused the demise? Was it tragedy, Remains of the Day, a title that at first reminds one of a rather macabre conflict or mere exaggeration? Fortunately, this first impression was my own preconceived stereotype of a particular string of words.
When I saw Deborah Forkert’s exhibition, Remains of the Day, an entirely new meaning, came to the fore. Her remains are in fact, a visual representation: extension of time. The primary media is teabags that been emptied, dried and the paper sewn together and reworked into unique designs. Many are painted and decorated with interruptions reflecting the past, present, and by association, our future.
Some of her works, like Memories of My Mother’s Piupiu: Storytelling, are personal, and is genealogically taking us back to another era, yet, the medium is current as we think about the original, unique use of the original tea bags. Other titles are more open such as Made in Aoetearoa I.
During Forkert’s tour of her works, she answered all my many questions and was fluent in animated descriptions, showed how various pieces worked together. The patience, skill and forethought that goes into planning each work is amazing. Nothing haphazard here.
The artist expressed her own syntactical feelings within the subjects coherent reconstituted material. She has parlayed used material into new, symbiotic interactions confirming memories of other times, still relating to today’s appreciation of tea, it’s consumption, it’s gathering together of person and groups.
The exhibition of Forkerts’ works displays art that creates a duality of past memories meshed into a fresh vibrant atmosphere of contextual currencies. Remains of the Day is a fine omen.
Artist Deborah Forkert
From the body of work Memories of My Mother’s Piupiu
Memories of My Mother’s Piupiu: Dawn
Memories of My Mother’s Piupiu: Dawn
Memories of My Mother’s Piupiu: Time
Memories of My Mother’s Piupiu: Family Tree
Memories of My Mother’s Piupiu: Dreaming
Memories of My Mother’s Piupiu: Storytelling
The Triptych Made in Aotearoa
Triptych Made in Aotearoa 1
Triptych: Made in Aotearoa II
Triptych: Made in Aotearoa III
Made in Aotearoa I in close up
Nullabor
The artist explains the narrative of Nullabor
Journal Page
The artist with one of her earlier works Sorrow and Joy. This work was also selected as an entrant in the Miles Art Awards
Koru
Life
Eventide
Pacific Sun
The carefully crafted body of work: Depleted Vessels
Forkert and the title piece of the exhibition “Remains of the Day”
Forkert talks to Switzer about the multi-coloured tie-dyed work referencing New Zealand’s Central Plateau and Lake Taupo
More photos by ARTbop photographer Lee Switzer at
and look for Lee’s upcoming contribution of original poetry to WORDS and another photo essay on the Rotorua Sulphur Lakes Sculpture Trail.
Whether you are visiting the Bay of Plenty, still holidaying or even if you’ve had to return to work – take the time to visit the beautiful boutique Cottleston Gallery, Greerton.
Cottleston Gallery, Greerton
WHAT’S ON AT THE COTTLESTON:
Hello everyone. Here’s wishing you all a great 2017 and hoping you find time to relax and enjoy the summer.
Just finished:
4 – 17 January 2017
Remains of the Day.
Remains of the Day: Forkert exhibits at Cottleston
Deborah Forkert has again this year been a finalist in the Tauranga Art Gallery Miles Award. Her unusual medium – teabags – may surprise you.
You can read more about her exhibition here on the Cottleston website and art practice on the Creative BoP website here.
24 Feb – 19 Mar 2017
The Bee Appreciation Society AGM.
Paintings by Katherine Steeds. A unique and painstaking installation of tiny human portraits in homage to the humble bee.
(Due to an unexpected opportunity to develop the gallery in a new direction, please note that the advertised dates of this latter show have been changed to these new dates.)
During exhibitions the Gallery’s usual opening hours are 11am – 4.30pm every day except Mondays.
The Cottleston Gallery
cottlestongallery.blogspot.com
ARTbop promotes:
Medieval Faire 2017, Tauranga
What: The NZ Medieval Faire recreating action from times past.
When: Friday 20th 2pm to 4pm; Saturday 10am to 4pm and Sunday 22nd January 2017 10am to 3pm.
Where: Southey Field (near Tauranga Boys College) Devonport Road, Tauranga 3112. (Parking on Devonport Road.)
Why: To share a sense of the historical past from 9th to 14th century.
Who: Facilitated by Baldaquin Inc., but participants come from all over New Zealand.
CONTACT:
Andria Goodliffe
Mobile: 021 022 55 898
Landline 075702445
ROTORUA SULPHUR LAKES SCULPTURE TRAIL
Although the historic Rotorua Museum is closed indefinitely the other buildings in the wonderful Government Gardens remain open. The gardens are worth a day out in Rotorua and while there include a walk around the Sulphur Lakes Sculpture Trail. This project was begun in 2014 with 2016 seeing the second Sculpture Symposium.
In November 2016 wielding chisels, hammers and power tools artists descended on Rotorua Arts Village Green to transform 25 tonnes of stone and logs into works of art. Seventeen of New Zealand’s top local and national sculptors had nine days to create pieces of art during the 2016 Sulphur Lakes Sculpture Symposium. The finished pieces of art became part of Rotorua’s Sulphur Lake Sculpture Trail.
All the finished sculptures are installed along the Sulphur Lakes Sculpture Trail in Government Gardens to form The Energy Within Exhibition. The pieces will remain on public display along the trail until the next sculpture symposium in 2018.
The works are for sale at prices set by the artists, and any sold from the sculpture trail would be replaced with alternative pieces.
Only five pieces from the 2014 symposium remain available for sale. There is a comprehensive brochure available (free) at both ends of the trail. Make sure you get one of these before you walk through this sculpture park. Free parking is available in the Government Gardens and nearbye streets. There are clean public toilet facilities. The cafe at the Polynesian Spa is a good place for a coffee or walk into Downtown Rotorua to find a variety of cafes and international food chains.
For further information please contact:
Ingrid Tiriana
Public Relations Advisor
DDI: 351-8110
Mob: 021-190 8868
Email: Ingrid.tiriana@rdc.govt.nz
Hello from Miranda Farm Gallery,
The Summer show is now up and open for viewing. There are some
sculptures out doors in the orchard, and many beautiful paintings,
prints, ceramics and sculptures in the gallery.
Artists this year include Michael Smither, Fatu Feu’u, Neil
Miller,Christine Hellyar, Warren Viscoe, Clovis Viscoe, James Wright,
Uli Christofferson, Samantha Lisette, Suzy Dunser.
We will be open on all the public holidays through the Summer, and the
farm shop/cafe also.
We look forward to seeing you here, and have a safe and happy Christmas
from us all.
Annie Wilson
Miranda Farm Gallery
1107 Miranda Rd
09 238 2608
www.mirandafarm.co.nz
Open 8-4pm every day
BOP Symphonia RISING STARS Competition. Applications now open to all Bay of Plenty secondary school students. Entries close February 2017. More info from Maggie Gething, President Bay of Plenty Symphonia P: 021 144 2028
HAMILTON GARDENS
Travelling through Hamilton and the Waikato? Make sure you take time to stop and walk through the Hamilton Gardens. Forty years of effort on a disused quarry and swamp site has created and international standard botanical garden. Lots of parking, clean toilets and an onsite cafe. Hamilton also has a Museum and art centre on Victoria Street.
Paradox the Street Art Festival coming to Tauranga March to June 2017 – W: taurangastreetart.co.nz
ZOETICA – life – passion – bravery 30 August to 02
September 2017 Tarnished Frocks & Divas in association with Carrus W: tarnishedfrocksanddivas.co.nz F: Tarnished Frocks and Divas
Do not leave me hanging by a thread is a You Tube spoken word project to encourage support for the work of Medecins Sans Frontieres – Doctors Without Borders.
“Medecins Sans frontieres – Doctors Without Borders is an international non-governmental humanitarian medical organisaiton. It delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from health care. It was founded in Paris in 1971 by a group of doctors and journalists who believed that all people have the right to medical care regarldess of gender race religion or political affiliation. There are regionally based organisations. Australia has an organisation www.msf.org.au “
