For the love of arts
The new artistic director of Tauranga’s flagship Arts Festival brings passion and experience to the event.
The new artistic director of Tauranga’s flagship Arts Festival
brings passion and experience to the event.
Words Monique Balvert-O’Connor Photos Jeremy Hooper
Gabrielle Vincent thinks she may have shed a tear or two upon hearing she’d got the job of Tauranga Arts Festival artistic director.
“I love programming live performance and really wanted to get into the festival world, so being given this opportunity was just so very exciting,” is how she explains her happy tears.
Renowned as one of the most exciting art producers in the country, Gabrielle has come to the Tauranga Art Festival job after six years leading Auckland’s Basement Theatre where she commissioned and produced some of New Zealand’s boldest and bravest new talents.
The new position she was so thrilled about came her way at the tail end of 2020. But because the COVID-19 pandemic put paid to the planned 2021 Tauranga Art Festival, and caused a pushing out of this year’s Escape festival (from June to October), there’s a sense among Tauranga’s art community that Gabrielle has yet to be properly introduced. The October 12 to 16 Escape – little festival with big ideas – event is about to change that.
“This will be the first festival I actually get to deliver. We did a lot of work and came up with an exciting programme for the 2021 festival – it was heartbreaking having to call that off. Now it’s really wonderful to be able to deliver something.”
While she has years of experience programming, Escape will offer Gabrielle (34) her first opportunity to programme a writers’ festival. And what an exciting journey it has already been, says this woman with great ideas and vision.
There’s much on offer to thrill, and Gabrielle selects News, News, News as an example – a television news show, made by children for adults, recorded in front of a studio audience and broadcast live from Baycourt. Children from Mount Maunganui primary will be involved, guided by Andy Field and Beckie Darlington – Gabrielle’s enticed both over from the United Kingdom. Andy and Beckie came up with the concept, and have worked with children across the world who have performed it.
“It’s going to be a really fun show. It’s incredibly informative and, of course, very funny and sweet and enlightening.”
Gabrielle is delighted the timing of Escape falls within the school holidays, and as a result the line-up includes many family-friend events and children’s work.
“I am passionate about art bringing family together and sharing moments that become memorable experiences,” she says.
Gabrielle’s daughter (she and husband Simon have a three-year-old named Edie) will grow up with a plethora of such memories, for sure. Before long she’ll be tagging along with her mother who loves to soak up theatre, dance and music performances. Perhaps, like her mother, Edie will be a “drama geek” at school, too.
Acting, singing – and a seventh form curriculum full of art subjects – filled schoolgirl Gabrielle’s creative soul with joy. As a school leaver, who felt “incredibly passionate” about theatre and live performance, Auckland Unitec beckoned with its opportunity to major in theatre directing.
During her third year of study, Gabrielle was seconded to Auckland Theatre Company, where opportunities included getting to assistant-direct a show. Then, when a stage manager position came up, Gabrielle – who thoroughly enjoyed being backstage – was the “go to”. Gabrielle spent the next six years as a freelance stage manager, working mainly for Auckland Theatre Company.
A keenness to get into the producing side of the business coincided with a six-month pilot producers’ programme on offer at Auckland’s Basement Theatre – the home of independent theatre.
“I got that, which was exciting. I saw many emerging artists come through and then head off and thrive
doing phenomenal things.
“I then realised I actually liked programming more than producing and I managed to get a programme director
job there for about five years.”
It’s been a career full of wonderful opportunities and adding the part-time Tauranga Arts Festival director job to the curriculum vitae is another highlight. Preparation for the next festival, in 2023, with its range of art forms are well underway. But first, Escape, with its writers, speakers, live theatre and more.
“Programming a writer’s festival has been a really exciting journey. It occurred to me that what’s different about this compared to other live performances is that none of the conversations are rehearsed. They are conjured up by people, places, ideas and we are seeing something magical unfold at the time. Conversations are unique and cannot be replicated,” she says.
When UNO chats to Gabrielle she’s not long off preparing to head to Tauranga (Auckland is home base) for a month, in readiness for, and for, Escape. She can’t wait!
A village with heart
You'll find old-world appeal in this vintage-inspired shopping and community complex, with its unique cobblestone streets and charming historic buildings.
You'll find old-world appeal in this vintage-inspired shopping and community complex, with its unique cobblestone streets and charming historic buildings.
Words Sue Hoffart Photos Jess Lowcher + Salina Galvan
Extraordinary moments happen remarkably often beyond the steel gates that separate The Historic Village from ordinary Tauranga life.
Children with disabilities discover their voices on stage at Detour Theatre, while men wielding hand tools address mental health issues inside the Men’s Shed workshop. At the resident chapel, marriages are conducted beside woven tukutuku panels that previously stood in an old Matapihi church. After dark, artistic careers are launched at gallery openings and new musical talent is discovered at lively gigs.
And every day, people in need receive practical help, counselling, mentoring or even a new job thanks to the myriad of social service organisations that operate from the Village.
Village manager Blair Graham and his team manage the 5.5ha Tauranga City Council-run property, with its sweeping lawns and tracts of native bush, boutique shops and character buildings.
Jewel in the crown
Eight years into the job, Blair’s main focus is looking after the resident community groups and retailers who help to attract more than 200,000 visitors each year.
“This village has heart. It’s a jewel in the crown of the Te Papa peninsula,” he says, describing the way vibrant cultural festivals and corporate events unfold alongside everyday kindnesses. At the recently revitalised Village Cinema, (activated by The Incubator), for example, Sonic Cinema run a relaxed cinema experience for all ages where the cinema is adapted to the audience's sensory requirements and comfort.
The cinema, which can be transformed into a cocktail venue or lecture theatre for corporate groups, is one of five indoor function offerings on site. The Village Hall, which was renovated late last year, is a cathedral-like space with purpose-built lighting and sound systems.
“The thing about hiring a Village venue is that it ticks the corporate social responsibility box because it helps fund all the innovation and collaboration and good things that happen here.
“We host a lot of weddings here, too, partly because our 60-seat chapel has all the charm of a small country church. In fact, my brother was married there 22 years ago and I was best man.”
Sometimes, bridal parties choose to wed in the adjacent amphitheatre, amid tranquil native bush, perhaps with a Whipped Baker cake made onsite and old-fashioned lawn games afterwards.
Festive spirit
Other visitors come seeking entertainment and international cuisine at the city’s annual multicultural festival or the Diwali festival, with its lanterns and incense, swirling saris and spicy food.
During the day, people attend appointments or hui, conduct business or browse the boutique shops that sell everything from vinyl records to vintage or designer-made clothing, gemstones, lead lighting and art. In the evenings, dance lessons and upholstery classes kick off. The weekend crowd is different again as families, cyclists and joggers step off the neighbouring Kopurererua Valley walkway for coffee and treats.
“Early on, we discovered Pokémon geocache players were coming here at night to play the online game.”
Blair’s domain is also part of the city’s wellbeing precinct, with Tauranga Hospital, St John and the TECT Rescue Helicopter service all housed a few minutes’ walk away. Time and again, the centre manager has seen families of people dealing with serious health issues find their way from the hospital to the Village for scones and tea and solace.
“There’s a slower pace of life here. The sun streams into the cobbled streets and it’s a little bit like stepping back in time. It calms people
Baked with love
Baby Albert Cooper was six months old when his mother Fran almost died of meningitis.
The mother of five and Whipped Baker proprietor – Fran co-owns The Historic Village bakery with husband and fellow baker Aaron – has never forgotten the people who saved her life. That’s why any café leftovers go straight to nearby hospital emergency department staff or ambulance officers across the road.
However, leftovers can be tough to find at the incredibly popular eatery, which specialises in “really luscious, sumptuous food that people can’t help but dive into.”
On the day the café launched in 2015, the husband and wife team employed a single barista. That first morning, the customer queue stretched out the door and down the street. Now, the seven-day-a-week business employs 18 extra staff, offers catering services and still struggles to meet demand. Aaron and Fran still frequently start work between 2.30am and 3.30am and all their children help in the business.
“We’ve always been known for our doughnuts and custard slice. We’re very old-school bakers, not people who like fancy food and stuff you can’t pronounce. It’s just good, wholesome, fresh-baked food. Everything is made 100 percent from scratch.”
Fran and most of her family are lactose-intolerant, which means they cannot consume much of the food they produce.
“I can’t eat it myself, but I just like feeding other people. I bake to make people happy.
“And being part of the Village is like being part of one big family. I feel like we’re the village kitchen. I love the atmosphere, love the people. It’s like going home every day.”
Next big thing
The up-and-coming star of Muru got into acting almost by accident - but his onscreen talent is certainly no fluke.
The up-and-coming star of Muru got into acting almost
by accident – but his onscreen talent is certainly no fluke.
Words Dan Collins
Rising star Poroaki Merritt-McDonald opens UNO’s interview with a surprising confession.
“I wasn’t too big on the idea of being an actor,” he admits, before explaining how his mum helped him turn tragedy into triumph, while also keeping him from wandering down the wrong path – despite his protestations at the time. The 18-year-old local is being hotly tipped as the next big Kiwi actor to take flight, having starred in notable New Zealand films like Muru and Savage, as well as the theatre play Little Black Bitch.
“It wasn’t until I went through losing my brother and kind of went off the rails that my mum thought to chuck me into acting, to help me cope with what I was dealing with at the time,” he continues. “I’ve always been an out-of-the-box type of person, a bit of a character, all my life. So she thought she’d just chuck me into that.”
It was a prudent move and one that proves the old saying ‘mother knows best’. Even if initially she had to drag him along to drama classes.
“A lot of the time I was annoyed at my mother for making me do it,” he laughs. “But I look at it now and I’m like, ‘Ah, okay. Thank you, Mum!’”
The very first audition he got was for the lead role in a short film called My Brother Mitchell, which screened at the New Zealand International Film Festival back in 2018.
“That was based on the director losing his older brother, so I had that connection straight away with the director,” he says. “Acting just went on from there. I feel like it was fate.”
Poroaki’s a friendly and engaging guy and was used to the limelight, thanks to his time performing in a Kapa Haka group, which he credits for giving him skills that he was able to transfer to acting.
Even still, the natural performer says that he found his first audition extremely nerve-wracking. “Walking into the audition room I was definitely nervous and didn’t know how to come across or what to expect,” he says. “But once I got into a flow I started seeing all the benefits and started to really enjoy it. After the first short film I thought to myself, ‘I wouldn’t mind doing this.’”
His performance in My Brother Mitchell got him noticed, and more auditions started coming in. One was for a role in the critically acclaimed feature film Savage in 2020, a movie no less than The Guardian described as “a moving New Zealand street-gang saga” and a “touching character study.” But even with these successes behind him, the Bay of Plenty local still wasn’t sure if acting was for him.
“It wasn’t until Muru, really, when I thought I could do something with acting. For a lot of it I really thought I was tin-assing my way through. That it was just luck,” he reflects. “I thought I only got My Brother Mitchell because of that connection with the director and I really thought I only got Savage because I had a really rugged haircut!"
“After Muru, people started giving me props and nice feedback, and I thought maybe I could do it. Leading up to Muru, I still didn’t have too much of a care about acting. It was taking me away from school and rugby tournaments and all of that stuff. Every time I missed out on a school trip I’d be moaning, ‘I just want to hang out with my mates’. My parents would be like, ‘Do you want to hang out with your mates at the marae or do you want to be in America at a five-star hotel?’ So, it wasn’t until Muru when I realised that if I tried and really applied myself I could get somewhere with this.”
As well as being a game changer for his career, Muru has also been a true game-changer for his outlook. Previously, he’d begrudgingly go to auditions telling his mum he didn’t want to do them or that he “couldn’t be bothered”. That all changed when he heard about Muru. He says something clicked in his head and he knew that he really wanted to be a part of it.
“I thought I was actually going for an audition for Vegas,” he says, referencing TVNZ’s action-thriller series. “I had this mullet at the time and the casting crew asked if I knew how to ride a horse. I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t the best horse rider.” He lets out a hearty laugh and then grins, “But I said yes anyway. You gotta fake it to make it, man!”
Having had his equestrian skills verbally confirmed, they proceeded to tell him what he was actually there auditioning for.
“When they gave me the rundown of what Muru was about, straightaway I was like, ‘I need to do this.’ This is one of the most pinnacle stories and historical moments that has happened in New Zealand, and for Māori, in the 20th century,” he says. “I was beyond relieved about getting this part, eh. It was a big uplifting moment, a real proud moment I felt for myself, to be able to tell this story. I feel for all my cousins from just down the road. When I was looking into all the stories from locals and people that were a part of it or heard of it, it was quite emotional.”
Muru tells the story of 2007’s real-life event that saw the Government’s elite Special Tactics group raid a remote Māori township in Ruatoki, in the Eastern Bay, under the auspices of the Terrorism Suppression Act.
“Although this movie is a recreation, it’s more of a response. It shines a light on a dark story that has been hidden away from us,” Poroaki says of the film. “The first few scenes I did I was with all the Kaumatua, the elderly, and on the van trips with them I’d be yarning to them, asking, ‘What was it like? How did it feel? What actually went down?’
“You don’t learn about this type of history in school. I felt really embarrassed for myself being a Māori and growing up in the Māori world, that I didn’t know much about in the first place. I was like, ‘Yeah, not only would this be a great story to finally let out to New Zealand and the world, but it would also be a grea learning moment for me to see what happened to my cousins from Whakatāne.”
Born in Tauranga, Poroaki grew up in Arataki (“the hood,” he laughs) before moving out to the more rural setting of Matapihi. With Muru under his belt, he’s now signed with a big UK talent agency and has already had a couple of overseas auditions, although he’s under strict instructions not to reveal any of the details about what these may be just yet. He’s also starring in a new TV show, which he says will be out around November, and is currently working on a new theatre production with his mates and some well-known directors that will be staged in Tauranga early next year.
UNO notes that this sounds like a busy schedule and he agrees, saying, “There’s not a lot of breaks but I’m enjoying it.”
Poroaki found that one of the unexpected pleasures of his success is how it motivated and inspired his friends to also get involved in the arts, with many finding their own successes in doing so and forming a bustling creative community here in the Bay.
“As Māori men in New Zealand, we’re mostly perceived as tough fellas who only make it in rugby. That’s all we’re really good at,” he says.
“So opening this door to my mates, that nah, it’s not just sports, it’s not just rugby. I always looked at my mates and thought, ‘Some of you are a lot better than me at this, you could actually do this’.
It has opened up a real big doorway for mates who were into Shakespeare and all the performing arts. It’s been a proud moment being able to see all my mates up on stage. They just blow me away. One of my mates is actually now over in London and about to perform at the Globe!”
He smiles and says, “That’s where a bit of perseverance and sitting down and learning lines can take you.”
Into the Incubator
This creative hub has built a colourful reputation over nine amazing years
This creative hub has built a colourful reputation over nine amazing years
Words Sue Hoffart Photos supplied
Pilots love the rainbow-hued roadway that loudly, proudly adorns the entrance to The Incubator’s headquarters inside Tauranga’s Historic Village.
From the air, the artwork has become a well-known and cheery navigation beacon for passing planes. On the ground, it is yet another practical example of the “edgy, alternative, multi-genre art space” that Incubator director Simone Anderson envisaged a decade ago.
When the Tauranga artist set out to establish a creative hub for budding fellow practitioners, she and her
small team inhabited a converted barn divided into six studios. These days, the barn – dubbed the mother ship – is headquarters to an arts organisation that boasts 24 resident artists who now inhabit 15 buildings within The Village. Countless initiatives, events and artists have flourished along the way.
Every year, thousands of people visit to celebrate eccentricity at the Fringe Festival or attend Incubator-led workshops, to hear live music or buy the ceramics and clothing, jewellery and other items created by artists working on site.
“We’re expanding and growing beyond our wildest expectations and we’re changing the perception of
what our city is,” Simone says. “Tauranga has had a reputation as a cultural wasteland. We knew that wasn’t the case but now all these alternative, quirky high-functioning artists are really visible, in one place,
in The Village.
“And we have this whole ecosystem of working artists who now have community support, sharing resources and marketing and retail space.”
The Incubator is living up to its name in a multitude of ways. As well as incubating talent and ideas, it is inspiring visitors to appreciate new or different art forms.
“We want people to say yay, I went to that exhibition or event and I didn’t even don’t know I was interested till I saw it. Far out, that was cool.
“And we want everyone to realise art is a real, professional trade, like an electrician or a plumber.”
The organisation is also propagating creativity beyond The Village gates.
Tauranga Art Gallery has featured work by many artists who found their feet through the Incubator, while the city centre and local area are more vibrant thanks to murals by Incubator graduate Sam Allen. The young painter found confidence and connections in The Village.
City women are wearing clothing by fashion designer Kerry Funnell, who launched her Nape label and boutique after sharing a satellite studio in The Village.
“Kerry’s work is stunning, and people can walk in and see her with her sewing machine and bolts of fabric, on the main street here.
“The Village has always been an open, inclusive asset for the city and that’s exactly what we aim to be. Everything we do is really grassroots, accessible, the cost barrier is low. It’s not elite or pretentious.”
The art deco Village Cinema has recently joined The Incubator stable, with its Hollywood-themed designs and "for the people, by the people" mantra. The cinema aims to cater to everyone from independent filmmakers to people living with dementia or a disability while embracing guests who are neurodiverse, new immigrants, on a low income, or from the LGBTQIA+ community. Audiences can expect to find vintage, arthouse or Pasifika film events as well as children’s holiday or private screenings and Bollywood film nights.
At the eastern end of The Village, a creative community campus is the newest addition. This development, in a repurposed Montessori school, encompasses a textile and sewing hub, a ceramic and pottery hub, large outdoor teaching spaces and a roomy classroom ideal for workshops and seminars.
“It’s one of our most exciting projects. It’s second in size to the city’s art gallery and it’s a game-changer for the city in terms of arts infrastructure.”
After Dark
Creative BOP’s urban festival is bringing light to dark times.
Creative BOP’s urban festival is bringing light to dark times.
Words Luke Schroder - images supplied
It’s easy to walk around Tauranga’s city streets without paying any close attention to the big blank walls of surrounding buildings. Concrete slabs and featureless facades line the streets, designed to be forgettable, non-intrusive enclosures for the businesses contained behind them. But for some clever minds these walls represent a far more exciting opportunity. These walls will soon become canvases for creativity as artists light up public spaces with an eclectic mix of colourful shapes, short films, abstract imagery, and innovative lighting technologies that will show the city in a new light.
This exciting initiative is being brought to Tauranga by Creative Bay of Plenty, with funding support from Creative New Zealand. Trustpower has come on board as the major corporate sponsor, alongside partners Downtown Tauranga, Tauranga City Council, Priority One, Veros, Te Tuhi Mareikura Trust and Toi Ohomai.
After Dark Urban Light Festival is an all-new art experience that will see a range of artworks transform Tauranga’s CBD into a gleaming playground full of exciting, illuminated installations. For 10 days in May a selection of luminous artworks will form a unique art trail across the central city through a mixture of video projection, freestanding sculptures, glowing alleyways, short films, and creative uses of vacant spaces. The festival is designed to be a self-guided journey spread across multiple sites within Tauranga’s CBD that encourages people to walk around the city discovering the various installations and the magic within.
It may not seem like a logical time to be running a new festival given the recent wave of event cancellations, postponements, and ongoing uncertainty, however with some clever thinking and careful planning After Dark is designed to be able to proceed regardless of traffic light settings or gathering restrictions. Because the festival isn’t fixed to a particular day, time, or single location, all those attending can be spread out from each other and stay socially distant whilst still enjoying all the festival has to offer.
“We’ve intentionally designed a covid-friendly format that allows people to participate from a distance and at their own leisure”, says Project Manager Luke Schroder. “People can view any artwork at any time on any evening during the 10 days of the festival and still have the same great experience.”
After Dark will be an opportunity for families, friends, and individuals of all ages to share in an exciting and fresh artistic experience described as a ‘tapestry of illuminated creativity’. After Dark explores themes of connectedness in our society, specifically connections to people, culture, and nature. These connections make up the themed ‘threads’ of After Dark and serve as inspiration for new works created for the festival.
Emily Woolerton is one local artist creating a new artwork specifically for After Dark. As the creative mind behind Mount Maunganui design studio ‘Calico’ and clothing label ‘The Know’, Emily is no stranger to creating fun designs and out-of-the-box visual ideas. For the launch of her first clothing line, Emily used video projection to transform Papamoa photography studio Suburbia into an exciting visual feast of giant slurping noodles, animated playing cards, floor-to-ceiling curtains made of poetry, and a brand-new fashion collection on display.
“Normal moments became jarring by placing them in the centre of attention. Someone eating noodles is an average, everyday occurrence – until that person is five metres wide and you can see every detail. It became an immersive experience, where people were both transfixed and horrified by the ordinary.”
With a mind for design and an eye for detail, Emily is looking forward to creating a new piece to be exhibited at After Dark later this year. Her artwork titled ‘Critical’ is a creative look at our need for human connection and examines how we are wired to thrive through relationships with one another instead of getting lost in our own insular worlds.
Emily is excited to see creativity fostered in the Bay of Plenty through projects such as After Dark and is looking forward to seeing the vibrancy it will bring to the city. “One of the beautiful things about art is how it brings people together, and it’s really exciting to see events like this build the culture and atmosphere in Tauranga.”
After Dark Urban Light Festival runs from Friday May 13 to Sunday May 22, 2022 in Tauranga CBD and is a free-entry event suitable for all ages.
Creative character: writer and poet Stuart Greenhill and the Fenton Arts Collective
Writer and poet Stuart Greenhill of the Fenton Arts Collective in Stratford talks to UNO.
PHOTOS Andy Jackson and Jane Dove Juneau
UNO: What a beautiful building you are housed in. How did you find it and what was the journey to restoration?
Stuart Greenhill: My partner Jo Stallard was looking for a heritage building to save. In 2016, she offered a ridiculously low amount for the Egmont Chambers building in Stratford, which was earthquake-rated 17%. It was accepted. The building was not listed on Stratford’s District Plan, so no funding was available. Other than that, it was a fantastic journey. We had enough experience from previous projects to ensure the outcome was what we wanted. The renovation won an Architecture Award in 2019 for Renovations and Additions. The building fascinates people, and many come just to see it.
What is the Fenton Arts Collective?
It is a collective of our passions and interests: Art, history, gin and espresso. We are 310 metres up a mountain, so our aspirations are just as high for each of them. The Collective offers people something unique, something intimate, something historical and modern; it offers a genuine experience.
Your partner Jo Stallard is the curator and artist-in-residence. What is Jo's artistic background, and what does she paint?
Jo comes from an art history background and is a portrait artist. She works in the traditional painting technique of “grisaille” or “dead painting” to traverse the landscapes of the human face and body. Looking, seeing and perceiving are the semantics of what a face has to give, share or provoke, and those are the landscapes she loves. So people come to the Collective, grab a coffee or gin from downstairs, and visit Jo’s working studio upstairs -- and maybe even chat about a commission.
Refreshment plays a strong role in your building; we hear gin and espresso coffee flow freely! Tell us more.
To survive in the provinces, businesses require diversity. Coffee, retail, and an art gallery were great, but we needed something more. Making gin is like writing. Botanicals are characters; each brings a different personality, so it was simply a matter of creating fantastic stories. People hear those when they book a gin tasting with me. Our espresso bar uses Proof & Stock coffee, made by our daughter, Adrianna, and offers high-quality healthy options including gluten-free and keto. And Tauranga celebrity Chef Ken Greenhill creates a monthly five-course degustation for us. They are so popular we have a waiting list.
What's your connection to Tauranga?
My brother’s been here since 1997, and Jo and I set up Deckchair on Marine Parade with him in 2007. We sold in 2010, travelled for a bit, and were approached in 2013 to establish Quantum Vis Eatery on Cameron Road. We still have a connection to the Bay, having formed many friendships over those years, and are thrilled that our gin is now carried by Mount Wine Barrel, Maunganui Rd and Fife Lane Restaurant.
And on top of all that, you're a published author! What have you written?
Dante Fog was published by Austin Macauley Publishers in London last year. It is autobiographical fiction (yes, that is a genre). The mother in the novel tells her son, “There are no better observers of life than artists.” I totally agree. Artistic license takes life and makes it art. That’s why I write poetry and prose and make gin and Jo paints. There is a beautiful complexity in discovering and understanding the layers in the mirror looking back at us. Our art attempts to express it so does the character Dante Fog.
What does the future hold for the Fenton Arts Collective?
There’s pressure to grow, but the distillery will remain boutique and so will the Arts Collective. Our gallery is booked for 2021, I am contracted to Austin Macauley Publishers for my next book, and Jo has two exhibitions this year. The future will be busy.
Award-winning Israel Randell talks art, new challenges and the bigger picture
“If people ask me [to explain my work], I want to have a conversation. That’s really all art is, a conversation. Sometimes it’s real honest, like, ‘What the hell is that?’ or ‘Why do I hate this work so much?’” That’s the kind of things that artwork brings.”
Through multi-media, moving image and sound, award-winning Tauranga artist Israel Randell articulates the spiritual and unseen. Now, in her new role as curator at Whakatāne Museum & Arts, she wants to help amplify the voices of local talent.
WORDS Maria Hoyle PHOTOS Quinn O’Connell
The question ‘what is art?’ is a tricky one to answer. One person’s masterpiece may be another’s monstrosity, making it hard to reach a consensus. Yet for multi-disciplinary artist Israel Randell, it’s not complicated at all. Art, she says, is a conversation, and as a newly appointed exhibitions curator at Whakatāne Museum & Arts, it’s one she is very much looking forward to having with the local community.
Originally from Hamilton (Tainui, Ngāti Kahungunu) and of Cook Islands descent, the mum-of-one has her work cut out for her when she arrives at her post (the week after talking to UNO). She and the team will be busy preparing for the February exhibition of the winners of the Molly Morpeth Canaday Award: Painting & Drawing, presented by Arts Whakatāne and held at Te Kōputu a te Whanga a Toi – Whakatāne Library & Exhibition Centre. Although that will be Israel’s immediate focus, she talks excitedly about the bigger picture.
“I’m really interested in being embedded in the community, getting to know the artists, and finding out how I can help them to realise their ambitions and be that person who bridges the community and the gallery,” says the Toi Ohomai Bachelor of Creative Industries graduate. “I’m also excited to be learning from my colleagues. Going into any new role, it’s good to be listening.”
Listening will be crucial for her dialogue with local artists too. Some may not see the gallery space as relevant to them – for example, those who may be more focused on selling their work, or those from other disciplines such as dance, theatre or acting.
Is it fair to say that galleries are often seen as no-go zones for certain sections of the community? “Yes,” she says decisively. “A gallery space is definitely always viewed as a white space by people outside looking in.”
So breaking down the boundaries between practices is one way not only to showcase a wider variety of work, but also to change the perception of what and who a gallery is for, of reaching those who aren’t, for whatever reason, engaging with it. “It’s constructive to help different types of creatives,” says Israel. “I think it does start with having a structure that caters to every kind of practice, not just the 2D practice or sculptural practice.”
Israel’s no stranger to having a dialogue across disciplines and amplifying the voices of indigenous artists. She arrives in her new role fresh from a Mana Moana research residency with arts agency Circuit, where she looked at the experimental practices of Māori and Pasifika visual artists, writers, choreographers and musicians to produce a collection of interviews and online content.
Israel’s own work experiments with moving image, multi-media and sound – quite a departure from the large-scale paintings she did as an art student in Auckland. “I took a break, moved to Tauranga and started off again at Toi Ohomai. But I didn’t want my work to be flat on the wall anymore – I wanted to occupy the space between the walls. I wanted to paint with light in space, so I was looking for materials that would let me do that. Lots of painters say all painting is about light and dark. I was interested in using light in a sculptural way to activate space.”
She originally considered working in neon, but it was costly. A classmate suggested wire would be cheaper, so she sourced some on Trade Me and started experimenting with it in the school studio.
Playing with wire and light sounds like a lot of fun, but it was no walk in the park. Israel’s daughter Lola, now two and a half, was just eight months old when Israel started the course. “I was still breastfeeding so I was worried. But I needed something else, a direction or passion, that was separate from my identity as a mother. I needed that for my own mental health and that in turn made me a better mother.”
It also, she believes, made her a better artist. “You go in there with no bullshit, no excuses – you get things done. You don’t have time to fluff around, then go home and work till 2am, because at home it’s all about your child. So I was way more focused. I think that drive elevated my art practice to something it maybe couldn’t have been when I was a single person.”
“I didn’t want my work to be flat on the wall anymore – I wanted to occupy the space between the walls.”
That ‘elevated something’ is a compelling body of work that speaks clearly to ‘maatauranga’ – what she describes as “the whole way of being Māori, the many layers that there are.
“I look a lot to cosmological narratives to explore things that aren’t material,” she says. “I’m interested in actualising the intangible. It’s hard… I don’t know if I’m successful half the time. This year’s body of work has focused on water and the elemental phases it goes through, and the spiritual things they hold for Māori and Pasifika people. I’m interested in exploring things that I can’t see that have been told by generations of elders, and trying to connect with it and make sense of it in my own way.”
Israel might not know if she’s successful half the time, but her work certainly impressed the judges of the 2020 Miles Art Award, presented In March by the Tauranga Art Gallery Toi Tauranga. To her surprise, she landed the Supreme Award for Wahi Ngaro, a compelling installation in which triangles of electroluminescent wire reference whakapapa and an in-between space with infinite potential. It’s a beautiful piece, one you can appreciate without knowing what it represents. Does it bother her when she’s asked to explain her work?
“If people do ask me, I want to have a conversation,” she says. “That’s really all art is, a conversation. The artwork is there to trigger that. Sometimes it’s real honest conversations, like, ‘What the hell is that?’ or ‘Why do I hate this work so much?’” That’s the kind of things that artwork brings.”
And then sometimes the work exists, well, just because. “Sometimes we totally make it because we want to make it. It’s important to let people know that and uncomplicate the way we speak.”
Featured in UNO Issue #51 - subscribe to get yours
The real glamour in the real Vegas: Kharl WiRepa
Designer Kharl WiRepa has won award after award for his wildly glamorous couture. He met Trelise Cooper at 15. At the age of 23, Anna Wintour’s gang have come knocking.
Designer Kharl WiRepa has won award after award for his wildly glamorous couture. He met Trelise Cooper at 15. At the age of 23, Anna Wintour’s gang have come knocking.
WORDS JENNY RUDD PHOTOS MICHELLE CUTELLI
Kharl WiRepa has been named as one of the country’s top 20 influencers under the age of 25 by www.scout.co.nz, had two shows at New Zealand Fashion Week at which front row tickets were requested by US Vogue. At age 15 he was the only person at a fashion show to be able to curl Trelise Cooper’s locks properly. So he has talent by the truckload.
The 23 year old born and bred Rotorua boy is sooo fashion, darling, all high cheekbones, slender physique, svelte tailoring and dark glasses. He’s also as cheeky as an imp and his honesty probably gets him into trouble. Half the stuff he says isn’t printable and is naughty and funny enough to necessitate plenty of covering of mouths to stifle giggles and scoffs from both of us. Warm and confiding, he’d definitely make the perfect dinner guest: outrageous, beautiful, fun, well spoken and well read.
NOT FOR ME
An only child, Kharl went to a smart, private Catholic school. He said he found it hard there with both the other students and the teachers.
“They wanted to mould everyone. I didn’t feel I needed to be moulded as I am quite happy as I am. Why should I be something I’m not? I will do what I like because I am not subject to anyone’s conditions. As an only child, I was used to socialising with adults and I didn’t appreciate being spoken down to at school by the teachers. What makes them better and more important than the students?
“I was bullied severely for the way I behaved and carried on. Gang bashings were commonplace. I can throw a punch though, I stand up for myself. I don’t like losing so I was happy to get stuck in. I suspect it’s different going to school now for people like me. I hope it’s better.”
YOUNG STARTER
“At 18 years old, I was the first ever male and youngest ever senior manager at Supré, I looked after all the store managers nationwide. I had the skills to do it but was far too young for that kind of role and that kind of money. I got carried away with it all and ended up in casinos, spending money on things I shouldn’t have, taking drugs and hanging out with the wrong people.
“I thought my whole life would be at Supré, I loved the job. I was a stylist at Cleo magazine at the same time, buying clothes and styling models. When it all spiralled out of control I lost everything: my car, all my money, everything. Apart from my jewellery of course. I couldn’t lose my Chanel watch.”
Kharl’s design as seen in British Vogue.
A stint at rehab and a move back home to live with his family in Rotorua led to enrollment in fashion school. He didn’t even finish the course, just got on and started work. One to court interest, TV3 produced a documentary on him. He produces collections but everything on his catwalk shows can be made to measure. Haute Couture is where he wants to be.
GIVING BACK TO HIS PEOPLE
He’s also generous and clever. That’s an enormously useful combination. The manager of the Rotorua Salvation Army Store approached Kharl to help them find a way to increase sales.
“Each day, the Salvation Army give out 32 food parcels. There are so many people who need them – I know lots of those who do; some of my own friends and family, my indigenous people. To fund these parcels the Salvation Army need to increase their sales. Each year, we put together a fashion show ‘A Million Dollar Look for $2’. We use the stock in the store, local models and hold a catwalk show.”
He takes the Salvation Army show as seriously as his high profile shows. And that’s what makes him so endearing. He can play the game at being utterly fabulous, with plenty of emphasis on the first syllable accompanied with air-kissing but is also knowledgeable about how a large chunk of the demographic live in New Zealand and the politics behind it. He also spoke of the exploitation of young models and is working within the industry to expose those with poor working practices.
TRAFFIC STOPPER
On December 5th, the streets in central Rotorua are closing. Salon St Bruno and Kharl are putting on a summer fashion show with other local designers.
“The council are renovating the square in the middle of Tutanekai Street but they are waiting until after the fashion show.” He clearly gets a kick out of holding up the council in favour of a flurry of glitz.
Next year will be big: he plans to open a store in Tauranga straight after New Zealand Fashion Week. “I’m thinking all white and perspex.”
The range of experience and insight for a 23 year old is quite astonishing. The boy has gumption, ability in spades, a love of sparkle and is, quite firmly, in the ‘look out world’ category.