Wednesday, 10 February 2021

Thinking_Unfolding: PCANZ Artists Books at Ashburton Art Gallery - Part 1


"Vitamin Sea" (detail) by Toni Hartill

 

This is a long overdue post about the PCANZ Thinking_Unfolding artists books exhibition for which, due to my love for the genre, I played an integral part in the planning and organising of, in my role as an executive of PCANZ.

Chair, Kathy Boyle, and I set about planning this as a selected exhibition for members of PCANZ, with a goal of endeavouring to bring the concept of artists books to a wider audience in New Zealand. There are many artists in NZ who create artists books, sometimes as a focus of their arts practice, but often as a part of their practice. Unlike overseas, where artists books are well exhibited and celebrated with annual exhibitions and awards, in NZ artists books fly well below the radar, are not commonly exhibited especially in high profile venues, and are rarely seen and appreciated by members of the public, let alone within the arts community.

Kathy and I hoped that Thinking_Unfolding would be an opportunity to encourage our printmaking community to engage and participate, and for the  genre to be introduced to a new public audience.




To read about the Premier exhibition and awards, which were held at Aratoi Museum of Art + History, Masterton, Wairarapa, 2 November – 8 December 2019 please visit the PCANZ website. There you will find the award winners, the full brief, and an essay by the selector Paul Thompson of Wai-te-Ata Press. Keep on scrolling and you will find the complete catalogue of all of the entries complete with artist's statements and photographs. 

I suggest you make yourself a cuppa before you settle in 
as there is a lot to take in! Enjoy!

December 2019 is some time ago now but, as we know, the year 2020 gave us the unexpected complication of a global pandemic and the subsequent planned exhibitions of Thinking_unfolding were postponed and then cancelled, then, after much wrangling by Kathy, finally rescheduled.

 

The new EXHIBITION SCHEDULE:

 
Ashburton Gallery, Ashburton: 10 December 2020 - 21 February 2021
 
Millenium Gallery, Blenheim: 27 March – 2 May 2021
 
Hastings City Art Gallery, Foyer Gallery: 22 May – 8 August 2021

 

 

 Current Exhibition:

 Ashburton Gallery, Ashburton

10 December 2020 - 21 February 2021

 

 
Visit their website, link above, or see the post on their Facebook page
showing a brief video of the exhibition in situ.

 

 

My entries to Thinking_Unfolding

I have 2 artists books and an additional wall work in the current exhibition.
 
The selected artists were invited to  submit an additional wall work that could be an extension of their artists book or it could respond to any of the other works in the exhibition.
 
 
"Vitamin Sea" an artists book + a wall work "Vitamin Sea II"
 
"Forest Notes" 
an artists book made in collaboration with Celia Walker




"Vitamin Sea ~ Fuel for Heart & Soul"

 

"Vitamin Sea" by Toni Hartill

"Vitamin Sea" by Toni Hartill

 

 
 
 
Artist's Statement:

Inspired by last summer’s trip to the Cavalli Islands, off the Northland coast, I wanted to express how the restorative effects of going to sea are so revitalising it should be canned and marketed! A large retro “can”, the “book cover”, espouses the health benefits of the contents while a found verse perfectly sums up my own connection to the sea. 

Inside the book are a week’s supply of smaller cans, the “pages” or “chapters” of the “book”. Each one reveals a new vista and experience at sea, like a visual diary or a ship’s log. Each vista tells a story of a time and a place. These stories will be re-imagined depending on the viewer’s own experiences.

The structural inspiration for this work reflects on the canned food rattling around the bilges of a boat, weathering over time until, when they are eventually eaten, they taste oh so good, strangely far better than they might if eaten in the comforts of home. Simply being at sea is nourishment enough.

 

 
The making of Vitamin Sea by Toni Hartill





"Vitamin Sea II" 

3D wall work

Linocut

 

"Vitamin Sea II" (detail) by Toni Hartill

"Vitamin Sea II" (detail) by Toni Hartill

"Vitamin Sea II" (detail) by Toni Hartill

"Vitamin Sea II" (detail) by Toni Hartill



"Forest Notes"

A large scale, pop-up artists' book made collaboratively 

with printmaker Celia Walker.


"Forest Notes" by Celia Walker & Toni Hartill

"Forest Notes" by Celia Walker & Toni Hartill

"Forest Notes" by Celia Walker & Toni Hartill

"Forest Notes" by Celia Walker & Toni Hartill

Visit my earlier blog about the making of Forest Notes 

and to see detailed photographs.


Artists' Statement

Toni Hartill and Celia Walker are amateur botanists, gatherers, and collaborators, with an eye for nature and an urge to collect and record their local environment. The botanical compendium Forest Notes is collated and repurposed from their work for the traveling print project Forest has the Blues. The pop-up book format serves as both a repository for their assembled pieces, a catalogue of sorts, and in its opened-out format as a tactile enticement, an invitation to explore the forest depths. From the forest floor to the canopy, our native bush conceals hidden treasures, but also creeping incursions. The sneaking invasions of pest plants and pathogens threaten the viability of our forest remnants, remnants that are vital for our native species.

 

 

"Forest Notes" (detail) by Celia Walker & Toni Hartill



It seems so long ago, now, that we created these books for the premier exhibition but, now that the exhibitions have been rescheduled and are up and running it is a wonderful opportunity for new audiences to enjoy visiting the traveling show. Each time it is presented, new life will be breathed into the show as the works sit differently within each exhibition space.  

 

 

"Forest Notes" (detail) by Celia Walker & Toni Hartill


 

I'm hoping to be able to find online documentation of each of the coming exhibitions as I doubt I will have the opportunity to visit any of the galleries, which are all a fair distance from Auckland.

 



"Vitamin Sea" (detail) by Toni Hartill


I'll be sure to share any links or updates 

as and when they become available.


Thanks so much for visiting!





 





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