River Maps
2021 & 2022
Redclyffe Bridge
Tūtaekurī River 2021
Latitude:39.54980° S, Longitude:176.83572° E
Climate zone: Mild/temperate
Transition Zone: Coastal/River
I now had a studio space at Waiohiki Arts Village, close to a portion of the Tūtaekurī River near Taradale, Hawke’s Bay. The Tūtaekurī River starts in the Kaweka Ranges and flows into the Pacific Ocean just south of Napier. I was going for walks down by the river and started photographing the place and doing some timelapses. While I did a timelapse I decided to make a small sculpture with the flora found by the river, photograph the completed piece there, and then take it back to the studio. In the studio I arranged the small flora works on the walls, enjoying the different textures and shadows that each piece cast. It struck me how a lot of the plants down in the river are weeds, brought to Aotearoa by the English and Europeans (to remind them of home and to make blackberry pies). I was using harakeke to bind the weeds, so I kind of think the work became a metaphor for colonisation. Although the weeds have their beauty, without the harakeke the small sculptures simply fell apart.
Photos Below: Some of the pieces made out by the river.
Documenting the area by photography
Photos Below: Some of the photos taken during this project.
Photos Below: Redclyffe Bridge over the Tūtaekurī River in 2021/22. This bridge was taken out by Cyclone Gabrielle floodwaters in 2023, so its extra nice to have this documentation now.
The Flora Maps
Map 1. Mapping the Flora of the Tūtaekurī River. 2021.
Tukituki River 2022
Latitude: 39.97186°S, Longitude: 176.62992°E
Transition Zone: Coastal/River
The Tukituki River flows from the Ruahine Ranges and into the Pacific Ocean at the Southern end of the Napier/Hastings coastline.
Where the Tukituki River meets the sea. Cape Kidnappers in the background. 2022.
Photos below: At the river mouth of the Tukituki River.
I collected the flora for the Tukituki River Map down by Red bridge, on Waimarama Rd. See photos below.
Tukituki River Map. 2022.
Tukituki River Map. Winter. 2022.
I also made some individual sculptures from blackberry branches and harakeke. I exhibited these at Muse Gallery, Havelock North in 2022.
The floods of Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023, decimated these river zones, and as my studio had been flooded too, it wasn’t possible to carry on working there for an unknown time-frame. I worked from a friends garage for a few months, during which I made the ‘Homes for the Displaced’ series from salvaged beach wood and other found objects. The garage space was always going to be temporary and I was feeling displaced and unsure of what to do next. I decided that I needed to do something positive to shift the direction of events, and that I would go on an adventure to the Northern Hemisphere for a complete change of scenery/inspiration. I’ve always wanted to go to the Faroe Islands so I thought I would start there. I applied for some artist residencies and then planned a trip around those residencies, leaving NZ in January 2024 for what turned into a 8 month trip.
