LURE
2018
The artwork uses the metaphor of fishing lures to reference Waiheke Island in the context of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and encompasses the sheltering bays of Waiheke Island and the anchorages off the surrounding islands in the Waitemata. The artwork is made up of five panels of recycled kauri to evoke long and narrow fishing lures.
Embossed along the centre of the panels is the quotation spoken by Mohi Tawhai during the signing of the Treaty of Waitingi.
‘Our sayings will sink to the bottom like a stone, but your sayings will float light, like the wood of the whau tree, and always remain to be seen.. am I telling lies?’
Imagery hand drawn on each panel makes reference to the land visible from the sea, around the coast of Waiheke Island and neighbouring islands.
The five double ended panels are lure shaped forms, hand worked from salvaged kauri, a timber taken from Waiheke Island for colonial housing in Auckland.
The fishing lure is designed as a device used to attract, tempt, cajole and ensnare and to trick fish, metaphors the trickery in the translation of the Treaty of Waitangi.Materials: Salvaged Kauri, lead, fibre and embossed text
Lure was created in response to the Kaupapa / Curatorial Statement by George Kahi and Sylvia Nelson for Te Kohao o Te Ngira - The Eye of the Needle: This is a story about place where we are all in the eye of the needle.
Dimensions: Nominal length 900mm x width 110mm. Variable installation width.
Materials: Salvaged Kauri hand worked and embossed, gold paint and ink drawings.
