Many Hands Make Hands-On Get The Thumbs Up!

14 February 2007

Many Hands Make Hands-On Get The Thumbs Up!

A controversial installation art piece by well-known New Plymouth artist designer Rusty Kane and created with the help of dozens of young artists from around New Zealand and overseas, is on display in the South wing of Puke Ariki.

Entitled “Hands On - One or Many of These Hands Will Be Famous” the work signifies main stream views of young adolescent teenagers today.

The exhibit features five towel dispensers placed at different levels with the towels unravelled to full-length. The towels display different hand marks and prints from many children who contributed to the project.

“The art reflects what the older generation thinks of the younger generation and the length of the towels represents how much rope youth have to play with and how much control has been lost by the parents while at the same time the government takes control from parents as well. The towels also seem to be tongues of the younger generation poking out at the older generation in defiance and disrespect,” says Rusty.

Rusty Kane explains the colours on the towels signify the change in language used by younger people and the creative way in which they use it. “Youth language can often come across as colourful and nonsensical to the elderly and purists,” he says.

“The dispensers symbolise the controllers of the language and younger generation and that control has been lost by the older generation. The dispensers have no eyes or ears signifying that youth don’t seem to hear or see and the grouping of five represents a group of youth together, a gang.”

Rusty Kane was born in New Zealand in 1953 and after moving to New Plymouth in 1975 was inspired to become an artist by renowned Taranaki artists Michael Smither and Don Driver. He has exhibited internationally and in New Zealand.

“Hands On – One or Many of These Hands Will Be Famous” is available for sale on TradeMe.

ENDS

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