Click to enlarge Graham's Rukuhia 3 piece
Brett Graham's exhibition is in the gallery and online at <http://www.bartleyandcompanyart.co.nz > until 31 October.
Searching for Tangaroa explores the convergence of ancient and contemporary beliefs and technologies. Graham employs the
forms of high-tech underwater scanners in a mythical quest for the location of Hui Te Ananui, the house of the god of
the sea and the original site of carving. As a metaphor for the human search for meaning and security, the hand-carved
scanners, with their traditional patterns, suggest a range of issues and conflicts from the global to local. Central to
questions being raised by Graham, in all works in the exhibition, is the role and application of surveillance, at both
the personal and political level – who or what is seen and how.
Dr Brett Graham (Ngati Koroki Kahukura), one of New Zealand’s most respected sculptors, has exhibited extensively both
locally and internationally and produced several major public art works including Kaiwhakatere which sits behind
Parliament Buildings on Bowen Street in Wellington. His recent collaborations with Rachael Rakena (Aniwaniwa and UFOB)
have attracted significant international attention and been shown at the Venice and Sydney Biennales. He has a Master of
Fine Arts from the University of Hawaii and a Doctorate from the University of Auckland.
ENDS