Q+A with Jo Torr: Young chiefs dreamed and longed

James Barry portraits of Tuai and Titere. Photo/supplied

Located in Wellington, the National Library of New Zealand archives contain many treasures. A new exhibition, Tell Tails, responds to a series of first contact works in the collection. Exhibited in the library's Turnbull Gallery, Tell Tails presents well-known artists Christine Hellyar, Maureen Lander and Jo Torr, together engaging in conversations of exchange, language, and history.

In 1818, young Maori chiefs Tuai and Titere were sponsored by the Reverend Samuel Marsden to travel to England. Their visit was documented through portraits by the artist James Barry and letters the pair sent home. For Tell Tails, Tauranga based artist Jo Torr chose these to respond to.

Tell us about the two works you developed for Tell Tails.
We are very fortunate to know about Tuai and Titere, young Nga Puhi chiefs, from the very formal portraits of Tuai and Titere wearing European clothes, from the letters they wrote from England and from contemporary European eyewitness accounts both before and after the visit.

The two works titled Moemoea (dreaming) and Whakangakau (longing) challenge the perception that early travels between Aotearoa and England were all one-way.

I wanted the viewer to contemplate and think about the way Maori were just as adventurous and curious about new worlds as you and I. Travel in the early 19th century was full of opportunity and danger.

Moemoea (dreaming) and Whakangakau (longing) express a moment of cross-cultural contact. Tuai and Titere were in England to help formulate a Maori-English vocabulary and were much feted, attending high society balls and visiting Regent's Park Zoo and the Tower of London. They saw, experienced and delighted in the many wondrous things.

Moemoea (dreaming) and Whakangakau (longing) both use the image of a birdman kite, drawn by Titere in one of his letters, to evoke anticipation of adventure and nostalgia for Aotearoa.
In the Maori world, the kite was a tool of divination, connecting the realms of heaven and earth. It is a powerful symbol of Tuai and Titere's spiritual connection back to his birthplace.

What materials and textiles did you work with?
Moemoea (dreaming) takes the form of a tailcoat similar to that worn by the young men in the portrait. Made of dark blue wool it is a highly structured garment typical of the period with a high collar, narrow shoulders and cuffed sleeves.

What makes it different is the image of Titere's kite embroidered in fine muka (dressed flax fibre) stretching across the back, wrapping the shoulders, and with it's tail meandering down the tail of the coat.

Whakangakau (longing) is a physical representation of the kite drawing in all its wonkiness. A kite constructed in Aotearoa would have been made of kanuka although the best material available in England would have been basket willow.

Small drawn lines and dashes on the perimeter have been interpreted as (bright red) feathers while the circles depicted along the tail have become puhihi or bunches of feathers. Muka cordage forms the bridle and tethers the kite to the ground tied around a religious text bound in clothing fabric, referencing those held in the Turnbull collection.

Whakangakau (longing)

You are a contemporary artist who sculpts with textiles - how would you describe your practice?
My sculpture takes the form of garments with historical and Polynesian or Maori references to highlight moments of mutual cultural exchange. My work is research-based, conceptual and multi-layered often combining and juxtaposing aspects not considered before.
I think it is fair to say that the works, being textile-based, challenge some viewers conceptions of sculpture and I don't know if anyone else in New Zealand is working in this way. My works have the rare distinction of being in museum and art gallery collections.

Tell Tails
Christine Hellyar, Maureen Lander and Jo Torr, until August 14, Turnbull Gallery, National Library.