JOAN: Gosh the town was busy last Saturday! It was a lovely warm summer's day at last and there was a lot going on. As we arrived at Pakaitore, a large number of support people and runners were assembled there. There was a carnival atmosphere and this continued on at the busy market where people smiled and laughed in groups of friends and family and the wares on offer were quite magnificent. Zoe, our Bichon, had obviously decided to do her Christmas shopping there, though she spent most of her time socialising with the many dogs also enjoying an outing. We moved from there to a New Zealand Glass sale, where I bought a beautiful Katie Brown platter and where Mike said he would return just before the closing to see if there were any bargains! David Traub had some lovely pieces. Unfortunately he scares me as he has great "presence" and I become tongue-tied when I meet him. Actually Rick Rudd and Bill Milbank have the same effect on me as I have such huge admiration and respect for them all.
MIKE: It seemed fitting, Sarah Williams said, that the final exhibition at Space this year should feature the work of Thomas Cruz, as he was among the first artists to take advantage of the studios above her gallery. A series of brightly coloured paintings adorn the walls, all in acrylic on a black board background, the subjects delineated in precise, neatly drawn outlines. A Collection of Collections consists of "an exploration of sculptural objects through painting", Thomas's reworking items in famous museums he visited upon his European travels, the majority being in Florence. Clearly the striking vivacity of his paintings appealed, as several red dots were soon in evidence at last week's opening. The information provided with each one was pleasingly detailed, giving the location, date and material used for the original, plus comments on the artist.
Reading through Thomas' interview in the RCP last week, I noticed a thought provoking paragraph, in which he described the original artefacts as having been "transplanted into the sterile environment of the European museum for the purpose of voyeuristic indulgence". I can well appreciate the thought behind the first statement, when so many countries are still struggling to repossess items removed by scholars, archaeologists, colonials. Were these objects better protected and preserved perhaps than they would have been in their country of origin? For example, the Elgin Marbles would have suffered from both weathering and chemical pollution on the Acropolis of Athens. Did those who removed them decades ago show a greater respect for their value than the people who lost them? A moot point. As for "sterile environment", that is precisely what many museums used to be. Luckily, things have changed for the better within my lifetime. The Musee d'Orsay and Musee Branly in Paris, Bilbao's Guggenheim, several museums in Venice and Barcelona — all of these I have visited in the last two years. All have had one aim in common, namely, to interest and inform. With the use of excellent information boards on their walls, colourful representations, video displays, interactive components and other modern techniques, they have transformed the image of the museum. The only one I visited which still remained in dry, dusty and musty squalor was Naples. Since that was six years ago, it may well have been given a new lease of life. As for "voyeuristic", perhaps Thomas has a different understanding of its meaning than I have. Although basically from the French meaning "to see", it has developed a most unpleasant connotation of "perverted" or "sordid". To my mind, that epithet is hardly applicable to art lovers in museums.
Finally, a most sincere and heart-felt "thank you" to Sarah and all she has done to highlight the talents of so many Whanganui artists over the past six years. Best wishes also for the February opening of your new gallery, Sarah. This venue will provide even more space, which can't be a bad thing! There is still the Xmas Night Market on Saturday, and Thomas's exhibition runs until December 21st.
JOAN: I notice that Whanganui folk are wisely shopping early this Christmas and the shops are offering tempting buys at fair prices. I remember our early years here where there was little to choose from and the festive season was rather sedate and unimaginative. Not any more! It is a wonderful time for most of us, with family gatherings and joyous moments.
