Being handed a drowned gecko might not be a high point for most people, but for Masterton ceramic artist Sam Ludden it signaled the start of a new series of work.
“My daughter found the gecko at the bottom of a swimming pool and was very excited about it,” says Sam. “We got it into the freezer then I made lots of plaster molds from it, and started thinking about how I could incorporate it into my work.”
Sam’s work has long reflected a connection to his natural surroundings and his engagement with ecological issues. He is perhaps best known here for his sinuous clay tuna (eels), so it seemed natural that the gecko – a protected species in New Zealand - could make an appearance.
As an artist supporting himself and his young family through his work, Sam has taken to testing his ideas out via Facebook to gauge how successful a new series might be. “The response was very positive so I went ahead with a series of large bowls with the gecko perched on them.”
Several of Sam’s pieces are included in the current exhibition at Aratoi – ‘Elements: New Zealand Potters Inc.’ A fluent Te Reo speaker, Sam also represented Kawakawa leaves, which are significant in traditional Māori medicine (rongoā). “They are used in teas which can be physically and spiritually cleansing.
NZ Potters hold an exhibition annually and this one marks 50 years of the group, and features work from the Lower North Island. Other Wairarapa potters and ceramic artists represented are Paul Melser, Kay Goldfinch, and Kirsty Gardiner, who won the Excellence award in the Non-functional section for an exquisite set of three ‘Afterlife Trophies’.
Showcase of master works from the Rutherford Trust Collection
An exhibition of selected works from the Rutherford Trust Collection opens this Friday. Leading artists represented include Gretchen Albrecht, Rita Angus, Philippa Blair, Neil Dawson, Robert Ellis, Frances Hodgkins, Colin McCahon, Buck Nin, Anne Noble, Kura Te Waru Rewiri and Gordon Walters.
The major art collection was built up by the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand from 1988 to 1998, and features 140 works of mainly contemporary New Zealand art, with all decades from the 1930s to the 2000s represented. Aratoi’s relationship with the Collection dates to 2003 when it staged the ‘Landscapes of the Heart’ exhibition. The Collection is now on permanent loan to the James Wallace Arts Trust, and last year an agreement was created with the Trust to retain a portion of the collection in the Wellington region. This is now housed at Aratoi.
Opening this week: Selections from The Rutherford Trust Collection, Fri 22 May, 5-7pm. Exhibitions at Aratoi: Masterton Modern, until 31 May; Elements Exhibition: NZ Potters Inc, until 21 June; Settling the Land: Order Out of Chaos, until 16 Aug; Wairarapa Whakaputa Mohio: Settling the Land, until 31 Dec.
'Trophy for the Afterlife:
Bird’ by Kirsty Gardiner. High-fired earthenware, crochet copper wire.