Tuesday, April 07, 2015

Grunge pastoral: six photographs in lieu of a post

Action has been sparse on this blog because I've been enjoying Easter in the farmland, swamps, harbours, and forests that surround Auckland like some vast and patient army.

The kids and I have spent some of our time on my parents' farm, where I took these photographs. Every year, Fonterra publishes a calendar filled with shiny photographs of the landscapes and machinery of New Zealand farms. Why, I wonder, do they never send their cameraman to my parents' place?

I've thrown in a sneaky, poor quality snapshot of Charles Tole's 1981 masterpiece Power Station, which is part of Waikato Museum's exhibition of artworks temporarily liberated from the collection of Fletcher Challenge Ltd.


[Posted by Scott Hamilton]

6 Comments:

Blogger Robin Johnson's Economics Web Page said...

Wonderful photos! And 30 years before http://uglynewzealand.com/.

My Aunt makes felt images with a similar colour toning to the Huntly thermal power station image. Different subject matter though!

8:22 am  
Blogger Richard said...

The tractors look as though they are talking about old times, or they are slowly growing into the soil, to he reborn as rocks and soil and plants etc

Good idea for a painting. I love looking at that power station when I go there.

10:47 pm  
Anonymous Scott Hamilton said...

Thanks for the link, Robin: Ugly New Zealand is marvellous!

I also love the power station, Richard. I tell my older son that it's a volcano, and he becomes immoderately excited. Fred Graham, father of Brett, sculpted the station a couple of years ago: http://waikatomuseum.co.nz/exhibitions-and-events/view/185

12:35 pm  
Blogger Richard said...

Yes kids, especially boys I think, get enthusiastic about volcanoes, guns and wars etc

Doing anything on the launch of Brief?

I thought it was good to see new faces and some of the old dogs met up and all went well. Seeing a person sometimes 'makes them real' and imagined 'slights' or whatever turn out often to be that.

Hamish, the Rosses, the Crosses the Hamiltons and Ted and I were all in good form. Morrisey appeared and Murray Edmond I think...I think I only said a limited number of silly things! The readings were interesting. That young fellow (Owen Connors) and the echo that happened before the sound and the amusing and witty Bella Horlor with teeth falling out when someone ate a sandwich etc, Ian Britton and others including Robin Murphy. Also Alex's innovative editorial. Others were in the issues but didn't read (my apologies to those I missed out).

After the launch Ted and I went to the Middle Eastern for a light meal.




8:15 pm  
Anonymous Scott Hamilton said...

Alas, I have no photographs from the launch to post! An impressive event, though - welcome unbrief-like, I almost think, in its professionalism and bustle!

Paul's talking tomorrow night in Papakura, as the post above this one notes...

11:26 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Just emailed you some photos of the launch. ellenp

9:03 pm  

Post a Comment

<< Home