week 11

Tasks 1+2

Mihimihi was the first concept that we study for our studios at Massey. It is about introducing yourself and telling the story of journey and arrival of where you are from. My first studio was dress and for this class I had to make a garment inspired by my partners mihimihi, I was pushed out of my comfort zone because I have never had to design for a male and this is why I  feel like my garment was the best thing that I have created all year.

I made a garment based off my partner Jays mihimihi, he is a very relaxed and easy going guy, who is in to skating and surfing. I ripped up the calio and then wove it together to represent the laid back and easy going nature of Jay, the way that the garment hangs on the body is very chilled out. The weaving pattern was also inspired by his heritage, Jay was born in Scotland and the weaving is meant to take a modern form of tertian.  I also made the garment interchange able and this represent the way that Jay has goes with the flow of what is happening.

Task 3

Gender should be something that is considered when designing because it can make a large difference to the outcome of the work. Within my creative work for dress I decided to consider gender because I was designing for a male. Even though It was not a direct requirement for the projects brief. I wanted to design a garment with my partner Jay in mind. I want to consider gender in my designs because to me to seamed like a large part of his Mihimihi. I also wanted to push myself to create something that I was not used to designing .

Mikaere, Ani. (1994). Māori Women – Caught in the contradictions of a colonised reality.

week 10

Task 1

Cultural identity confusion. It’s easy to admit that I don’t have a very strong connection to where I am from but this just makes answering the question so much harder. I don’t have a very direct answer when people ask where you are from. Are they asking about where I was born? Are they asking because of my faint British accent?

Moving from Christchurch, New Zealand to England and the age of 10 had a huge impact on my cultural identity, in all honesty it has shaped me into the person I am today, even though the move confused my cultural identity. From growing up as a teenager in England I had very different experiences to what I would have had if I stayed in New Zealand, I learnt about British history and all the significant events that within Europe involving Britain. When coming back to New Zealand in year 12 I did not take nz history so the first time I was truly exposed to New Zealand’s history has been in my first year of university. Embarrassing right?, I had such minimal understanding of the history of where I was born and It was only at the age of 19 I learnt what the treaty of Waitangi was.

Task 2

I took out the Home AKL book from the two hour lone

The artist I found was Shigeyuki Kihara, I went up stairs and searched her name the book I found is called ‘Capturing the gaze

I think that this image relates to my creative writing because the artist has two sides to them that create a whole new identity.

week 9

Task 2

One of the many stereotypes that is present in New Zealand is ‘Maori as primitive natural athlete’ this is stereotype is based off the idea of masculinity. Young Maori boys are encouraged to achieve highly within the sports field over academic. This just reinforces the dominant stereotype creating this message to the younger generations. The fact that New Zealand is known for rugby, this is something that the rest of the world thinks is our strengths so as a society we reinforce it so then we can achieve to gain recognition and pride.

week 8

Morris, Toby. The Pencilsword: Inequality Tower (2015). Published on: http://thewireless.co.nz/articles/the-pencilsword-inequality-tower

The example above of the sky scraper shows a clear visual representation of poverty within New Zealand.  With the use of statistics and colour coordination makes these diagram very effective in communicating the percentages of wealth and extreme economic inequality  within New Zealand. One of the concepts within the lecture was whether or not someone poor is ‘deserving and undeserving  of assistance’. This was an interesting concept because some people can’t help their financial situations because it is out of their control. Other artists and designers depicted very racial stereotypes by showing adults spending the money they receive from the government on liquor and smokes.

Task 2

237.131_Conversations in Creative Cultures_Week 7

1. One of the key points that was explored within this lecture was the over sexualisation of Pacific women and the way in which they have been stereotyped. The term ‘Dusky Maidens’ was used to describe these women. Western me would see women as desirable because of their sexual freedom. Naked painting of Pacifica women were also very popular within western culture, these where known as velvet paintings.(Cocker)

Cocker, Cath. The Dusky Maiden and The Noble Savage: Conversations about Archetype and Fetish. Academeia. Otago Press2.

2. In response to the racial tension and socio-political situation in the late 20th-century Designer, Siliga David Setoga created a range of t-shirts. He took derogatory terms that were often used to describe Pacifica people, then put a humorous twist to them to make them reliable and they become a way of displaying pride.

3. Synopsis of ‘Dawn Raids’ (Fepulea’i, D. 2005)

The documentary of the ‘Dawn Raids’ displays the racial tension that occurred in New Zealand within the 70s. The raids where directed at Pacific people and this community of people where targeted by the government for the economic problems that where occurring because of immigration. Raids took place in early hours of the morning (hence the name ‘dawn raids’ they were performed  at the crack of dawn).

237.131 Conversations in Creative Cultures_Week6

Part 1

Maori visual and material culture has been framed by western accounts because droning the time of the British coming to New Zealand. They realised that the Maori culture where not keeping a record of their history so than the British thought that they should document it because this is what they perceived to be correct. Seeing as they had been doing this for their own history and culture though out time. Most of the history that has been documented is predominantly from a western perspective.

Part 2

This example of 20th-century art/design is a church combines the heritage of two very conventional cultures to present a peaceful balance between the two. “16th February 1926, St Mary’s church at Tikitiki was built by master carver Hone Ngatoto. Combining carvings and tukutuku with figurative paintings and stained glass.” This church visually present a very European style past the gates but at the beginning of the gates you are presented with the Maori cultural element with the use of carving. This “church also remembers the men of the east coast who lost their lives in WW1” From a Maori world view this could be seen as conventional way to present a church because it looks as though it is not just for people of the Maori culture to attend to. But at the same time respectful because it has been done to remember those who have been lost.

237.131 Conversations in Creative Cultures_Week5

Summarise- Chapter 9: Wars and survival

The war of Waikato

One of the leading factors that lead to the war of Waikato was Governor Grey coming in and trying to dismantle the previous attempts of truths. “when the new Governor meet with the Kingitanga leaders in December 1861, he did not adopt a conciliatory tone or offer to establish a Native Province” (Anderson. 260).

The key factors leading to the war was Grey “cutting the land’s backbone”(Aderson.263) “As the Nagati Mahuta chief Tamati Nagpora stated at the time ‘if blood of our people only had been spilled, and the land reminded then this trouble would have been over long ago’¹⁰⁰“(Aderson.282) This shows that the fighting was not the problem, it was the fact the government run by the British was trying to take the natives land.

Anderson, Atholl, Binney, Judith and Harris, Aroha. “Chapter 9: Wars and survival”. Tangata whenua:An illustrated history. Bridget Williams Books, 2014. Print.

⁽¹⁰⁰⁾ Cook in beaglehole (ed), Endeaour journals, p.284.

 

The shifts in political power, unity of people in the country. Resulting in the united tribes flag, that brought all the iwi to have a uniting between all of the, yet still having their own identity. This created a sense of a nation through the symbol of the flag.

237.131 Conversations in Creative Cultures_Week4

The principle of tika and pono. (tika- right or correct and pono- true or genuine) is important to art/design.

This is important to art and design because it means that they stay true to their heritage and culture. Art and design works would not be created without having a further meaning than the face value (the way it looks). From reading and learning about Maori culture and way of life I understand that they are very connected with their culture.

This means that as the audience of the work we also need to be respectful of the culture and traditions of Maori. If you are wanting to use a Maori deign within your creative work you need to go through a process of asking the iwi. This shows how true and genuine they want the work that is being produced to be. Maori do not want to have works that don’t display the right or correct cultural meaning.

Mead, Hirini Moko. “Chapter 2: Ngā Pūtake o te Tikanga – Underlying Principles And Values”. Tikanga Māori: Living By Māori Values. Aotearoa: Huia Publishers, 2003. 25-34. Print.

Explain one-way intellectual property and copyright laws are insufficient to address the misuse of taonga works.

Taonga works are works are something that is created and treasured, with meaning towards the culture. Copyrights laws are insufficient to address the misuse of these works because they are unable to 100% able protect everything being used by the public. “Taonga works that are displayed in public place but not protected by copyright can be freely copied anyway”(35)

Performers rights ““certain limited rights to control the public use of their performance, or substantial parts of it”(36)

This can lead to someone taking parts of a performance that shows cultural meaning and a deeper connection to the creator to be reworked into something that does not show any cultural understanding of the original work.

Taonga Works and Intellectual Property (2011) in Ko Aotearoa Tēnei – A Report into Claims Concerning New Zealand Law and Policy Affecting Māori Culture and Identity

237.131 Conversations in Creative Cultures_Week3

 

Image of adzes, page 72, Tangata Whenua, an illustrated history.

(circa 900 to 1200 CE); Te Tipunga

These adzes are directly related to the ear in wicth they were designed because during the Te Tipunga time period that migrants where settling and creating villages. Adze are tools that where traditionally used to cut wood to build houses and canoes, this would have helped them move forward with settling in New Zealand.

Similar styles of adze are found on east pacific islands and this makes sense seeing as people from the pacific islands where migrating to New Zealand. This causes me to understand that the design of this tool was brought to New Zealand helping everyone progress in development.

 

“The Toki (Maori Adze) symbolizes authority, strength and triumph over adversity”

Harris, Atholl Anderson, Judith Binney and Aroha. Tangata Whenua: An Illustrated History. New Zealand: Bridget Williams, 2012. Print.

“Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand.” 1. – Kōhatu – Māori Use of Stone –. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Aug. 2016.

“Toki – Maori Adze Head.” Maori Art + Design. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Aug. 2016.