“Carving Out a Future in Contemporary Visual Art”

A CIRA 2050 Conference 2009 Award winning Essay by Mahiriki Tangaroa

Introduction
Throughout history the visual arts have played a critical role in expressing, reflecting and challenging cultural ideals and social conventions fostered by society at the time. Its potential to communicate and inform beyond place and time is one of its finest attributes, promoting a sense of appreciation and understanding of the diversity inherent to other cultures.
Visual Arts in the Cook Islands is not a recent phenomenon but extends from the arrival of the first people, at least 800 years ago. The tattooing of motifs onto the body, patterns painted onto tapa and the sculpting of wooden deities all conform to visual arts practices. These were unfortunately severed as an outcome of adapting to a new religious belief system.
Two major social changes that have impacted greatly on the course of creativity in the Cook Islands are the arrival of Christianity in 1821 and the attainment of self government in 1965.
This presentation looks briefly at artistic origins and the changing role of the visual arts throughout these phases. It looks at developments on the domestic front over the last decade and lastly, the influence of developing technology, which is already shaping the arts today.
Religion and Traditional Artistic Expressions
When using the term ‘traditional’ we often associate it with practices that were unacceptable to the Christian missionaries. At the time of their arrival a wealth of artistic activity was being performed through various channels — sculpture through the making of carved deities, tattooing onto the body and painting onto tapa.
Carved deities were central to traditional spirituality and Christians considered it essential that in adopting Christianity the concept of multiple gods be destroyed. Despite what the carved deities represented they were indisputably works of art.
Tribal gods were housed in pia-atua with other ceremonial treasures. Here they were clothed, oiled and replaced when they were thought to have lost their spiritual power.
Documentation of the British Museum collection demonstrates distinct variations in form and design, respective to each island. Generally they fell into two categories, gods that were carved in conventional human form (most commonly in Aitutaki and Rarotonga) and those carved to unconventional form.
Ironically today, the traditional gods of Polynesia are acknowledged for their distinctive sculptural qualities, becoming a prominent feature in major museums and art galleries throughout the world.
The art of tattooing was also discontinued at this time and condemned as a form of scarification. Being one of the most fundamental practices preserving the codes of genealogy, ancestry and ranking, the blood-shedding procedure was understandably ended. In 1879 tattooing was legally prohibited through the introduction of the ‘Blue Laws’.
With the elimination of objects thought to challenge Christian teachings, emphasis was subsequently placed on the decoration of ceremonial and functional objects.
Carved patterning continued on the atamira (ceremonial stools), adzes and carved bowls, preserving the use of some local patterns and motifs. Due to the introduction of the tivaevae quilt and cheap cotton cloth, the labour-intensive tapa making eventually died out.
Today Cook Islands tivaevae is celebrated internationally and praised for its distinctive, elaborate and unique design.
Visual Documentation of Pacific Encounters
Between the mid 19th and early 20th century, new mediums were introduced into the local domain. This came in the form of drawing, lithographic prints and photography.
Since the time of the early explorers, to the missionary and colonial eras, visual documentation was a vital record of progress in the Pacific. An influential testimony, it raised the profile of a given mission or enterprise exposing to a foreign audience the discovery of distant exotic lands and the courageous attempts to engage with an uncivilized native race.
The finely detailed lithographic prints of the missionary era not only conveyed the challenges and triumphs of conversion but also communicated settlement in a new and foreign land.
Approximately seventy years after the first Europeans settled in the Cook Islands, the introduction and use of photography constituted an advanced technical leap. The first official series of photographs were taken in the Cook Islands in 1900, recording the first official New Zealand Government visit to the Cook group. This historical event marked the annexation of the Cook Islands to New Zealand.
Just over a decade later (approx. 1914) a series of photographs were taken by George Crummer. Unlike previous visual records, these focused exclusively on social aspects of Cook Islands life. The collection is a record of the people, daily activities and the surrounding tropical environment. The collection today serves as a valuable reference of life in the Cook Islands in the early 1900’s. *websites
A New Era: Tourism and the Art and Craft Market
The attainment of self-government in 1965 was followed in 1974 by the establishment of a tourist industry creating a lucrative market for the sale of local art and crafts.
Handicraft makers, wood carvers and full-time artists have profited greatly from the industry which inadvertently created a stage for artistic and creative freedom. Reproductions of various traditional gods have resurfaced and although geared towards the market, they have kept the tradition of sculpture alive. In this respect, tourism has helped to a degree to sustain elements of the traditional ways of life.
The reintroduction of the sea god Tangaroa is a primary example. Its reproduction has preserved a traditional icon. Its popularity exposes an interesting, mutating role in local culture, questioning its reverence in a past and present context.
Despite the comforts of a tourist market, the visual arts in the Cook Islands have over the decades undergone widespread criticism. The regurgitation of the same objects and imagery, the cliche paintings of island palm trees, sandy beaches and local tiare (flowers), have all contributed to the prejudiced view of ‘tourist art’.
The overshadowing emphasis on commerce, the lack of creative development, innovation and artistic excellence has collectively reinforced the view that nothing substantial comes out of the Cook Islands. However this perception is changing.
Today, with the assistance of improved technology the local tourist market has created the opportunity for merchandising among contemporary visual artists. Art work onto gift cards, prints, T-shirts etc are among the many novelties preserving the authenticity and financial value of the original artwork.
Drawing on the Past to Navigate the Future
The Paringa ‘Ou exhibition, hosted at the Cook Islands National Museum in 1998, marked a turning point in the direction of Cook Islands visual art. Curated by Ian George, the exhibition exclusively showcased New Zealand born and resident Cook Islands artists and presented a refreshing variety of diverse mediums to a local audience.
Paringa ‘Ou received a mixed response from the local audience as the collection of work quite obviously expressed a distanced view from the realities of culture in the islands themselves. As opposed to harboring tradition (or taking it for granted) the exhibition celebrated cultural origins and identity, salvaged from dialogue, memory, or brief encounters.
One of the intentions of this show was to break the existing mould and promote the view that painting didn’t necessarily have to conform to a landscape or a portrait for it to be worthy of appreciation.
The accompanied workshop that was facilitated by artists Ian George and Richard Shortland Cooper focused on exploring local legends, stories, traditional motifs and imagery and using these elements as a basis in the creative process.
It was at this time ‘contemporary art’ came into practice owing to a combination of factors - the use of foreign materials, modern processes and an applied theoretical and critical approach in the construction of the artwork.
It was after the Paringa ‘Ou exhibition and the artist workshop that my scheduled two week visit developed into a ten year residency.
Visual Arts 1998-2004
At the time I left New Zealand, the Creative New Zealand Arts Council began to invest in creative arts. The push to promote arts development was endorsed with vigorous mission statements such as;
“Where there is human dignity there is artistic excellence” “The health of the arts reflects the health of a nation”
“Placing value on the arts is taking pride in ones culture. Preserving an historical record for the generations to come”
When I was appointed as Curator of the Cook Islands National Museum in 2000 the aim was to adopt a similar framework and apply the following key objectives;
• develop a local resource and transform it into a valuable national asset.
• encourage visual arts development through hosting in country workshops, residencies and exhibitions.
• ensure continuity through hosting annual workshops & Artist in Residence Programmes.
• promote the value and develop the standard of contemporary Cook Islands art domestically and internationally.
• identify new audiences and marketing opportunities domestically and internationally.
• generate exchange through securing and hosting domestic and international exhibitions
Future Initiatives:
• advocate with government, the private sector and the community to increase the profile and role of the arts in the community
• invest in the development of the arts and opportunities for all Cook Islanders to participate in and have access to the arts
• support local artists and arts organisations through funding programmes
• build the capacity of the arts sector by providing resources and capability building programmes
• advise government on issues relating to the arts
Creative New Zealand invests a significant sum into their local community, organizations, private galleries and artists. The funding for the financial year 2007/2008 was $31,289,000
Visual Arts Initiatives and Projects
Having established the aims and objectives, a host of exhibitions, workshops and residencies followed in Rarotonga. This was of course supported by various local businesses and international funding agencies.
In 2001 the Cook Islands set a regional precedent in hosting the first Pacific Artist in Residence Programme funded by Creative NZ in association with the Ministry of Cultural Development. The scheme allowed for a New Zealand based Pacific artist to spend three months in the Cook Islands. During their tenure they were required to present a lecture, artists’ workshop and an end of residency exhibition.
The three months was to give time to interact with the local community and build a substantial body of work inspired by the local environment.
Recipients to the residency included Veronica Vaevae (new media), Fatu Feu’u (painting, printmaking and sculpture), Sylvia Marsters (painting), Filipe Tohi (sculptural installation, Johnny Pennisula (sculpture) and Nannette Le’laulu.
The outstanding benefits of the Creative NZ residency programme soon captured the interest of various local businesses. The Bank of the Cook Islands Patronage Programme was launched in 2002, enabling local artists to pursue a fully funded in-country three month residency. In addition an artists’ training workshop was funded which attracted highly acclaimed artist John Pule.
The Beachcomber Gallery followed suit and in 2002 hosted its first three month artist in residence programme.
Running simultaneously was the hosting of international exhibitions. In 2002 the National Museum hosted the hugely successful Retrospective exhibition by leading Pacific artist Mark Cross. The exhibition, which comprised fifteen major works, was shipped to the Cook Islands from Niue. The exhibition also featured the Tulana Mahu, a selected collection of contemporary art and craft from the island of Niue.
In the vein of the postmodern was the international exhibition “Iki and Thanks for All the Ika” in 2004. First shown in Lithuania, Europe, the exhibition showcased cutting edge contemporary Pacific Art, beyond the traditions of the frangipani flower.
In 2003 the first major exhibition of contemporary Cook Islands art, Te Ata ‘Ou, traveled to Christchurch, New Zealand. Not only was it a ground-breaking initiative but a testimony that celebrated confidence and maturity achieved in the local art sector.
Through the support and sponsorship of Beachcomber Gallery, Air New Zealand and the Development Investment Board, the exhibition secured representation for a number of the artists involved. The following year the Salamander Gallery hosted “Turama” which attracted an excellent turnout, receiving an impressive review in the local newspaper.
Current Situation and Future Prospects
On a regional level the Cook Islands have made exceptional progress in the growth and exhibition of contemporary art. The local arts community has been fortunate to secure private patronage and sponsorship which has subsequently engendered international partnerships. The exhibition of public art has flourished and advanced tertiary training programmes through AUT and USP have ensured a healthy and vibrant community. These all effectively contribute to the fabric that allows local artists to ascertain and actively participate in global and future developments.
Although buoyant its stability is questionable and for this reason a Cook Islands National Art Gallery (with a national policy to acquire and house a permanent contemporary collection) is essential. The potential here is great as the facility will:
• Celebrate and reflect national pride in local arts and culture.
• Foster an internationally marketable local resource.
• Enhance the tourist industry by demonstrating a point of difference from other destinations.
• Given the existing value will provide economic benefits on a domestic and international front.
• Provide as a centre for art education and research.
• Showcase bith traditional and contemporary art forms.
A facility of this kind will be the first in the Pacific Island Region.
2050 and the Role of Mobility
Since about 1950, some 91 % of Cook Islanders have left our shores, first for New Zealand, now more for Australia, and increasingly for Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. Those of us who live in the Cook Islands travel internationally ever more. In the past decade or so an increasing number of Europeans, Fijians, Filipinos, Indians and others have migrated into the Cook Islands. These and other movements of people and ideas are likely to increase greatly before 2050. They will have inevitable impacts on creativity, but their precise direction is too difficult to predict.
2050 and the Role of Modern Technology
The rate of evolution of modern technology makes it impossible to project the state of the arts in the next three to four decades.
Computer manipulation, digital imaging through film and straight photography are accelerating exponentially. Access to latest technological breakthroughs is now made possible through the Internet, which has also become a global forum for artist exhibition and exchange.
Virtual reality sites via the internet are evolving, creating a solitary virtual world for human consumption. This has created added opportunities for visual artists to experiment within new, progressive and wider formats.
Digital Marae — The Art of Lisa Reihana
I want to take the opportunity to look at the work of Lisa Reihana and her monumental series of “Digital Marae” as an envisaged approach in the future practice of local art.
Digital Marae is a stunning series of surreal confrontational images that invoke the feeling of stepping into a futuristic world. In a dramatic black carnival staged setting Reihana has photographed Maori ancestral figures within a wider consideration of a Maori meeting-house.
Within her emulated world she cleverly unites the contemporary and the traditional, retelling the epic stories of her Maori ancestors and in more recent work revealing the changes and (to a degree) the challenges faced by a younger generation urban New Zealand Maori.
The works provoke the viewer to consider displacement, the impact of colonialism and the need to reaffirm ones identity through the creation of an extended family, past and present.
Perhaps we may arrive at this point earlier than 2050 but is the direction I foresee us heading.

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