The concept of this collection was to produce a series of original artworks interpreting and incorporating poetry, to be published in hand-bound books. We wanted the paintings to be not just illustrations of the poems, rather, for the poetry to become an integral part of the paintings. This concept of poetry in paintings is not by any means new. However, as young women, we wanted to explore the concept through the often neglected and dismissed themes of domesticity and community. We wanted to find something extraordinary in the ordinary.
A kiss is a blessing, something we share with our loved ones, sometimes taken for granted, other times relished. We may be different combinations of lover, mother, sister, daughter, or granddaughter, but we are all part of a family. We are kissed.
Extraordinary in the Ordinary
(from Creative New Zealand's website)
Titahi Bay artist Kirsty Morison recalls a conversation mid last year with friends artist Daisy Wood and poet Helen Heath.
“Daisy and I had talked about having a joint exhibition at around the same time that Helen and I chatted over dinner about teaming up her poetry and my artwork. We spoke loosely of themes including nostalgia, old hand crafts and domestic occupations of our mothers and grandmothers -- how blessed we were to have had such a good family upbringing. The cross-stitch and the symbol of the kiss kept coming up.”
The imagery stuck, and in April this year formed the theme of an exhibition of artworks and poetry at the Pataka Museum of Arts and Cultures in Porirua. Poet Hinemoana Baker joined Kirsty, Helen and Daisy on the project, which received support from the Creative Communities Scheme.
The aim of the project, titled Kissed, was to produce a series of original artworks interpreting and incorporating poetry, to be presented at the exhibition and eventually published in hand-bound books.
“We wanted the paintings to be not just illustrations of the poems, but for the poetry to become an integral part of the paintings,” says Helen. “This concept of poetry in paintings is not by any means new, however we wanted to explore the concept through the often neglected and dismissed themes of domesticity and community.
“We wanted to find something extraordinary in the ordinary.”
The poems and paintings included images such as a washing machine, tinned tomatoes, food-in-a-minute, Nanna, and the smell of old rubber and sweat in The Squash Club. Ants were described in a poem by Helen as “kitchen invaders stealing sticky sweets… In the morning they are back like convolvulus over dirty dishes.”
Everybody does very similar things every day, says Helen. “Why can’t they be poetic? Why can’t they be important? Why can’t the home and the private be just as important as the big things happening in the pubic arena? For us young women it was about reclaiming that and giving our own twist to it.”
Kirsty, whose painting accompanied Ants, says that “a lot of people don’t have time anymore to enjoy those everyday things. Life just moves so fast that to stop and watch the ants crawling across the concrete just isn’t an option. To actually contemplate things like that I think is really important. Doing this exhibition has certainly increased my awareness of everyday things.”
The theme of community was also important to the four women.
“We all come from a village mentality,” says Kirsty. “I grew up in Taupo and now live in Titahi Bay. Hinemoana, Daisy and Helen live in Paekakariki. Although we’ve all lived in London and done the big city thing, it seems that we’ve all got to a stage in our lives when we want to become more removed from that -- to integrate more with the people living around us.”
Blending the styles of four women was a challenge, but “somehow it all worked”, says Helen.
Kirsty admits to a few anxious moments during “the process of interpreting the poems and doing the paintings, because I felt I had a lot to live up to. It was quite a daunting task. We all have quite high standards in terms of how we like to present ourselves in our work.”
The exhibition “went better than any of us had contemplated. We were quite surprised at how fantastic it looked when it was up. After all the hard work, there it was in front of us.”
Hinemoana designed an audio accompaniment to the exhibition, which featured everyday sounds like the whistle of a boiling jug and water gurgling down a plughole.
Most of the works were sold during the exhibition, and the women plan to auction the remaining pieces.
