a theory that reality consists of two or more independent elements
- Dictionary.Com. (n.d). Retrieved August 24, 2011 from
At the moment New Zealand culture is mainly aimed at grass, rugny, jandals etc. New Zealand is well known for what we do best. Play rugby and for our well groomed green grass. We also have many things such as the kiwi symbol the kiwi which is an endangered species and rarely known but New Zealand shows that to the world and exhibits the kiwi. We are split into two scenes, rural and the city life. The New Zealand culture is multi-cultural as we have mixed races staying here and we are all equal, asians, pakehs, indians, pacific islanders etc. We are all one. Also as we have the rugby world coming up, the world will get to exhibit our culture and how we are different to the rest of the world.
New Zealand culture before the 1840's was maori dominated. Te Reo was mainly used before the enlgish language was introduced. Maori would class people and how they would treat others and how they would respect one another. Men were mainly chiefs and highly respected by the youth and woman. Woman had no say in what would happen and were lower then many males. When the pakeha started to get more involved with New Zealand the maori then started borrowing from them.
As a New Zealand artist in the making we have to repect the treaty and what our country's heritage beholds. We have to do alot more research into what we are creating. We may create art but we have to create art that is from you and only you. We dont want to be having aspects from the maori in our work and using it against what it really means. For example lego creators overseas used maori names without knwoing what they really mean, disrespecting the maori and also using it in a way that it was not created for. Research is they key into this as many artists are not pursuing this. The treaty is a main role in New Zealand culture and it will remain that way untill the end of time. We have to reference these things correctly. Artists in New Zealand need to understand that work is well presented and produced from within themselves.
Globalization can be seen as a negative in New Zealand. New Zealand is great at promoting our country to the world but sometimes in the wrong ways and may lead to disrespecting certain people in New Zealand. We are a racist free country but we have the odd person who plays against that. New Zealand seems to be getting well known around the world and we have alot to offer aswell. Maori desgins and patterns are being used worldwide e.g. ford, fashion are using maori patterns without knowing the meaning behind the koru and many other maori symbols. They believe what they see is 'cool' and 'attractive' but what 'us' as a whole see is our culture being turned into something just seen as 'cool' which gives it no meaning and shows no repect at all to the ancestors of New Zealand and what they created. We as New Zealanders are leaning and focsuing on the transition from national and regional economies to global economies.
The work 'forked tongue' by cotton portrays the treaty and how it was decieved by the biritish towards the maori. The maori believed the treaty stated that the land belongs to the maori but then in the english version it shows that the land belongs to the british. This sends mixed messages to the viewer but I believe that is what cotton is trying to portray in his art by combing the two views from the treaty and contrasting them in his art.
Shane Cotton explores the idea of the Maori culture with cultural identity, such as symbols, native birds and shrunken birds. 'Welcome' shows the maori iconic birds ombined with his culture and well-being. His work presents New Zealand and our culture we posess as a whole. Strong symbolisim in both works.
In this installation "Sorry" represents an appology to the indigenous Australians from Kevin Rudd. Tony Albert created the installation 'Sorry' to communicate emotions and to share ideas. 'Kitsch' is “art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way.” Showing the use of Kitsch objects Albert puts forward a forest of faces which represent everything that was stolen from his people and his land. I find this piece very interesting as it shows that an appology is nothing compared to the pain and torture the aboriginies went through and the appology was appaling, Albert made a creation that makes actions seem louderthen words.
I find that Albert and Cotton express the idea of pluralism in their works as they present themselves and their well-being and where they are from. They make us all feel equal. They play on their opinions and how we may all look diffeent we are truely all the same. The world has many different racs, religions etc. but we are all classed as human beings on this earth.
I agree that at the moment New Zealand culture has a lot to do with rugby as due to the rugby world cup coming up soon. We are definitely known for our green scenery and “well groomed green grass.” We are such a diverse and multi cultural country and “we are all equal.”
ReplyDeleteTe Reo was the main language before the Europeans arrived in New Zealand and the Maori’s started to borrow bits of their culture and adapt it into their own culture. It was also very common for the Maori people before 1840 to class people into a certain hierarchy. Now days however it has slowly died out.
i feel that the concept of new Zealand is very multi-cultured though the dominant culture is Maori. i believe that it is important to mention that it is not only one culture. i also agree with you how you say globalization has a negative effect to Maori culture and is been portrayed in the wong way.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that our country is well known for our great All blacks rugby team and our beautiful clean cut green nature. I also agree with you that globalization can ruin the image of our country as it may turn out bad. I think our country is so well known not only for our greeness but also because of our unique Maori people, because there are no other maori people in any other countries that is what attracts people to visit our country. Art has also helped our country in becoming known as well, since maori patterns are being used in many pieces such as how Shane Cotton and Tony Albert's artworks i believe that these artists purpose has shone quite abit.
ReplyDeletei agree when you talk about globalization can be seen as a negative in New Zealand, saying that some odd people would against what we as New Zealanders are aiming for, racist free, we all as one. This year 2010, i do hear alot of news about people striking or having problem with racism around auckland, which is not a pleasant thing to be heard of.
ReplyDeletepeople uses maori patterns to create artwork, but without know what's the patterns history, do have the effect of disrespecting the culture Maori if it was used in the wrong method, such as a video we have watched not long ago, about a play station game design, the game designer uses the Maori pattern to tag onto the main characters chin, which was not suppose to, because it was meant to be tagged onto a woman instead of man, and this leads to disrespectful, and many misunderstandings.
You said that Shane Cotton give work that shows Maori culture with culture identity, such as symbols, native birds and shrunken birds. I do like the fact that gives more information on what’s on the work, and I just notice now that you said there are some shrunken birds in the work. But I think that you can add more information into the work, because I can also see the cliff, which represent as the welcome to all the new arrivals. The cliff is like the end of an island. So to me it feels like its say good bye and saying welcome to our land.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you describe these artworks and i really like the way you talk about New Zealand culture, i got a lot of information from your post .The New Zealand culture is multi-cultural as we have mixed races staying here and we are all equal, asians, pakehs, indians, pacific islanders etc.As a New Zealand artist in the making we have to repect the treaty and what our country's heritage beholds. We have to do alot more research into what we are creating.
ReplyDeleteHahahahahaha images blah1 and blah2 :D
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