It started with a book, which introduced an idea & bought up a series of questions which led to conversations & discussions about what it means to be connected to place; how some of us so easily carry ‘home’ in every fibre of our being (our hearts & minds) which allows us to almost always find connection & feel ok in whatever place we happen to be.
And yet -
There is still a place, a real place, where we feel so comfortable as to be part of the landscape.
A place where we are able to lie down on the earth & breathe in & out in unison with the in & out breath of the Land.
A place where we can feel the movements & hear the sighs of life within the land, of those who live on her & those who live within her embrace.
We feel this connection so deeply, so clearly, that all our senses are capable beyond their usual constraints.
We can see with our touch
We can feel with our eyes
Our sense of smell elicits emotions & memories
We can hear with our hearts
Is this what it means to be indigenous to place ? I don’t know.
I know for sure it allows us to develop a deep connection & love of place which becomes the basis for reciprocity which is mutually beneficial.
The desire to dominate Nature ceases, competition ceases, exploitation of Land ceases, Land stops being a commodity & ‘usable land’ stops being a measure of Land’s value.
Our values change.
We slow down, we calm down, our priorities shift & serenity follows.
A year long exploration of what it means to be connected to place has resulted in the creation of a gallery, artist residency & exhibition space for a collection of new works by Hugh, Isla & myself.
A year to develop concepts with our own guidelines & our own deadlines has been very beneficial to each of our own creative practices.
We have each been able to extend & broadened our scope of practice & have created a collection of gentle works which we hope you will enjoy.
We have leased a shop at 37 Devon St East here in New Plymouth for a month.
The exhibition will hang from 2nd October to the 27th October 2019.
We will be open each week from Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 6pm.
It’s quite a large space & our intention is to set up the gallery/exhibition toward the front of the shop.
In the central area we will create a comfortable space for you; feel free to rest, sit if you want, contemplate - there’s no need to rush.
In the space toward the back we'll set up an open studio where Isla, Hugh & I will be hanging out, chatting, drinking far too much tea & making various things.
There will be seats available so you can come & sit with us, watch what we’re up to, ask questions, share with us your thoughts & your memories.
We believe the space we create will be a reflection of the kaupapa* we’ve been contemplating for much of our lives & with a singular focus this past year.
We will surround you with a beautiful, thoughtful & harmonious collection of works, which are the result of our own individual explorations of what it means to be connected to place, how that can be expressed & the conversations which may result from this collective.
We are absolutely looking forward to sharing this with you
can’t wait to see you
Sal xxx
*kaupapa : themes
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