Art at Bishopdale Library

Library 150 celebrations' tukutuku panel.

Kaitiakitanga

Created By Gavin Britt, July 2008

Tūnga whakahīhī ki to hapori
taking pride in your community

Whakawhanui i ō tūpae
Expand your horizons

This piece was created to raise community awareness of the fragile elements of our ecosystem.

Kaitiakitanga, meaning guardianship is the name given to the artwork. The role of Kaitiaki is about assuring the sustainability and the long term use of our natural environment & resources.

This taonga depicts the circle of life and speaks of kinship of all. It is cyclical in nature reflecting renewal & sustainability and of interconnectedness between the realms of Ranginui & Papatuanuku, Ira tangata humankind, the animal kingdom and the natural environment. It is symbolic of the evolution of life, in which one thing is connected to everything else.

Each element combines, to interact with each other to tell a story.

It echoes the past the present & the future by drawing on the elemental world of tāngata whenua, the establishment of the early settlers and their uses of the abundant resources around them and the need to look after our natural environment for future generations.

Representing Matariki seven paua stars shine down on  the artwork like guardians. They embody the artists concept of the circle of life by announcing the beginning of the Māori New Year, a time of regeneration & new beginnings. Matariki is a time of contemplation and renewal; a time to reflect on what has been and what could be; a time of considering potential; a time to try new skills and set new goals; a time to remember those who have passed on; a time to reflect on our own mortality.

At the centre of the work is a hue (gourd) which represents the beginning of new life, mana wahine, and honours those who tend children. The hue, a container of water standing in safety, peace and harmony also celebrates ancient traditional knowledge.

On each side of the hue are the streams which thread through the wetlands to replenish all. The wetlands support a multiple of living things which can be seen within the body of the work e.g: Tuna (eel), Inaka (whitebait), koura (fresh water crayfish), weta (insect), and manu (birds) all of which were  major food sources.

The koru represents the remnants of the last lowland forests. Putaringamotu (Deans bush) and Papanui bush that once stretched across Ngā Pakihi-Whakatekateka o Waitaha (Canterbury Plains).

Underground tree remnants and charred logs found throughout Waitaha indicate The great podocarp forest  that once grew across the plains containing stands of gigantic trees mataī, tōtara and kahikatea.

The forest sustained the children of Tane Mahuta (God of the forest) both human and creature alike. Shelter, food, clothing, and transport were all produced from the forest, finally timber for houses reminds us all of our history.

Below the hue is a basket of kumara to acknowledge the ancient food source but also to represent the local  gardeners who grew fruit & vegetables for the markets, to sustain us and our whānau. Round stones & shingle represent  the land that was toiled to reach the fertile soil beneath for farming.

Above we have Kahu, the soaring eagle who greets us as we travel the plains. Kahu invites you to spread your wings and fly the mind.

Specifications

MDF custom wood, acrylic and stain (to look like antique bone).
1.5 metres diameter. June 2008.

The Artist

Gavin Britt is a well known craftsman, artist and maker of traditional Māori musical instruments.

He lives locally in Bishopdale and was very keen to create some art for the library that would inspire the community to reflect on the environment they live in.

The last twenty five years of Gavin’s professional life was spent at Breen’s Intermediate School working as an Arts Educator. He has also worked in collaboration with many other local schools creating wonderful pieces of art for those schools.

Although Gavin retired eight years ago, he continues to produce wonderful pieces of art to inspire & motivate.

Many of his pieces are on display in South Island Marae, Universities, Conservation Departments, and in private collections.

Some of his work is also on display overseas with special pieces made for Kurashiki, Christchurch’s Sister City in Japan, in Plymouth in England and also in Holland.

Bishopdale library is extremely proud to have this taonga on display, we hope that the community will connect with it on many different levels.