Sharon Painter-Arps
Ko Tapuaenuku toku maunga,
Ko Wairau toku awa,
Ko Catherina toku waka,
Ko Tiamani, Ingarangi, Koterangi me Airihimana oku iwi,
Ko Sharon Painter-Arps toku ingoa.
Allow me to introduce myself; I am an artist in stone carving, mostly jade, marble and other hard stones. I have been employed as the Programme co-ordinator and tutor in Jade and Hard Stone carving at Tai Poutini Polytechnic since 1995.
My artistic journey saw me begin with a desire to be both a painter and a sculptor, after developing both strands I specialised in plastics and natural woods after graduation from art school. When I moved to West Coast (South Island) the pull of pounamu was strong and I made a tangent in the direction of carver in jade (Pounamu) and other hard stones. After a short time I developed the Certificate and a few years later the Diploma in Jade and Hard Stone Carving at the Polytechnic.
In October I graduated from Monash University (Melbourne) with a Master of Fine Arts, which specialised in stone carving and was via distance mode.
Over the last four years I have been producing carvings that focus on issues surrounding cross culture predominantly in New Zealand. This has culminated in a body of work that is central to issues in New Zealand and is a vehicle for political and social aspects of bi-culturalism, colonisation and ethnocentrism. These Carvings explore the visual motifs and subject matter derived from different cultures, combined together in a hybrid form that enables a personal commentary about aspects of cross culture.
Cortes/Quetzalcoatl
Carrara marble - This sculpture was produced for a Master of Fine Arts with Monash University. The concept focuses on cross-culturalisation in New Zealand, the title being Cross culture in Art in New Zealand; a visual exploration in stone carving.
The sculptures in this collection also utilise visual motifs and subject matter derived from other cultures than Maori and Pakeha, thereby expanding the perimeters of cross culture. The stone utilised is either Carrara marble, usually to represent European ideas, or New Zealand nephrite (jade, Pounamu) representing Maori ideas. These carvings have also been recently exhibited EA Gallery in Auckland as previous to this at Intrude Gallery Melbourne, SPAN Gallery in Flinders Lane in Melbourne, StudioWorks Gallery in Christchurch and Compendium Gallery in Auckland.
There is interplay of the idea of a mask upon a mask in this carving, about what is real and what we may perceive as real.
Sharon Painter-Arps
Cortes/Quetzalcoatl 2001 - Carrara marble
190 mm x 140 mm x 55mm. $3,000.00.
Background:
This is a commentary on the deception of Hernan Cortes, the Spanish General who led the invasion against the Aztecs. The Aztecs believed that Cortes was their God Quetzalcoatl, who as prophesised had red hair, pale skin and would ‘save’ their culture. A mask of Quetzalcoatl represented by the Quetzal feathers and nose bar half covers the mask of Cortes.
Sharon Painter-Arps
Venetian Mask 2003 - New Zealand marble with black and white ribbon
195 mm x 130 mm x 80 mm $1,500.00
Background:
A Maori rock drawing is carved into and across the Venetian masquerade mask. The rock drawing is a stingray, a spiritual protector. The mask has been excavated at the back to allow it to be worn on the face, secured with a black and a white silk ribbon. It is wearable but is heavy and is more suitable as a wall hanging sculpture.
Sharon Painter-Arps
Rock glasses 2003 - Alabaster (Hong Kong)
58 mm x 165 mm x 75 mm $1,000.00
Background:
Rock Glasses are a development of the idea in Venetian Mask, where the motif from Venetian Mask is carved into the surface of the mask or glasses. The motif used is from a Maori rock drawing of a stingray and represents spiritual protection. This was the birth of the ethnoglasses series, which are a suitable, format for exploring ideas of cross-culture and issues of cultural identity. The wearer is either blinded or their view is modified by their culture.
Sharon Painter-Arps
Cicada Bee 2002 - Carrara marble and silk cord
65 x 180 x 160 $1,500.00.
Background:
Here the Buzzy Bee image is combined with the cicada, a traditional Chinese tomb jade. This represents the early and ongoing connections that New Zealand has with the Chinese culture. The marble was used to emphsise the European culture and to imitate the white jades favoured by the Chinese.
