Tuesday 5 February 2019 10:29am
Louise Menzies
A contemporary take on historical figures of Dunedin’s art world will soon go on display at Hocken Collections, Uare Taoka o Hākena.
Louise Menzies’ exhibition, 'In an orange my mother was eating', will open to the public on 16 February, showcasing work created during her year as the University of Otago’s 2018 Frances Hodgkins Fellow.
Menzies, an established contemporary artist, is interested in things as they are in the world. Her delicate appreciation for what already exists has materialised as a series of distinct works via the Fellowship and her subsequent engagement with the Hocken Collections.
The playful exhibition title, In an orange my mother was eating, forms the opening line of Where was I born?, a poem published by Joanna Margaret Paul in 1981. As two children recount to Paul where they might have come from (in a mirror; hot fire; in the cake tin; in the earth; in my bones), we are reminded of all the objects — and images of objects — around us that form our unique experiences of life.
Robyn Notman, Hocken Head Curator, describes the exhibition as “colourful and dynamic” and says it will feature sculpture, film and works on paper.
“The artist has based her exhibition around historical figures in Dunedin’s rich and diverse art world – Frances Hodgkins and Joanna Margaret Paul. During her time as Fellow, she has delved deep into the Hocken’s collection and much of what she has found relating to these artists features in the exhibition,” she says.
Chloe Geoghegan, Hocken Curator Art, says the Fellowship, established by the University of Otago Council in 1962, was intended to encourage artists in the practice and advancement of their art by providing them with a studio and a year’s stipend.
Named after one of New Zealand’s most distinguished painters, Dunedin-born Frances Hodgkins, it aims to encourage painters, sculptors and multi-media artists, while at the same time associating them with University life and fostering an interest in the Arts within the institution.
“As 2019 marks 150 years since the birth of Frances Hodgkins and 150 years since the foundation of the University, the Hocken will be hosting two Fellows exhibitions over the course of the year, with 2019 Frances Hodgkins Fellow Imogen Taylor’s exhibition scheduled for November.
“Heather Straka, 2008 Fellow, will also be returning to Dunedin to work with Robyn Notman on A Garden of Earthly Delights, an installation style exhibition drawing together items from various special collections at the University,” she says.
‘In an orange my mother was eating’ will be showing at Hocken Collections, Uare Taoka o Hākena, 90 Anzac Ave, Dunedin, from Saturday 16 February to Saturday 30 March, 2019. The exhibition will be open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm.
Two public events will also mark the opening and closing of the exhibition: an Artist Talk at 11am on Saturday 16 February; and a Curator’s Talk by Chloe Geoghegan, at 3pm on Saturday 30 March.
For more information, contact:
Robyn Notman
Head Curator
Hocken Pictorial Collections
Tel: +64 3 479 5600
Email: robyn.notman@otago.ac.nz
OR
Chloe Geoghegan
Curator Art
Hocken Pictorial Collections
Tel: +64 3 479 9020
Email: chloe.geoghegan@otago.ac.nz