Gallery Visits Jan - Mar 2023

Tauranga Art Gallery

Work Out: 5 artist projects (from February 2023). Exhibition included the Dream Girls Art Collective - Pop-Popocalypse, Simon Ward - Music Television, Turumeke Harrington - Massive Props, Paul Darragh - Shape Up or Ship Out, Yvonne Todd - Personal Mythology. First thing that struck me was the energy and colour these exhibitions bought to Tauranga Art Gallery. I liked that consideration was given to exhibit a variety of disciplines that are relevant to the majors with the Creative Industries degree at the local Toy Ohomai. Not sure whether it inspired any of those students to come in (that’s a nearly impossible task given there seems to be an apathy for engagement in the art gallery by students) but I think its important for a public gallery to try capture those kind of audiences. Love the vibrant illustrative works of the Dream Girls Art Collective in the atrium space and how viewers climb through the Taniwha’s mouth to get to level two of the gallery.

Michael Lett Project Space 10 February 2023

Kate Newby - Had us Running with you.

I hadn’t been to this space before so it was great to see it. When I first walked in I thought that the exhibition must be in a separate room. I noticed the windows but didn’t know they weren’t part of the existing space not being familiar with it. But once you started looking you found the interventions that were made in response to the space. I liked the glass window panes, colour and texture and how the holes in some of the panes created a connection to the outside but my favourite part of the exhibition was the coloured clay that filled spaces outside, this is home the World will end (clay placed around a drain hole) and Make it home (down the alley by a door). The fact that despite being a different colour and having finger marks they were largely overlooked by many who were viewing the exhibition at the same time and then there was the surprised “Oh I walked right past those” kind of moments. They are works that made me look at the surrounding space - I thought the alley was quite beautiful and rustic and I appreciated how they interacted and added to the space in a subtle way without detracting from it

Michael Lett Gallery

Oliver Perkins - The Reserve