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Questioning people’s diverse relationships to land and flora, this sculpture, an archetypal tree form,is placed in the apparently natural, yet man-made environment of a park, simultaneously inviting and disregarding interpretations of what is artificial or real in nature.
Placing Paterson’s sculpture on the Boat shed Lawn both replicates and deconstructs the ‘ideal composition’ of a classical landscape painting, following the principle of the golden mean. The contained lawn in the foreground, mature trees create the background, diverging waterways and garden paths provide perspective and border the site, heightening the idyllic, symmetrical composition and our view of nature as a ‘subject’ to be framed.
The Golden Bearing relates to multiple ideas: a bearing as a GPS or map location, a landmark or focal point, as an aid to navigational voyages, glitter evoking nga whetu/stars, with waka/canoes traditionally made from trees, and also referencing the Māori creation myth, the coming of light, Te Ao Marama, through the separation of land and sky.
The colour and material of gold symbolises divine principles, wisdom and enlightenment, informing Paterson’s exploration of experiential and philosophical ideas of nature and light. Festooned with tiny shards of golden glitter, a complex interplay of light shimmers over The Golden Bearing, placing this sculpture in an otherworldly, mythological terrain. Transformed through weather, sunlight and moonlight, the tree is reflective of the elements in its environment, essentially creating its own world.
Aotearoa New Zealand Govett-Brewster Artist in Residence 2013, Reuben Paterson graduated from Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland in 1997. Paterson exhibits nationally and internationally, notably at the Prague Biennial, Czech Republic, Centro de Arte Caja De Burgos, Spain, The Cambridge Museum, England and the Institute of Modern Art, Australia. Paterson has recently shown in the 6th Asia Pacific Triennial,Brisbane and the 17th Biennale of Sydney and will soon take up theAsia New Zealand Foundation 2014 artist residency at Goyang Art Studio, South Korea.
Curated by Meredith Robertshawe
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Questioning people’s diverse relationships to land and flora, this sculpture, an archetypal tree form,is placed in the apparently natural, yet man-made environment of a park, simultaneously inviting and disregarding interpretations of what is artificial or real in nature.
Placing Paterson’s sculpture on the Boat shed Lawn both replicates and deconstructs the ‘ideal composition’ of a classical landscape painting, following the principle of the golden mean. The contained lawn in the foreground, mature trees create the background, diverging waterways and garden paths provide perspective and border the site, heightening the idyllic, symmetrical composition and our view of nature as a ‘subject’ to be framed.
The Golden Bearing relates to multiple ideas: a bearing as a GPS or map location, a landmark or focal point, as an aid to navigational voyages, glitter evoking nga whetu/stars, with waka/canoes traditionally made from trees, and also referencing the Māori creation myth, the coming of light, Te Ao Marama, through the separation of land and sky.
The colour and material of gold symbolises divine principles, wisdom and enlightenment, informing Paterson’s exploration of experiential and philosophical ideas of nature and light. Festooned with tiny shards of golden glitter, a complex interplay of light shimmers over The Golden Bearing, placing this sculpture in an otherworldly, mythological terrain. Transformed through weather, sunlight and moonlight, the tree is reflective of the elements in its environment, essentially creating its own world.
Aotearoa New Zealand Govett-Brewster Artist in Residence 2013, Reuben Paterson graduated from Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland in 1997. Paterson exhibits nationally and internationally, notably at the Prague Biennial, Czech Republic, Centro de Arte Caja De Burgos, Spain, The Cambridge Museum, England and the Institute of Modern Art, Australia. Paterson has recently shown in the 6th Asia Pacific Triennial,Brisbane and the 17th Biennale of Sydney and will soon take up theAsia New Zealand Foundation 2014 artist residency at Goyang Art Studio, South Korea.
Curated by Meredith Robertshawe