Sharing the Dry is a collection of new works exploring ideas and observations around the storage and protection of water and the importance natural hydro systems play in the environment. Devices have been employed to create a visual language to communicate these ideas. Many of the devices are continuations from previous works with new ones added.
New to this collection is the use of wooden gourd-like objects which serve to represent systems of storage. These could be lakes, estuaries, wetlands, clouds, the vase in a still-life arrangement or, in the case of one work, an ancient star constellation. Each of these storage systems are part of an integrated whole but all have their own unique infrastructure which supports and provides its own character to specific areas of the landscape. These different storage systems are referenced in the works’ titles.
The tree-form continues from previous works as an integrated device representing the branches of itself as well as of rivers, and waterways, and the fauna that inhabit them. The type of tree can also provide meaning to a particular work such as the protective thorns of the Matagouri, the poisonous berries of the Tutu, or the dryland shrubs such as Muehlenbeckia and Corokia.
The exhibition’s title Sharing the Dry comes from two works in the collection, ‘Sharing the Dry – Mudfish under Corokia’ and ‘Sharing the Dry – Mudfish under Muehlenbeckia.’ These two works represent the dryland shrubs Muehlenbeckia and Corokia and the fish species of Galaxiidae (Neochanna burrowsius), or Mud fish, and the way they have adapted to survive climatically dry conditions. Surviving dry conditions emphasises the ways in which water gathers, in times of floods and freshes (or freshets, meaning snowmelt), and the ways it is stored. These highlighted works are typical of other works in this collection which stress the importance of water, both in the extremes of floods and drought and the way natural flora and fauna have adapted.
This collection of works poses the question: are we entering a new era of climate extremes and does nature’s past solutions and adaptations offer us ways to learn and repair?
Bing Dawe
Born in Glenavy, New Zealand in 1952—alongside the Waitaki and Waiho rivers—Dawe’s childhood was full of fishing, catching eels, and becoming familiar with the rivers’ biodiversity and ecosystems. These experiences were crucial to Dawes’ later artistic practice through his exploration of the delicate balance required to support life in this environment.
Dawe graduated from the University of Canterbury's School of Fine Arts in 1976 and has since had numerous solo exhibitions including a major retrospective at the Robert McDougall Art Gallery in 1999. He is the recipient of many awards including the highly prestigious Wallace Visa Gold Art Award. He worked as an art educator at the Ara Institute of Canterbury for 28 years until 2017. His work can be found in significant public and private collections both in New Zealand and overseas, including public art commissions in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Rotorua.
Opening Hours
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Address
- Old Library Building
- The Arts Centre
- 2 Worcester Boulevard
- Christchurch
Sharing the Dry is a collection of new works exploring ideas and observations around the storage and protection of water and the importance natural hydro systems play in the environment. Devices have been employed to create a visual language to communicate these ideas. Many of the devices are continuations from previous works with new ones added.
New to this collection is the use of wooden gourd-like objects which serve to represent systems of storage. These could be lakes, estuaries, wetlands, clouds, the vase in a still-life arrangement or, in the case of one work, an ancient star constellation. Each of these storage systems are part of an integrated whole but all have their own unique infrastructure which supports and provides its own character to specific areas of the landscape. These different storage systems are referenced in the works’ titles.
The tree-form continues from previous works as an integrated device representing the branches of itself as well as of rivers, and waterways, and the fauna that inhabit them. The type of tree can also provide meaning to a particular work such as the protective thorns of the Matagouri, the poisonous berries of the Tutu, or the dryland shrubs such as Muehlenbeckia and Corokia.
The exhibition’s title Sharing the Dry comes from two works in the collection, ‘Sharing the Dry – Mudfish under Corokia’ and ‘Sharing the Dry – Mudfish under Muehlenbeckia.’ These two works represent the dryland shrubs Muehlenbeckia and Corokia and the fish species of Galaxiidae (Neochanna burrowsius), or Mud fish, and the way they have adapted to survive climatically dry conditions. Surviving dry conditions emphasises the ways in which water gathers, in times of floods and freshes (or freshets, meaning snowmelt), and the ways it is stored. These highlighted works are typical of other works in this collection which stress the importance of water, both in the extremes of floods and drought and the way natural flora and fauna have adapted.
This collection of works poses the question: are we entering a new era of climate extremes and does nature’s past solutions and adaptations offer us ways to learn and repair?
Bing Dawe
Born in Glenavy, New Zealand in 1952—alongside the Waitaki and Waiho rivers—Dawe’s childhood was full of fishing, catching eels, and becoming familiar with the rivers’ biodiversity and ecosystems. These experiences were crucial to Dawes’ later artistic practice through his exploration of the delicate balance required to support life in this environment.
Dawe graduated from the University of Canterbury's School of Fine Arts in 1976 and has since had numerous solo exhibitions including a major retrospective at the Robert McDougall Art Gallery in 1999. He is the recipient of many awards including the highly prestigious Wallace Visa Gold Art Award. He worked as an art educator at the Ara Institute of Canterbury for 28 years until 2017. His work can be found in significant public and private collections both in New Zealand and overseas, including public art commissions in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Rotorua.
