“Waters that Define”
This, the second in the Mahara Series, came about because of
the obvious importance of water, for the land and life itself and
in particular for this country Aotearoa.
There are certain forms that i personally use to represent
flowing water and the constant movement of the land while
under water.
In this work i was contemplating the manifold runs of water
from the least trickle in the higher lands down through
assorted terrains to shoal and sea.
Implicit in this is the effect of humanity and it’s works upon the
lands, hence the somewhat chaotic nature of the depicted
flow, (right to left, top to bottom).
I chose to depict this influence by using a ‘woven mat’ form
over which the waters run with the leading edge of this (the
top of the weave) being where the apparent chaos begins and
even influencing the waters prior. In saying this despite the
disruption of the waters there are still signs of underlying form
despite any disturbance.
It is to be noted that the other major feature, the Koru form
on the top left, being of the waters contains huge potential for
change, recovery and new growth.
That double Koru emblem as part of the matting to my mind is symbolic of a dualistic nature to much
of humanities view of things - left/right. black/white, this/that, but as neither Koru has unfurled
there is no specific future defined.
Having said all that, the “real meaning” is the one you perceive, it’s your truth while it is you viewing
and my opinion is of little import.............. I just had to fill a page with something :-) :-)
Below the left image is a specific example of a common form i use to depict water flow. Really its a
series of Koru or a ‘flow of the waters of life’,
and this below is how it starts within this sculpture.
As an example the following image is one of the more common ways i depict the ground over which
the waters flow.
