I had the honour of meeting this great man at his home in mid-winter of 2014. My friend Fabiola Haru and I visited on the solstice so that we could dig his garden together. After a yum cha lunch Guy toured us through his richly appointed home, his studios, his gardens. For many years his eye on the world had intrigued me and overlapped with mine. I experienced a profound connection seeing his work and was always to triggered to slow down and take in the visual messages. His work inhabits many public spaces, he was a prolific artist. He was a genuine man. A year on since his death and five years since meeting him I have come home inspired from an exhibition of his work at The Dowse Art Museum. It is mid-winter again now and time to meditate on the new year ahead, the increasing light and the opportunities to connect life and work together. They are not separate. Guy proved this every day. 

Memory of Trees; an exhibition to enhance our relationship with nature.

Masks have been here since the beginnings of our time so too has an innate knowledge that trees share our world and like us are living beings. I have combined masks and trees and created a cadre of characters connecting us with nature. We see a mask and look upon ourselves. The mask has the ability to suspend the viewer’s sense of reality where questions arise. We might ask “Where do these creatures come from, how do they live, what does it see in me?” 

Venerated by people across the globe, trees have inspired and guided us. The ‘Tree of Life’ grows in almost every culture, is nurtured by shamans and druids, medicine women and angekok, tohunga and healer. 

These tree masks serve to remind us of the healing philosophies that enrich our lives and help us in sharing the world with all our diverse and valuable allies.

In Plants We Trust

Come and enjoy an exhibition opening that celebrates nature. Work is for sale. 

Opening Monday 11 Feb at 5:54pm - 8:45pm 
Open daily for one week only from 10am - 6:30pm. 

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This weekend in Auckland I was stoked to see a show from the students at Mt Roskill Intermediate. They've been putting their minds to making masks with plant materials. Imagination is a fierce energy! Thanks for letting me be a part of your world for a time.                                                                    "In Plants We Trust"

These are the students of Mt Roskill Intermediate and their Nikau Palm masks. This is excellent work from them inspired by the plants or in my words 'the nature of life'. #inplantswetrust. Thank you guys, you have inspired me. James H

Completed the greenware stage of some new pots, bowls and cups using the new stamp I made. Firing in three days.

'Nobody's House'
Take a step back 
look to the horizon.
Keep your eyes on the space 
between
earth and sky,
the you and me zone.
Watch 
as we drag to the surface,
form a layer, 
a scum
in a conscience free circus.
The mining,
drilling of minerals.
The plastic revolution
with disposable animals.

Tracts of pollution, 
haze on the spires.
Crust of delusion
tangle in wires.
Exhaust flies from
self fulfilling thrill seekers,
the average Joe,
the member of parliament.
MR SPEAKER
In front of you is 
earth 
sitting on top of itself.
Symptoms of lust 
grow,
glow on the skin. 
Swollen with greed
casting a dust
that poisons our kin.

Scabs of glass clad factories,
nobody's houses 
shine brightly. 
Piercing with chimneys 
exhale burnt offerings, 
pushing up rust.
Smoking like Jiminy.
Metal horses
run races on strips 
shift loads of ore
to make more 
horses
more trips.

Plastic ships
haul freight to and fro
between adult mouths,
children's lips. 
Dredge for fish 
to fulfil the wish lists 
of Capitalist & co. 
Oceanic misfits.
Catch the drift ?
The more we take
out from under our feet
the less we have to stand on 
Make a difference.
Reduce our footprints.

James Harcourt

Toi Gallery
Pātaka Art + Museum. A diverse and vibrant group of artists are tracked in three decades which span the development and evolution of arts education in Aotearoa New Zealand. Viewed alongside past and current iterations of Visual Arts and Design graduates as they emerge from their training and links to Pātaka hosted exhibitions.
Combining 30 years of past foundation craft art design studies and recent Bachelor of Applied Arts degree and Graduate diploma this show represents flavours of the Whitireia Arts department and together to show their fellowship and collective goals in making arts their career of choice.
Track the ideas and journeys as graduates build national and international practices in craft skills and media from weaving to carving, painting, printmaking, photography, textiles and contemporary jewellers who are now celebrated and or teaching in their chosen fields.

Remi from the Series: Memory of Trees, nikau palm mask portraits.

PĀTAKA:
Cnr Norrie and Parumoana Streets, PO Box 50 218, Porirua City, 5240, New Zealand
Pātaka in te reo means a storage place for precious things.

Stonefire - flax-paper, oil, 24ct Au