LETTERS CRAFTNew Zealand ARTS COUNCIL POLICY appearance oi the bill and be prepared to ies in respect oicrait and visual arts illustrates make submissions at the Select Committee my point. UsuaIIyitisthe socio-cultural stance Autumn issue oi CONTENTS I was impressed by the . stage.) oi the gallery and its clientele which demar- Craft New Zealand. It contains commentary the nature oi the objects displayed. There has been some rationalisation oi cates, not oi substance and pertinence to the state oi Council's programmes, ior example, in pub- Craits have irequently, particularly in craits in New Zealand and is a necessary 'I LETTERS lications and international travel and ex- western world aesthetics, been ’putdown’ by proiessional voice in the iield. change. Council was oi the view that by the exercise oi specious argument. One such ‘3 EDITORIAL the editorial I take note oi a stance within process oi evolution and history more and is oi iunctional as compared with non-iunc- 4 FLETCHER CHALLENGE and irom Helen Schamroth that perhaps more programmes had been introduced to tional attributes, the ’non»iunctional’ being CERAMICS AWARD, 1993 Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council is somewhat meet needs across all the arts sectors. Dupli- regarded by the visual arts industry as ’aes- and may have distant irom the craits actuality cation oi purposes was evident, resulting in theticaIvsuperior' or as requiring a more' A howling oi irom CaIiiornia took the arts. intentions to merge crait with visual the division oian already inadequate budget developed intellect and apprehension. premier award at the Fletcher show this year, The council is well aware oithe desirability into ineiiective smaller parcels. In some in- that a so»caIIed ’non represeni but New Zealand entrants aiiirmed their The notion but also the diiiiculty oi representing sectors stances reorganisation has given the craits non-iunctional is one oi status on the world ceramics scene. tational’ painting is oi the arts and arts organisations on its panels sector access to programmes not previously the moreabsurd but dangerously acceptable which assess iunding applications. available. by-products oi modernist promotional strat~ Above; A rare show oi work by James Greig held 32 ARCHIE BRENNAN recently at Avid in Wellington, p. I2. Recent controversy over the structure oi the While Council is not planning any merger egies designed to protect that art industry. Collis, Above right; Iorge pots by Auckland potter Peter Kate Batten met world-renowned tapestry literature panel highlighted the desire oi oicraits and visual arts programmes, it is well The notion that my highly ’iunctional' ma— p.24. weaver Archie Brennan during his artistrin- ‘ particular organisations or sectors to be aware that deiinition or diiierentiation oi hogany pulling skiii can be assessed without I residency at Aoraki Polytechnic. represented on the panel, on the one hand, these sectors is increasingly diiiicult. It is my reierence to my personal (and non-iunctional?) and the risk that such a iorm oi representation would be dangerous 20 WAIKANAE SCULPTURE personal view that it biases, predilections, nostalgias and aesthetv may narrow or control the viewpoint oi the to lay down prescriptive GARDEN indeed ior Council ic choices is equally absurd! panel representative. One important char- deiinitions oi who may or may not apply in The problems oi deiinition are real; they BiddyFraser-Daviesis enthusiastic abouta acteristic oi craits in New Zealand is the either sector, or to try to deiine what are the are probably notcapable oisolutionsthatwill civic project on the Kapiti Coast. diversity and variety oi activity, process, ”admissible” craits or visual arts. indeed, I satisiy all or any participants. The Arts Coun- product and inirastructure under the generic suggest that ”distance looks many ways”. 22 FIBRE FUSIONS cil has to struggle with the problem like oi ”crait”. Council’s policy is to appoint small While there is substantial, sometimes heated, everyone else. The most useiul iocus in my Sally Vinson backgrounds two Coroman< panels oi three or tour members chaired by a but always valuable debate over the borders view is upon the nature oi the inirastructures deI weavers. member oi the council. I support that policy. oi crait and visual arts, there is a much less and how they may be moulded and shaped. ltmakes ioreiiicientand economic procedure. pursued debate possible (and close at hand) 24 PETER COLLIS 'What can assist the council and, I am quite However, such small panels cannot possibly over the inclusion in craits at, say, aircrait, sure, the craits industry, is'iniormed commen- He's one at the most dynamic iigures represent in person all the sectors oithe craits, automobile, or boat building, or oi designer tary, open debate, and experienced insight, amongst NZ potters and president oi their and I doubt that such a iorm oi representation gardens or iloral art. and your publication has a vital role in this national body. Jess Tooker talks about him is desirable. During my time as chair oi the ' Many oi these appear to be areas oi ' respect. and his work. well satisiied that craits panel I have been extraordinary inventiveness, remarkable de- B.P.F. Smith, OBE. 26 MARY BARTOS panel members, who have been either skilled sign breakthrough, high technical skill and practitioners, or who have and experienced periormance, and undoubted aesthetic and/ 28 MARK PIERCEY iieId, had substantial involvement in the craits or expressive quality. To betray one oi my able to give balanced and disin- The standard oi woodturning is reaching Above; "The Starcatchers Hot” irom National have been own enthusiasms I would claim that New new heights throughout the country. Adri- Embroidery Exhibition. See review p. 35. terested consideration to the huge variety oi are among ON PAGE 90 ARTSPACE 8 FROM SEWAGE TO Zealand's wooden boat builders enne Rewi interviewed two Christchurch applications received. but their skills are SUNG 35 REVIEWS the iinest in the world, Having oiiered a critique oi an exhibition Above; turners who are spearheading developments It is the council which appoints panel rapidly disappearing (with age!) and are not ior publication my usual sentiment would be Teapot by Greg Pitts, Royal DouIton pottery is not regarded as there. Embroidery, pottery and iibre art - major members and it wecmes suggestions or being renewed because oi major industrial that's that. In USA. Frizewinner in to say my analysis is done and the Fletcher show p.11. part oi the contemporary scene, but we have 30 KATE WELLS shows. recommendations irom the arts sector ior and technological shiit. There is a case to be this case, however, the exaggerated reaction a lot to learn irom this touring exhibition, as 38 ITINERARY panel membership. made in terms oi the Arts Council’s stated oi David Naylor to my criticism oi Page 90 During her shortvisitto NZ recently, Amer- Mark Stacker points out. The make up oi the Council prohibits ap- ‘ goals, ior iunding to sustain this crait. Artspace (I stand corrected!) and by deilected ican iibre artist and writer Margo Mensing In a new section, Crait NZ provides a 12 IN BRIEF pointments to all panels oi chairs with exper- Perhaps therein lies a useiul diiierentia- insult the heinous crime oi ”monocultural Below; made a point oi seeking out this leading comprehensive listing oi events and opportu- I925 Maori Art Ware . tise in the panel iield. The task at the chair- tion. It is not the diiierence in kinds oi objects elitism” in which he implicates me demands a ' commissions, exhibitions and tapestry weaver. nities. irom the Doulton News about person is to ensure that panel members give produced which creates a diiierence between response. exhibition p.8. events. Below; Turned bowl by Mark Piercey p.28. 'iair and proper attention to every application, 'craits' and ’visual arts’. It is the diiierences in I stand by my criticism that Page 90 Art- and to provide the best possible summation oi the structures within which the objects are space - a trendy word ii ever I heard one - is debate over applications. In my own case I made, distributed and consumed. There is a depressingly unaesthetic and barn-like. My have a very real interest in the craits and have well-documented history oiobject—making, in view seems to have been vindicated by the some reputation as a iurniture maker and terms oistatus oi makers, status oidistributors > iact that Porirua's new cultural oiiicer, Darcy boat builder and as an arts educator and or marketers or dealers, status oi owners, Nicholas, has indicated that he wishes to see painter. These interests I may at times have to patrons, or consumers, protection systems ior the space reiurbished and made more subdue in my role as chair oi the arts panel. classes or categories oi makers and distribu- adaptable. He seems interested by my sug- The Arts Council has not debated the tors, and organisations and promotion oi gestions, among others during conversation. merging oi the craits and visual arts panels , industry, a history which makes it quite clear Aiter aII, Porirua owes itseli a decent iaciIity and there is no such consolidation in mind. that it is rarely the species, iorm or intrinsic to serve not only its diverse cultural groups but (The iorthcoming review oi the act governing value (whatever that means!) oi the object the burgeoning populations oi the Kapiti the Council may require some overhaul oithe itseli which gives it market value, or social, Coast as well. One would be hard pressed to Council’s structures, butthe bill has yet to iind cultural or spiritual prestige. iind any architectural indication at Page 90 a place on the parliamentary agenda. The A current debate over the recognition oi Artspace oi that rich cultural diversity in what craits industry should oi course watch ior the and the iunctions oi dealer and public galler- was purpose built as a iactory.