Race Relations
Emily Karaka, Artist
This is one of the
painting assemblages
in our collection.
It was made in
Aotearoa New Zealand
in 1986.
About the Work
'The
painting
of
Emily
Karaka
is
cross-cultural.
Her
paintings
have
a
strong
neo-expressionist
quality
not
unlike
Philip
Clairmont
or
Allen
Maddox.
Her
debt
to
McCahon
is
acknowledged
in
her
painting
Race
Relations
Triptych,
1988,
where
his
name
is
scrawled
in
red
under
a
skeleton
figure
made
of
ox
bones.
The
sense
of
oppression
and
of
being
a
victim
comes
through
in
this
panel.
The
variant
of
McCahon’s
‘I
Am’
lettering
at
the
right
appears
as
a
tribute
to
McCahon
and
as
a
criticism
of
Christianity,
also
acknowledged
in
the
cross-shape
of
the
central
section.
Karaka
takes
signs
of
anger
–
gesture,
symbols
and
words
–
from
European
art
to
protest
against
values
oppressive
to
Māori
people,
in
her
case
there
is
more
of
an
emotional
response
to
the
forms
and
meanings
of
traditional
Māori
art.'
Michael Dunn, New Zealand Painting: A Concise History, p.193
The artist considers this one of her most important works to date. It was entered into the Lindauer awards. There are a number of references to artforms in the meetinghouse in the three panels. In particular, the artist relates the central panel figure to the carving motif manaia. The concerns with racial conflict between Maori and Pakeha bear an affinity with ideas dealt with in Hotere's print 'This is a Black Union Jack' and Adsett's painting 'Tane and Tama Uprooted'
- Rangi Panoho, Curator of 'Te Ao Maori' exhibition, Sarjeant Gallery, 1989
Michael Dunn, New Zealand Painting: A Concise History, p.193
The artist considers this one of her most important works to date. It was entered into the Lindauer awards. There are a number of references to artforms in the meetinghouse in the three panels. In particular, the artist relates the central panel figure to the carving motif manaia. The concerns with racial conflict between Maori and Pakeha bear an affinity with ideas dealt with in Hotere's print 'This is a Black Union Jack' and Adsett's painting 'Tane and Tama Uprooted'
- Rangi Panoho, Curator of 'Te Ao Maori' exhibition, Sarjeant Gallery, 1989
Measurements
Installed 2120 x 3600mm
Media
oil paint and mixed media
Description
This work is a triptych of three panels mounted side by side. It is painted in multiple colours and uses many found items mounted on to the panels. It also incorporates painted text and well-recognised motifs.
The left panel has a bone skeleton mounted on top of a white rectangle, much like a field stretcher. It has the words "Race is him / Artist or terrorist" across the top as well as "McCahon" across the bottom. There are carved wooden hills at the bottom of the panel with a beaten metal form in between the hills.
The centre panel has a cross with a beaten metal face, hands and feet attached to the cross with a chain strung between these features. Across the top of the panel is the text "Race Relate IONS" and across the bottom are various painted artist names such as Hotere, Maddox, Fomison, Te Whata and Clairmont.
The right panel has a wooden door mounted on it with a radiating design of wire inside the door frame. Carved into the bottom half of the door are the letters "I am" or "aIm". Also painted on the door are the words "Race Against Time". To the left of the door is a painter's palette.
At the left and right edge of each panel is a painted cross silhouette that looks like a sword. In the background are colourful painted hills, reminiscent of the hill forms in Colin McCahon's work.
The left panel has a bone skeleton mounted on top of a white rectangle, much like a field stretcher. It has the words "Race is him / Artist or terrorist" across the top as well as "McCahon" across the bottom. There are carved wooden hills at the bottom of the panel with a beaten metal form in between the hills.
The centre panel has a cross with a beaten metal face, hands and feet attached to the cross with a chain strung between these features. Across the top of the panel is the text "Race Relate IONS" and across the bottom are various painted artist names such as Hotere, Maddox, Fomison, Te Whata and Clairmont.
The right panel has a wooden door mounted on it with a radiating design of wire inside the door frame. Carved into the bottom half of the door are the letters "I am" or "aIm". Also painted on the door are the words "Race Against Time". To the left of the door is a painter's palette.
At the left and right edge of each panel is a painted cross silhouette that looks like a sword. In the background are colourful painted hills, reminiscent of the hill forms in Colin McCahon's work.
Credit Line
Collection of the Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui. Purchased, 1992.
Collection Type
Permanent collection
Acquisition Date
11 Mar 1992
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Accession Number:
1992/9/1