THINKING ABOUT PREPARING ART BITES
I did two things when I came home from Europe, Canada and America in 2001, having seen violence on television ( The Towers ) as soon as I arrived home. I cleared old plantings in my garden so as to plant fruit trees. I took out the car drive. Then I became engaged for the first time in my life in a voluntary project. In 2018 I undertook six weeks of training to be a volunteer guide at my local Art Gallery. Soon after this, I decided to start giving Art Bites.
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Besides looking at current Christchurch exhibitions from which I might select an artwork to talk about, I kept up with North Island Galleries. Sample. Michael Parakowhai puts his Te Papa commission, Detour, in scaffolding. 2018
DETOUR By Michel Parekowhai. 2018. A commissioned work to open a new extended Art Gallery floor 6 at Te Papa
Early Colin McCahon held in scaffolded in Detour. 2018
M
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Waistcoat for Michael Parekowhai. 2016. Photograph by Stephanie Beth. 2016
B_E_T_T_Y . Modified readymade as art. Marcel Duchamp's ordered waistcoat. 1961. Photograph by Stephanie Beth.
Michael Parekowhai commissioned Kate Sylvester to create a waistcoat for Détour 2016. Photograph by Stephanie Beth.
I selected some artists to talk about in ART BITES. These are voluntary talks at the Christchurch Art Gallery. Michael Parekowhai's " Poorman, Beggerman, Thief" was one of mine in 1920.

I decided to make my first talk about Simon Denny.
 I saw a segment piece of Denny’s exhibit , Secret Power ( 2015) reassembled for New Zealand audiences, once it returned from Venice Biennale 2015. It was on display in a room right next to the Red Piano returned from Venice 2011 and being played. To emphasise: WELLINGTONThe Red PianoHe Korero Purakau mo Te Awanui o Te Motu: story of a New Ze ( 2015) reassembled for New Zealand audiences, once it returned from Venice Biennale 2015. It was on display in a room right next to the Red Piano returned from Venice 2012 and being played. To emphasise: WELLINGTONrekowhai's Red piano from Venice in 20122 in 2018. This was the effort that City was making to keep the public viewing some contemporary art and to gather by what types of ways artists explore ideas in contemporary ways. Perception of the contemporary is a learning curve.
NG CHRISTCHURCH 2012 Penetratingly, the triggering link to me, was that I selected tp talk about a Parewowhai work in my next Art Bite. Michael Parakowhai's performance Red Steinway piano was at NG in 2012. According to his prescription, volunteers constantly played the Red piano for visiting cultural imbiers. *The Christchurch experience was significantly and emotionally racking. The piano played to weeping people in shock from the high intensity nd tragic earthquake we had all just experienced . We stood upstairs above Ng and looked down at Parekowhi's bronze bull. below and we listened to the red piano playing. I went to that room three times for solace in 2011. Can you imagine the agony of choosing to stay in a city downed by a huge earthquake. The change stretched our pain and our imagination.
Bull. by Michael Parekowhai. On First looking into Chapman's Homer.* Madras Street. 2012. Photograph by Stephanie Beth. For the non poetry reader, the title of this work is a reflection upon a Keats poem. Michael Parekowhai is an artist who looks upon art in culture from a very competent aspect, biculturally.
*The Christchurch Art Galley friends purchased the Bull. On First Looking into Chapman's Homer by Michael Parekowhai attracted crowds on Madras St in 2012. It was one of three artworks purchased by the gallery through fundraising. . Photo: RICHARD COSGROVE / STUFF
Bull, and a reference to a Keats poem. Venice. 2011.
Bull. Sitting on bare land across the street from NG on Madrass Street. 2018
Me. Living in the Art Center. 1982
Coincidentally, when I decided to talk Art Bites, other energy was going into display boards around the city. the city also has SCAPE Public Art, an art in the community contribution. Such were the febrile times before Covid! In MELODY THREE, see an image I made of the Red piano at play 2016, at City Gallery, Wellington https://www.scapepublicart.org.nz/about-scape-public-art/
At Te Papa, this announcement was made: In 2012, Over the four weeks He Korero Purakau mo te Awanui o te Motu: story of a New Zealand river will be performed by top musicians including Gareth Farr, Robert Wiremu and Tama Waipara, and at 12.30pm daily by pianists selected to play this unique piano when it was exhibited in Venice.
A billboard for Antony Gormley for SCAPE PUBLIC ART. Two of his sculptural works titled STAY were a purchase for Christchurch city. 2015, 2016. ( Google Gormley)
Thank you Anthony Gormley.