Nga Toki Mate Whenua - Axes Felling Trees, Kill the Land
Nga Toki Mate Whenua - Axes Felling Trees, Kill the Land
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Artist
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Production Date
1983
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Medium
oil on hessian
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Size
804 x 1058 mm
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Credit
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, Chartwell Gift Collection, 2009
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Accession Number
2009/28/2
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Accession Date
17 Sep 2009
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Department
New Zealand Art
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Classification
Painting
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Collection
AAG
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Subjects
figures (representations), landscapes (representations), Māori, Patu, Piki, mythology, myths, axes (tools), environmental protection
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Description
The title of this painting, together with the almost mythical landscape, suggests a threatening narrative. The central figure adorned with a heru (comb) and gripping a toki (axe) is seemingly intent on one thing. Yet, is the figure fighting against the destruction of the land or does the painting depict resistance, or an altercation with those responsible for the felling of forests? (Te Moananui a Kiwa, 2005)
