Carole Prentice grew up in Auckland, New Zealand, living in Mt Wellington, a working-class suburb squeezed between the Tamaki River and Maungarei, - the mountain known by most people as Mt Wellington. As a child she clambered up the steep sides of Maungarei many times, but now as an adult and an artist she climbs mountains only to look more critically at landscapes she thinks she knows. From such a vantage point Prentice considers how tenuous Pakeha occupation of the land is and imagines ways in which traces of much earlier indigenous occupation echo and endure.
Such perspectives are evident in her paintings, where dreamlike floating islands and patterns are inspired by the dramatic landforms found in and around the east coast. These shapes, in an archipelago of discovery explore the dimensions of place where the past persists and speaks to us in the present.
Prentice’s current style uses a wash of oil paint in order to underpin her compositions with a vibrantly painted colour field. Graduating from Auckland University’s Elam School of Fine arts in 2001 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Prentice has since exhibited alongside such prestigious New Zealand artists as Allie Eagle, Ralph Hotere, Justin Summerton and John Walsh.
Such perspectives are evident in her paintings, where dreamlike floating islands and patterns are inspired by the dramatic landforms found in and around the east coast. These shapes, in an archipelago of discovery explore the dimensions of place where the past persists and speaks to us in the present.
Prentice’s current style uses a wash of oil paint in order to underpin her compositions with a vibrantly painted colour field. Graduating from Auckland University’s Elam School of Fine arts in 2001 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Prentice has since exhibited alongside such prestigious New Zealand artists as Allie Eagle, Ralph Hotere, Justin Summerton and John Walsh.
RECENT EXHIBITIONS
NIKAU DELICATESSEN
In this series of paintings, the artist considers her ancestral roots, including the romantic suggestion of a little French blood dipped into the lineage via a renowned grandmother, known as Eleonora or Mrs Mac. It is no surprise that as an artist she found herself drawn to the wild and curious designs of plants, flora and makeshift dwellings created by the 16th century French artist Pillement. And like Pillement whose curious designs became a document of his cross-cultural connection between the East and the West -- a reforming of variants of Chinese motifs implanted into his own French landscape -- she too was keen to apply this cross-cultural connection -- between indigenous Aotearoa and her mixed ancestral heritage.
Below, the longevity of the ancient tree form offers a space, haloed, secure and secluded. Separated out from the intrusive clutter of the world, such a viewpoint from the heightened treetops enables one to breath with renewed clarity. As the NZ 60’s pop band The La De Dah’s song title echoes `How is the Air Up There?’, the artist answers `It is serene and fresh and magical'.
NIKAU DELICATESSEN
In this series of paintings, the artist considers her ancestral roots, including the romantic suggestion of a little French blood dipped into the lineage via a renowned grandmother, known as Eleonora or Mrs Mac. It is no surprise that as an artist she found herself drawn to the wild and curious designs of plants, flora and makeshift dwellings created by the 16th century French artist Pillement. And like Pillement whose curious designs became a document of his cross-cultural connection between the East and the West -- a reforming of variants of Chinese motifs implanted into his own French landscape -- she too was keen to apply this cross-cultural connection -- between indigenous Aotearoa and her mixed ancestral heritage.
Below, the longevity of the ancient tree form offers a space, haloed, secure and secluded. Separated out from the intrusive clutter of the world, such a viewpoint from the heightened treetops enables one to breath with renewed clarity. As the NZ 60’s pop band The La De Dah’s song title echoes `How is the Air Up There?’, the artist answers `It is serene and fresh and magical'.
FINDING LONGITUDE
On Captain James Cook’s second voyage to the Pacific in 1776 he took with him, on board the HMS Resolution, a copy of John Harrison’s radical new navigational aid, the H4 marine chronometer, which was an innovative but accurate way of finding longitude.
For this exhibition, the artist expressed a fascination for Harrison’s contribution to the development of exploration because it was he who invented the means by which others like Cook could “know” more precisely than ever before exactly where they were. Where Harrison designed an instrument that measured time in order to establish location, the artist saw herself involved in a similar project of trying to secure a position, the difference of course is that her “invention” proposes a unique and personal visual language that documents the co-ordinates of self; in a discovery of place.
On Captain James Cook’s second voyage to the Pacific in 1776 he took with him, on board the HMS Resolution, a copy of John Harrison’s radical new navigational aid, the H4 marine chronometer, which was an innovative but accurate way of finding longitude.
For this exhibition, the artist expressed a fascination for Harrison’s contribution to the development of exploration because it was he who invented the means by which others like Cook could “know” more precisely than ever before exactly where they were. Where Harrison designed an instrument that measured time in order to establish location, the artist saw herself involved in a similar project of trying to secure a position, the difference of course is that her “invention” proposes a unique and personal visual language that documents the co-ordinates of self; in a discovery of place.
HALO, IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE
The Artist had never been to Europe to look up into the arched vault of the duomo and see where the frescoed angels hide. As someone New Zealand born and raised, and currently living out at Ocean Beach near the entrance to Whangarei Heads, her appreciation of the cathedral is more likely to be informed by the mountain called Te Whara that in sheer pillars of volcanic rock thrusts skyward from the base of the cauldron which sits in the picture window at the end of her kitchen sink.
As an artist, because her experience is in Northland and not Rome or Venice, the only visibly angelic shape to be encountered is a carved wooden manaia on a wooden post that watches over the DOC track leading down to the beach. So she imagines them -- the angels -- What they might look like; what they might be doing; right here, right now.
The Artist had never been to Europe to look up into the arched vault of the duomo and see where the frescoed angels hide. As someone New Zealand born and raised, and currently living out at Ocean Beach near the entrance to Whangarei Heads, her appreciation of the cathedral is more likely to be informed by the mountain called Te Whara that in sheer pillars of volcanic rock thrusts skyward from the base of the cauldron which sits in the picture window at the end of her kitchen sink.
As an artist, because her experience is in Northland and not Rome or Venice, the only visibly angelic shape to be encountered is a carved wooden manaia on a wooden post that watches over the DOC track leading down to the beach. So she imagines them -- the angels -- What they might look like; what they might be doing; right here, right now.
ASK THIS MOUNTAIN
Maungarei, Mountain of Watchfulness’, a name formed through a people living closely attuned to the resources that the mountain offered them. A name that resonated a relationship between a mountain and its people. A giant volcanic landform, from whose heightened viewpoint, local Maori looked down over their territories and maintained an enduring presence. Their chief, Hinaki, occupying the summit (tihi) above which a high platform was built to serve as watch-tower [today notably replaced by an also obsolete Trig Station]. A gong or a conch hung from the watch-tower to sound the alarm for those working in the plantations that led down to the and the river shore, should it be necessary.
Maungarei, Mountain of Watchfulness’, a name formed through a people living closely attuned to the resources that the mountain offered them. A name that resonated a relationship between a mountain and its people. A giant volcanic landform, from whose heightened viewpoint, local Maori looked down over their territories and maintained an enduring presence. Their chief, Hinaki, occupying the summit (tihi) above which a high platform was built to serve as watch-tower [today notably replaced by an also obsolete Trig Station]. A gong or a conch hung from the watch-tower to sound the alarm for those working in the plantations that led down to the and the river shore, should it be necessary.
TRUE DAUGHTERS OF THE NORTH
It had been a year of `bearing one's cross’ in the `paradise’ of Bream Head. Surrounded by majestic mountain ranges, the sides of which dip deeply down into a sandy shore besieged by wind and surf. Houses fringed with corridors of indigenous bush protecting colorful bedings of imported flora nestled into the semi-rural gardens ……….. The artist's imagination was arrested by a box of well-used insinkerator plug-holes lying randomly on a shelf in the local Demolition Yard. She bargained at the counter and left, carrying three of the 3-D sculptural objects, with the intention of adapting them for use as framing devices.
Her next trip took her to the Salvation Army second-hand depot where after second-glancing a miniature figurine sitting solo amidst a medly of mismatched cups and saucers, she returned to make the purchase, all of $1.00. A precise pink figurine of Mary from the children’s rhyme “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary” -- “Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow? With cockle shells and silver bells All in a pretty row.”
It seemed appropriate for the domestic challenge, acknowledging the fact that life has a way of dragging you down the gurgler, chopping you up and spitting you out. A bit like Ada McGrath in Jane Champion’ s movie `The Piano’. Life’s not so very different now, except Ada lived on the west coast and the artist lives on the east coast, oh, and unlike Ada, she gets to enjoy the benefits of everyday mod con’s such as an insinkerator, or maybe that should be in-sink-er-ate-her.
It had been a year of `bearing one's cross’ in the `paradise’ of Bream Head. Surrounded by majestic mountain ranges, the sides of which dip deeply down into a sandy shore besieged by wind and surf. Houses fringed with corridors of indigenous bush protecting colorful bedings of imported flora nestled into the semi-rural gardens ……….. The artist's imagination was arrested by a box of well-used insinkerator plug-holes lying randomly on a shelf in the local Demolition Yard. She bargained at the counter and left, carrying three of the 3-D sculptural objects, with the intention of adapting them for use as framing devices.
Her next trip took her to the Salvation Army second-hand depot where after second-glancing a miniature figurine sitting solo amidst a medly of mismatched cups and saucers, she returned to make the purchase, all of $1.00. A precise pink figurine of Mary from the children’s rhyme “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary” -- “Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow? With cockle shells and silver bells All in a pretty row.”
It seemed appropriate for the domestic challenge, acknowledging the fact that life has a way of dragging you down the gurgler, chopping you up and spitting you out. A bit like Ada McGrath in Jane Champion’ s movie `The Piano’. Life’s not so very different now, except Ada lived on the west coast and the artist lives on the east coast, oh, and unlike Ada, she gets to enjoy the benefits of everyday mod con’s such as an insinkerator, or maybe that should be in-sink-er-ate-her.
COLONIAL SERVICE
As an artist and a fourth generation New Zealander endeavoring to secure a dialogue about identity and place, it was not surprising that Prentice was drawn to the imagery of ancient forms of heraldic insignia. This resource of emblems concerned itself with similar identifying subject matter to that stamped into the underside of household ceramics which the artist had already been referencing.
The minimal designs of Heraldry reminded the artist again of family histories. Histories reminisced during early childhood over relaxed conversations with her father upon his weekly return from the 5 o’clock closing of the local pub. Slurred speeches of some length talked of long gone connections, to a listening audience of one small child. Connections that romantically suggested titles, such as Lords, Earls, Viscounts and Baronettes, not to mention Reverends, Bishops and even Primates.