Responding to the landscape

People and places have always provided a rich source of inspiration for contemporary New Zealand artist Dame Robin White (born in Te Puke, 1946, Ngāti Awa).

Themes of community and environment appear consistently throughout the 345 artworks by Robin White held in the Hocken Pictorial Collection. The collection contains work in a diverse range of media, spanning the years 1957 to 1998. Many of these items were donated by the artist before she moved from Dunedin to Kiribati in 1983.

White and her family lived on the Otago Peninsula for a decade between 1972 to 1982. During this time White created many artworks depicting scenes from her everyday life and drew inspiration from local landmarks.

In Harbour Cone from Hooper’s Inlet 1975, White captures the distinctive conical shaped hill on a bright, clear day. There is a refined and considered nature to this screen-print with the use of hard-edged lines and striking contrast. The use of vibrant colour is reminiscent of commercial tourism posters of the mid-twentieth century.

The circular framing draws the eye in and focuses the attention entirely on the unique shape of Harbour Cone, creating the illusion of viewing the landscape through a ship’s window or binoculars.

The asymmetry of the composition reminds the viewer that this is a natural landmark. However, in this work we can also see the impact of human industry. The dense forest which once covered the Otago Peninsula is now reduced to patches separated by expanses of pastoral farmland.

Depicting meaningful relationships is another important thread that runs throughout White’s art. In Mere and Siulolovao 1978, White depicts her neighbour Mere Montgomery (nee Meanata) with her daughter Siulolovao resting calmly on her hip in front of their colonial-era cottage on the Otago Peninsula.

The use of bright colours and the intricate Batik-style pattern of Mere’s skirt creates a sense of warmth and joyousness, while the laundry fluttering in the wind alludes to the unpaid and often under-appreciated work of women.

In 1982 White and her family moved from Dunedin to Tarawa in Kiribati, where they would live for 17 years. Before leaving, White created a series of drawings titled Victory Beach. Victory Aue in response to impressive basalt pyramids on the isolated eastern coast of the peninsula.

There is a sense of sadness and finality to these works which were produced as White dealt with the emotions associated with leaving a place, and the loss of her mother. The dark and gloomy colour palette creates a sombre tone and references the work of other notable New Zealand artists like Colin McCahon and Ralph Hōtere.

The use of crayon creates a textured surface reminiscent of the rocky landscape and is effective at capturing the way light filters through a misty atmosphere. These works differ dramatically from White’s earlier bright and nostalgic depictions of the landscape, demonstrating how our perceptions of the environment can shift depending on temporal factors such as weather and light.

Many of these artworks are currently on display at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery in the exhibition Robin White: Te Whanaketanga | Something is Happening Here.

Hocken Collections also holds many other significant artworks by White (including prints and woven work created in Kiribati), a selection of publications with illustrations by White, and archival material relating to the artist - all of which provide a unique glimpse into her life and work.

• The Hocken Collections and Gallery are open to the public Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm. Free, behind-the-scenes tours every Thursday at 11am. Bookings not required.

- Amy Closs, collections assistant at Hocken Collections, University of Otago.