Rita Angus Residency

Rita Angus Residency

Artists Ben Cauchi of Wanganui and Andre Hemer of Christchurch will share the highly prized Rita Angus Residency for 2011.

A collaboration between Wellington Institute of Technology (WelTec) and Thorndon Trust, the Residency supports established artists and enables them to access a wide range of cutting edge facilities and technologies to achieve their vision. Creative NZ and WelTec’s School of Creative Technologies are jointly providing the funding.

To gain residency, artists submitted proposals defining a project they would like to carry out while living in the Rita Angus cottage in Thorndon. Their brief was to localise the concepts ‘technology’ and ‘culture’ in the context of Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Ben Cauchi is known for his ambrotypes and tintypes. His three-month residency, starting in June, will give him the opportunity to focus on experimenting with moving image and sound, incorporating the marriage of the first photographic technologies with those available through the ‘digital revolution’.

André Hemer is known for his hard-edged paintings that blend digital and analogue technologies. “The underlying aims of my work, are to speak to how these methods might make both our connection to international art and culture more intelligible, in a time when we rely strongly on technology to inform us of our cultural and visual world.’’

Hemer continues, “The Rita Angus Residency will be of enormous benefit in shaping my work for the future by allowing me a period of sustained work in an environment that encourages experimental practice. During my time in Wellington I will be working on several public and gallery exhibition outcomes, including a solo exhibition at Bartley and Company Art at the conclusion of the residency period.’’

“WelTec is excited to be able to support these artists as they work on their projects. We look forward to the opportunity to present their work to the public through public lectures, which will be announced later in the year, and through future exhibitions,” says WelTec School of Creative Technologies Senior Lecturer Hamish Tocher.

‘’Porirua-born Wayne Youle (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Whakeeke, Ngāti Pākehā) is one of New Zealand's pre-eminent Maori artists. As 2010 resident he exceeded WelTec’s highest expectations’’

Hamish continues, “As resident, Wayne produced a large body of work, carried out a commission in an earthquake-ravaged Christchurch, painted a suite of works for a show in Auckland, gave a formal lecture, and talked informally with many students,” he says.

Head of WelTec’s School of Creative Technologies, Teriu Lemon, is pleased with the outcome of last year’s candidate. ”Wayne‘s commitment, passion and drive to generate new, creative and innovative works was very inspiring to the school. His contribution through personal interaction, collaboration and support to staff and students highlighted the value of such an important initiative.”

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