Introductory statement for SCULPTURE

Sculpture is not one discipline, one material, one notion of art. The making of contemporary sculpture in New Zealand today takes in an extraordinary array of materials, ideas and disciplines. It is an area of vitality and growth with ever expanding parameters that include new sometimes untried technologies side by side with techniques and materials that are as ancient as civilisation itself.

Directions in contemporary sculpture in Aotearoa/ New Zealand are beginning to reflect our transformation into a country with a more culturally diverse Pacific identity. Much of the work is about the communication of ideas, about thinking. The work increasingly speaks of who we are, where and when we are. Sculpture, perhaps more than any other area of the visual arts, reflects the spirit of our time.

Until recently there has not been a tradition of bringing sculpture into the home in New Zealand. 3D work has thrived in post modern times with many of our sculptors receiving accolades overseas and there is a burgeoning interest in collecting sculptural works by private collectors, by landscape and garden planners and by public bodies.

In recent times definitions have been blurred (multi media work, 2D/3D crossovers, installation art) and as sculptors embark on collaborative projects with other artists, architects, landscape and interior planners, and with industry, the future for contemporary sculpture in New Zealand is exciting and wide open.

Graham Bennett
Multimedia Sculptor