Tessa Laird is all about the smart art...
According to The Big Idea: http://www.thebigidea.co.nz/node/31599
Artist Tessa Laird is so intrigued by colour she is doing a doctoral study at Elam next year looking at the "revolutionary power of colour".
This year she has curated The Rainbow Reels, an installation of films from the New Zealand Film Archive themed in the colours of the rainbow, from a Mao Tse Tung wearing a Maori korowai to a violet squid in coastal waters.Although the method of finding images was random, certain patterns emerge. Above all, footage of flowers and gardens reflect New Zealand as a self-styled agrarian paradise, through official show reels and home movies by proud amateurs.
The Rainbow Reels is at the Film Archive in Wellington and Auckland until February.
During what hours of the day do you feel most inspired?
I'm neither an early bird nor a night owl, so I'd have to say that the half hour before sunset is my favourite time of day. Sometimes you get that magical rosy glow over everything, and anything seems possible!
How would a good friend describe your aesthetic or style?
A good friend would call me a hippie and know that I wouldn't be offended. A shameless orientalist, a diehard greenie, interested in just about anything with "ethnic" or "environmental" overtones.
What aspect of your creative practice gives you the biggest thrill?
Making things, after years of just writing about other people making things, is an enormous thrill, particularly messing around with clay.
How does your environment affect your work?
I find the biggest problem is also the biggest pleasure - the fact that the art world is so damn social! There are openings, talks and events on every night of the week (and attendant compulsory imbibing of alcohol, dinners, etc...). How anyone is actually supposed to make artwork under these conditions I'll never know!
Do you like to look at the big picture or focus on the details?
Definitely the details - I'm a real ground-looker. In gardens or on bushwalks 'm always curious to know what's going on in the undergrowth, and at beaches I'll inevitably get sidetracked by rockpools, shells, crabs and seaweed, and forget to pay attention to the waves and the horizon.
Your exhibition at the Film Archive in Wellington and Auckland deals with some very interesting footage. How did you tackle the giant task of wading through the collection?
I used the seven colours of the rainbow as a system to structure my searches. I used the Archive's on-line catalogue and simply entered the key terms "red", "orange", "yellow", "green", "blue", "indigo", and "violet". Some colours yielded huge numbers of results and I had to be selective. Others were scant and so I had to enter other colour terms, like mauve, purple, lilac, and so on. In the end, I came up with seven separate reels of footage which responds - rather loosely, to these coloured categories.
What was your favourite find?
That is a tough one! But I think it would have to be the footage taken by Hare Krishnas at Sweetwaters in 1982. On the one hand, it's a great blast from the past, but on the other hand, the crowd isn't much different from, say, the crowd at SPLORE today. The Hare Krishnas are generally very well received, and there's a real sense of sweet naivety and optimism that pervades the tape, particularly in the interviews with recent converts.
Would you encourage others to use the Film Archive?
I only know what it's like at the Auckland office, and it can be quiet sometimes, but at other times, it's a real hotbed of activity. I see a lot of people engaging in independent research, and a lot of people simply enjoying the entertainment value of being able to watch classic New Zealand footage. A lot of young artists I talked to, though, have expressed that they still haven't gotten around to fully exploring the potential of the Archive. Hopefully more shows like mine will inspire artists to use the Archive as a research tool. It's amazing what you can find - there really is something for everyone.
What's your number one business tip for surviving (and thriving) in the creative industries?
Personally I've always found that working on the things that interest you is the best way to attract attention and opportunities. I constantly see people trying to "package" or "taylor" themselves for a success which remains elusive. I think if you're true to yourself, you're more likely to be rewarded.
Which of your projects to date has given you the most satisfaction?
Probably my Masters show at the end of 2006, which was a museumy installation in the display cases of Auckland University's Anthropology Department. It featured paintings and ceramics, mostly on the theme of bats as they are presented by various cultures. I managed to combine almost all of my obsessions: ethnography, botany, ceramics, small furry animals, in one fell swoop. Talk about satisfying!
Who or what has inspired you recently?
Susi Newborn, the activist writer, one of the founders of the Rainbow Warrior, who lives on Waiheke, has just started a blog which I love: . It combines art, activism and spirituality and is written with such an honest, down-to-earth voice. I also just bought the recently released collected essays of Denys Trussell called "The Expressive Forest". The essays date from 1977 to 2008, and they are all written around themes of art and ecology.
Though the artists he's interested in are of a different generation to my personal favourites, Trussell's ideas and scholarship are just bang on and incredibly applicable to contemporary practice.
If you could go back and choose a completely different career path to the one you've chosen, what would it be?
An international aid worker. But who am I kidding? I like comfort, and
I'm a coward.
What place is always with you, wherever you go?
The Auckland War Memorial Museum, Wintergardens, and Domain. I truly do see it as a cultural heartland for Aucklanders. I had a dream that it was the end of the world and I was meeting my Grandma at the museum - it was the natural place to head when Armageddon hit. I think that says something about its centrality to the Tamaki Makaurau imaginary.
What's the best way to listen to music, and why?
While dancing, and with eyes closed. Because otherwise I get self-conscious and side tracked by people watching! It is best to open them periodically, however, to make sure you're not about to crash into anyone or anything.
You are given a piece of string, a stick and some fabric. What do you make?
A chopper flag for my bicycle.
What's the best stress relief advice you've ever been given?
Breathe, breathe and breathe. It's good general advice, as well.
What's great about today?
Working with the wonderful gals at Film Archive Auckland, who have indulged my whim to have sparkling feijoa and sparkling boysenberry wine at the opening, a rainbow of fruit juices, and popsicles!
What's your big idea for 2009?
I'm going to commence doctoral study at Elam, looking at the "revolutionary power of colour". It will be 50-50 writing and making artwork. I can't wait!
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