Spring Catalogue Exhibition 2009
John Pule
A Clear View of Another World, Another Time, 2009
varnish, oils, enamels, ink and resin on canvas
1500 x 1500mm
signed and dated lower left: A Clear View of Another World / Another Time / John Puhiatau Pule / 2009
Niuean born, Auckland raised John Pule has become one of this country's most highly regarded artists. With a style that fuses aspects of traditional Niuean tapa cloth with a personal and complex library of symbols, Pule uses the canvas to convey narratives of hope and grief, love and despair.
A Clear View of Another World, Another Time (2009) continues the series presented by Pule at his recent Gow Langsford Gallery exhibition Nothing Must Remain. Highlighting the often challenging exchanges between native peoples and colonial explorers and engaging in a broader examination of man's relationship with the sea, the series portrays often harrowing images of conflict and waste.
Pule uses a starker palette here than in previous series, the bold contrast of black on white tempered only by the yellowed smear of varnish. Where recent works have developed narratives amongst a cluster of cloudlike forms, here many of the larger symbols are held within partitions, recalling both Pule's early work and the traditional structure of Niuean tapa cloth, or Hiapo.
As always, these bold markings come in stark opposition to the finely detailed drawings within which Pule reinforces his design. These fragile inhabitants convey, through their actions and narratives, the trials and achievements of whole societies, drawing us into their miniature lives and strengthening Pule's intricate web of symbolism. JT
