Matt Pine
Trapwork 6 (Hinaki)
2006
aluminium
Matt Pine has an impressive academic background. He trained at the University of Canterbury’s School of Fine Arts and Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland. He attended Christchurch Teacher’s Training College and then went on to study in London at the Central School of Art and Crafts and at Hornsey College of Art. He has worked as a print maker, photographer and painter as well as working with three dimensional form.
In his sculpture Pine has employed a wide range of media – wood, plastic, metal, stone, glass and aluminium. He has cast aluminium as well as used it in the constructivist manner he employs here at Brick Bay in Trapwork 6 (Hinaki). These open ‘drawings in space’ are constructed of strips of aluminium riveted together. Based on traditional Maori eel traps, this work continues a theme that dates back to the early 1980s when he first showed Traps. The theme was revived in 2002 in the Trap Series.
Since his return to New Zealand in 1974 Pine (Te Ati Ahunui-a-Paparangi, Te Ati Awa, Ngati Tuwharetoa) has found inspiration in his Maori heritage and the colonial history of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Many of his works have their formal source in architectural structures; some take the reference further in that they take the form of installations. This multi-faceted artist is known also for his collaborative projects in which he has worked with writers, musicians and architects. Through out the 1990s Pine designed a series of memorials honouring Maori killed in action during World War II. Others deal with environmental issues such as endangered species and threatened environment.
Matt Pine’s work is represented in major galleries throughout the country and is showcased at Te Wa in Wanganui where he a director. He is actively involved in the Wanganui Arts Trust.
Dr. Robin Woodward
*Artist’s statement Brick Bay 2006
