An Experiment in Interpretation

I’ve always loved the notion of taking a group of creative people from a range of artistic fields and giving them a single project – and then sitting back and enjoying the diversity, the similarities and the infinite creative possibilities that result. So I was delighted to read about “LIKE: An Experiment in Interpretation,” which opens at the Hawke’s Bay Museum & Art Gallery in Napier tomorrow night. It’s the brainchild of Nelson-based artist and curator, Stella Chrysostomou, who started the experiment with the selection of a simple, geometric object that was ambiguous in shape and function. The object was then described in written form by leading New Zealand poet, Bill Manhire and his description was sent to nine national and international jewellers, who were asked to interpret and ‘decipher’ the object based on Manhire’s text. Wonderful stuff and, as you can see from the three pieces here, the exhibition presents an intriguing display of creative thought and object making. The original object is also on display in a show that runs through to March 22, 2009. You can see all the work, the artists’ responses to the project plus the original object and Bill Manhire’s text at http://www.icebox.org.nz/ Works displayed here are by: top: Gavin Hitchings (silver); Centre: Fran Allison (silver); Bottom: Caroline Gore (oxidised silver and steel cable). Photographs are by Stella Chrysostomou.

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