A few lucky people now know the meaning of the word bibble, thanks to Marie E. Potter’s installation at Entice.
Marie recently completed her stint at NZ Pacific Studio, as the Friends of Aratoi Fellow 2015. For this she created a community project called Wall of Words in which she asked people to think of words that reflected Wairarapa in 2015. These were then arranged in crossword-like formation in windows, including around Aratoi, the i-SITE and Entice Cafe.
The Auckland multimedia artist describes her time in Wairarapa as hugely rewarding due to the positive response: People could see something materializing in front of them and got a sense of achievement and belonging by contributing their words.
The kids at Masterton Intermediate churned out nearly 200 words in an hour. One boy had a great knowledge of history and current cultural knowledge he'd been to a council meeting with his parents! And King Street Artworks words are still up on their windows: For me that's equally rewarding as creating work and selling it, she says.
Marie's fascination with New Zealand rituals and tradition started early. 'I had a very formal English grandmother who wore a cameo and dresses down to her ankles. She had a silver teapot with a beautiful quilted cover. And I had a Kiwi grandmother who wore shorts and trousers, and her teapot had a knitted cover that was burnt on one side from being too near the toaster.'
The second part of her Fellowship work is an installation called 'VISION/MEMORY' which is in the Aratoi foyer until 4 December. It brings together objects that were dug out of a hillside on the NZPS property 60 years ago, as well as cross word installations on the windows.
Marie's ongoing focus on New Zealand social history was strengthened with a MFA from Whitecliffe College of Arts & Design in 2010. 'Now in my senior years, much to my surprise, this historic focus in my art is growing legs!'
She has won many awards and was a finalist in the 2014 Wallace Art Awards.
'Art is my way of uniting people and keeping alive NZ European history because I can see that it could be lost, she says. I admire hugely how Maori rejoice in who they are. It's is a way of asking who we are as Kiwis.'
