Laura Amtower and Raquel Esquives: New Pacific Studio

The latest New Pacific Studio residents have their work on display in the foyer of Aratoi.

Laura Amtower
(U.S.A.)

“I am interested in measuring the reliability of memory with the accountability of physical presence. I am particularly fascinated with the unfolding intersection where memories fade, history becomes confused and myths begin to take over. As time presses forward, ghostly variables begin to dissipate while material possessions inherit new definitions. The further these variables travel from their original state, the more distorted the recollections become. Surrounding stories become more fragile, while their details remain inaccessible and enclosed beneath the surface.
Evaluating the current state of a place informs my interpretation of its rolling chronicles. The inhabiting objects create a collective dialogue, suggesting the experiences produced over time. I aim to establish a hierarchy through the imagery and placement of my work that examines the snips of recollections carried forth to the present. Conclusions must be constructed from the details that lie on the surface. While some details remain vivid in reminiscence, others have become extinct.”    Laura Amtower, 2013.


Raquel Esquives
(Peru)

Raquel is currently undertaking a three months artist residency at New Pacific Studios in the Wairarapa. She attended the Pontificia Universidad Católica (Painting) and the  Centro de la Imagen (Photography) in Peru. Raquel has exhibited her artwork in Argentina, United States, France, Germany, Spain, Peru and New Zealand (Aratoi).

Raquel's work revolves around one constant theme - the building up of identity from different perspectives. Her paintings of clouds are inspired by the New Zealand sky:
           
            “I have never seen so many wonderful clouds and the colours in the sunset, fragments I have seen from the car, are now printed in my soul.  The landscape is a part of the identity of a country, but the sky in New Zealand is something very special, I understand why Maori call this land Aotearoa - the land of the long white cloud.”

Raquel Esquives, 2013