My Fav artwork from the Te Papa collections online.

I was recently asked if i would like to volunteer my favourite artwork from Te Papa's collection online. I would be filmed as part of a trial for a potential interactive up in Nga Toi the national art gallery at Te Papa. I knew straight away which artwork i would like to talk about, while i have loads of favs i chose a photo by Glenn Jowitt called "Baldie and Greeneyes".

I chose it because my uncle is the Greeneyes of the photo, and i like that it portrays him in his youth. But another reason i like it is because when you first look at the image you can see both Baldie and Greeneyes play fighting. A bit of macho rough housing, having a laugh. But on closer insection you will notice Baldies patch, his tattoos and the fact that he has a butchers knife in his right hand, all tell tale signs of them belonging to the Black Power. Factors like urban displacement, a removal from traditional values like whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and turangawaewae help facilitate this process of gang initiation. These gangs become their whanau, their hapu and iwi, it becomes their turangawaewae and is part of their identity. A group of people you normally wouldn't associate with art galleries and national collections. What this playful image doesn't portray is the violence, abuse and crime usually associated with gangs. It doesn't portray the high incarceration rates of young Maori men often members of gangs. It just shows 2 guys goofing off. I also appreciate this artwork as i see myself in these images, not because it is my uncle in the image, but because these are people i recognise. They are my uncles, my cousins, my father, they are me. i also love Glenn Jowitt's work. His photography are records of pacific island cultures, urban Maori and PI people in NZ. Images of Samoan dancers getting dressed in a heavily graffitied changing rooms at the Gluepot will forever make me think of Glenn Jowitts work. Whats your favourite artwork from Te Papa Collection Online? Have a look here