Image by Dionne Ward taken during Common Ground the Hutt Public Art Festival
In this episode I talked with Murray Hewitt an artist who works mostly in video on the occasion of the recent screenings of his work The Rising Gale as part of Common Ground the Hutt Public Art Festival. The theme for the 2017 festival was Groundwater and explored our relationship with water – the Hutt River Te Awakairangi, it’s streams, springs and aquifer – and its importance to our sense of place, health and wellbeing.
Shot from a drone, The Rising Gale maps a path from the aquifer in Taita to Matiu/Sommes Island flying over the water in real time.
The Rising Gale screened at five bore and river sites across the Hutt Valley from 25 February to 4 March during Common Ground a festival produced by public art and urban revitalization organisation Letting Space in partnership with the Hutt Council.
You can see some great photos of the various screenings of The Rising Gale on the Common Ground website
During this episode you’ll hear excerpts of work by Gem Wilder, Damien Wilkins and Helen Heath written in response to and as ‘soundtrack’ for The Rising Gale. These were performed alongside the video on 26 February and GNS Science.
Murray Hewitt works mostly in video. His works have contemplated consumer behavior, remembered historic events, or mulled over current political ones through the considered actions of a lone costumed figure, or repetitive stationary camera shots that encouraging sustained deliberation from the viewer.
You can see Murray’s work at Circuit: Artist Film and Video Aotearoa New Zealand
We discuss many of Murray’s works but dwell especially on:
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Episode 44: Pip Adam talks to artist Murray Hewitt
Better off Read 