Archives For lake tarawera

The competition to win a limited edition copy of Wild Creations artists Rosy Tin Teacaddy’s new album All Mountains are Men is closed.

Jack van Hal, from Hillsborough in Christchurch, is our winner. Congratulations!

The challenge was to name the two New Zealand native birds featured in Bucketful of Bones and Beauty My Dear. The correct answers are:

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Rosy Tin Teacaddy’s album All Mountains are Men is a national treasure, and we have a numbered limited edition CD to give away.

Wellington folk duo Rosy Tin Teacaddy

But more on that later. First I’ll try to explain why I’m sounding like such a tragic fanboy.

It’s partly a pride thing. The whole album was written and recorded in an isolated DOC cottage beside Lake Tarawera while the ’Caddies were on a Wild Creations artists’ residency so, in some small and frankly delusory way, I feel I contributed. And the whole Bon Iver, lonely-cabin-in-the-woods vibe doesn’t hurt.

Then there’s the way New Zealand past and present seems to have been captured in miniature in the songs. Released on the 125th anniversary of the eruption of Mt Tarawera, the record rings with echoes of the explosion that buried Te Wairoa and engulfed the Pink and White Terraces, the “Eighth Wonder of the World”.

The album was written and recorded at Lake Tarawera

Lake and mountain flirt shamelessly, the local telegraph master stays at his post to report the disaster as ash rains down and dead men turn up at their own funerals.

None of this would mean diddly if the songs hadn’t lodged themselves in my subconscious ever since a colleague played me the demos.

Apart from the title track, the songs I keep coming back to are a lament to the lost Pink and White Terraces called Beauty, My Dear, domestic-scene-with-disaster Out of the Frying Pan into Fire, and Telegrams and Ashes, which documents the eruption in staccato telegraphese.

The songs are mysterious and evocative, mythic and everyday, funny and sad, richly melodic and wrapped in beautiful harmonies. What Gillian Welch and David Rawlings do for Americana, RTT do for New Zealand’s songwriting traditions.

But don’t take my word for it.

Check out All Mountains are Men on Bandcamp.

Cover of Rosy Tin Teacaddy album All Mountains are Men

All Mountains are Men CD

Recently I gave 3 NZ artists an early Christmas present when I told them they’d won a Wild Creations residency, meaning they will spend 6 weeks in some of NZ’s best natural environments to work on their art form. During the residency the artists explore and get inspired by their natural surroundings. They are all very different so they will each have a captivating story to tell about the places they visit.

Chris Cottrell

Chris Cottrell

Artwork by Chris Cottrell using thread, printed card, sunlight and audio

'Data Cloud' by Chris Cottrell. Based on the collection of weather data, this project shows a tangible bodily relationship to data's cloudy characteristics: indeterminacy, vastness, lightness, ephemerality and obscurity.

One of the winning artists is Chris Cottrell. He’s a drawing, installation and video artist. He’ll head to Fox Glacier where he wants to check out the glacier’s movements then draw, use GPS devices, video and sound to create maps of the glacier that shows the vitality and complexity of the environment. Chris hopes to showcase his work in a travelling exhibition and artists’ book after his residency. Chris is also keen to include the work in his upcoming PhD. 

Andy Hummel and Holly Jane Ewens

Andy Hummel and Holly Jane Ewens are Rosy Tin Teacaddy

Andy Hummel and Holly Jane Ewens are the folk musical duo Rosy Tin Teacaddy. They’re going to the Rotorua Lakes region to write and record a new album about their experience, the people, and the history of Lake Tarawera. Judging by the music they’ve already produced their new album will be something special.

Hayden Fowler

Hayden Fowler, photo by Joy Lai

Hayden Fowler gets a pair of extinct Huia birds tattooed onto his back

Hayden Fowler gets a pair of extinct Huia birds tattooed onto his back for his artwork 'Call of the Wild'

Ashburton Lakes will welcome film, performance and soundwork artist, Hayden Fowler. He’s keen to create a performance piece based on the giant moa and kakapo that shows the impact of these birds being absent from mainland NZ. Hayden hopes to exhibit his work in galleries throughout New Zealand.

DOC and Creative New Zealand work together on the Wild Creations Artists in Residence programme. Each of the winning artists gets a $5,000 stipend and up to $2,000 towards travel and materials costs from Creative New Zealand. DOC gives the artists accommodation during their residency and provides other support to make their stay safe and enjoyable.

The artists will take up their residencies at different times throughout 2010 so watch this space to hear about their experiences and see what they create…