B.
Going Bush
Behind the scenes
As we're constantly reminded by a somewhat strident billboard campaign, the Christchurch We Love Is Still Here.
As reluctant as we might be to jump on that particular bandwagon, it's undeniably rewarding to reconnect with those local sweet spots we've let slip to the rear of our quake- and christmas-harried consciousnesses.
Pūtaringamotu / Riccarton Bush
One such treasure – as I reminded myself recently – is Pūtaringamotu: a stand of native bush on the historic Riccarton House property, not far from the city centre. Dominated by ancient matai, totara and kahikatea trees, it is the last surviving remnant of the original forest that once covered the Canterbury plains. Preserved through the wish of the pioneer settler, John Deans, it is now enclosed by a predator-proof fence and is home to a small population of kiwi and tree wētā. A looping track takes you for an easy ten minute stroll, with seats placed at strategic locations.
One such treasure, as I reminded myself recently, is Putaringamotu - the lush stand of native bush preserved on the grounds of the historic Riccarton House property. The last remnant of the original forest that covered the Canterbury Plains before being largely destroyed by fire during the Moa Hunter period, this small reserve is dominated by huge Kahikatea trees. Standing at the foot of one of these 600 year old beauties is one experience that lives up to the advertising - awe-inspiring, heart-soothing, care-lifting goodness.
Pūtaringamotu / Riccarton Bush
Standing at the foot of a 600 year-old kahikatea, while bellbirds make that impossibly liquid call and fat, clumsy kereru crash into everything in sight is one Christchurch experience that lives up to the advertising hype – awe-inspiring, heart-lightening, care-soothing.
It also reminded me of the neck-tilting perspective Denise Copland used in her 1991 suite of aquatint etchings, Indigenous.
Denise Copland Indigenous IV 1991. Etching/aquatint. Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, purchased 1993. Reproduced courtesy of Denise Copland
Denise Copland Indigenous III 1991. Etching/aquatint. Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, purchased 1993. Reproduced courtesy of Denise Copland
Related
Collection
Denise Copland Indigenous IV
With its distinctive split trunk and delicate foliage outlined against the sky, this pōkākā tree is a remnant of the diverse canopies of Aotearoa New Zealand's great forests. It is part of a larger series by Denise Copland reflecting on the precarious relationship between trees and people. In many cultures and belief systems, including te ao Māori and Christianity, trees connect us with the past as the literal or symbolic embodiments of our ancestors. Yet human presence here has devastated indigenous forests, from the introduction of animals, plants and diseases to the clearing of forests for settlement and development.
(Absence, May 2023)
Collection
Denise Copland Indigenous III
Through her art, Denise Copland has for many years expressed her concern at the destruction of the indigenous forests of New Zealand. The human impact on the natural environment is the overall theme of her ‘Implantations’ installation of 23 prints, of which this suite of five is a part. The first suite in the installation, these prints gradually move from dark to light. This refers to the gradual clearance of the native forest. Produced on a large scale, the dramatic viewpoint of the prints, looking up the trunk of the trees towards the canopy, intensifies the scale. Copland took the plates for these prints into the bush and worked on them, often using bark as well as an etching needle. Copland is one of New Zealand’s leading printmakers. She was born in Timaru and studied at the Christchurch Polytechnic and the School of Fine Arts at the University of Canterbury. She has gone on to tutor at both those institutions. Copland has exhibited widely in New Zealand and participates regularly in international print exhibitions.