Black Cerulean 1999

Editor: This installation art piece, titled "Black Cerulean" by Ralph Hotere, made in 1999, immediately strikes me as austere. The rows of what looks like painted metal create a sort of screen. What can you tell me about it? Curator: This work reveals Hotere's profound engagement with material and process. Notice the repetitive use of corrugated iron – a common, utilitarian material. He elevates it, challenging traditional art materials. Editor: It’s interesting that he's using a building material. So it's not just about how it looks, but about the material itself and where it comes from? Curator: Exactly. Corrugated iron speaks to the socio-economic landscape of New Zealand, the labour involved in its production, its everyday function, its mass manufacture for mass consumption, its place in building modest homes and rural landscapes. What happens when we shift it from those common uses into an art context? Editor: It makes you think about the value we assign to things, depending on their context. What about that bar of colour going across? Curator: The “cerulean” hint is a crucial disruption. Hotere is interrupting the monotony and playing with surface qualities. He manipulates light and shadow, transforming industrial material into a visually and conceptually complex work. It’s not merely representation but an active transformation through labour. Editor: I see how he draws attention to the process of making art, moving it away from the purely aesthetic. It also made me consider where these materials originated and what purposes they initially served. Curator: And hopefully question how meaning can shift with context and our modes of valuing labour.