Post by Kiwi Frontline on Apr 24, 2018 17:13:21 GMT 12
KAUMĀTUA DISGUSTED AT GALLERY'S EFFORTS TO SHOW COLONIAL PAINTING, CITING RACISM
It's one of the most famous paintings of the Taranaki land wars but a New Plymouth gallery has been told exhibiting the piece would perpetuate propaganda that encouraged racism against Māori.
The prominent oil painting, View of Mt Egmont, Taranaki, New Zealand, taken from New Plymouth, with Maoris (sic) driving off settlers' cattle, was painted in 1861 by Englishman, William Strutt.
Taranaki kaumātua Peter Moeahu is against the painting being exhibited and had an expectation the gallery would take his opinion seriously.
"By exhibiting this painting the Govett Brewster Art Gallery perpetuates colonialist's propaganda that encouraged state sponsored racism against Māori," he said.
"I've seen that painting, or copies of it, when I was younger and as far as I was concerned it was used to denigrate Māori that we were thieves and robbers."
The painting depicts armed Māori driving away cattle at the foot of Mt Taranaki, called Mt Egmont in the painting, which Moeahu said inferred Māori were stealing from pākehā settlers.
"We all now know it was Pākehā settlers, with the sanction of Government, who were stealing from Māori," he said.....
www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/103320304/kaumtua-disgusted-at-gallerys-efforts-to-show-colonial-painting-citing-racism
It's one of the most famous paintings of the Taranaki land wars but a New Plymouth gallery has been told exhibiting the piece would perpetuate propaganda that encouraged racism against Māori.
The prominent oil painting, View of Mt Egmont, Taranaki, New Zealand, taken from New Plymouth, with Maoris (sic) driving off settlers' cattle, was painted in 1861 by Englishman, William Strutt.
Taranaki kaumātua Peter Moeahu is against the painting being exhibited and had an expectation the gallery would take his opinion seriously.
"By exhibiting this painting the Govett Brewster Art Gallery perpetuates colonialist's propaganda that encouraged state sponsored racism against Māori," he said.
"I've seen that painting, or copies of it, when I was younger and as far as I was concerned it was used to denigrate Māori that we were thieves and robbers."
The painting depicts armed Māori driving away cattle at the foot of Mt Taranaki, called Mt Egmont in the painting, which Moeahu said inferred Māori were stealing from pākehā settlers.
"We all now know it was Pākehā settlers, with the sanction of Government, who were stealing from Māori," he said.....
www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/103320304/kaumtua-disgusted-at-gallerys-efforts-to-show-colonial-painting-citing-racism
