Exhibitions » Exhibition Archive » 2000 » Michael Parekowhai: Ten Guitars

Michael Parekowhai: Ten Guitars

13 May - 25 June 2000 in the Entire Gallery

Sculptor Michael Parekowhai epitomises a generation of New Zealand artists who combine a knowledge of their own cultural background with an ironic popular culture savvy.

This exhibition pays tribute to the tradition of singing along to a guitar at parties, with a tongue-in-cheek nod to that very New Zealand musical technique, the 'Māori Strum'. The title refers to New Zealand's favourite party song, “Ten Guitars", the hit from early 1970s which is steeped in an indigenous urban mythology of its own.

The exhibition comprises ten custom made paua-inlaid guitars and a video tape of an all-stars band reprising a performance by the Quin-Tikis from the seminal 1960s musical Don't Let It Get You (which starred Howard Morrison and Kiri Te Kanawa). These pieces are presented before a backlit kowhaiwhai work.

With Ten Guitars Michael Parekowhai returns to City Gallery Wellington where he has previously featured in the exhibitions Cultural Safety and A Very Peculiar Practice.

This project is initiated by ARTSPACE, Auckland with support from Gow Langsford Gallery, Auckland and Creative New Zealand.