Amanda Watson

Ko Ingarangi rāua ko Kōtirana te whenua o ōku tupuna | Engari i tupu mai ahau ki Taranaki, Kei Whaingaroa ahau e noho ana | Ko Amanda tōku ingoa, Tēnā tatou katoa

For a year and a half, I have made paintings in Pukekura, right outside in the forest, and this book traces the making of the work and the painting encounters that occurred. Over the course of several months I have returned to the garden, to particular areas of uncultivated native forest, to be drenched in its complexities and character, and to experience the place through painting. This book follows the work being made and traces my site-responsive way of painting through a kind of biography of painting encounters with plants, paint and canvas.

Before the work began, and again at the end, a group of us met in the garden to acknowledge the whenua [land] and tangata whenua [people of the land] of the Taranaki area, Ngāti Te Whiti hapū and Te Atiawa iwi.  These were meaningful times for me and for the work. We met by a large puriri tree said to be ancient old which had this wonderful light that seemed to illuminate its bark to a glowing amber, and there we received the words from Damon Ritai [Ngāti Te Whiti]. Each morning during the coming months I would visit this puriri as a way of marking the beginning of a day of painting.

Through this time in Pukekura I have encountered nuances in the ecology and have been surprisingly affected when witnessing the ways in which pigments left marks on the canvas by picking up textures of bark and organic matter beneath it, how the ink flowed and spilled across the folds and undulations. During these times I was surrounded by the sounds, scents, and tactile feel of the place, being captivated by swooping birds, gusts of wind, and shifting shadows from the sun. These occasions have left lasting memories. I have begun to see these places with new wonder, to sense a deep mystery and become more attuned to the vibrancy of the area.  For all this I am grateful.

I would like to acknowledge the whenua [land] and tangata whenua [people of the land] of the Taranaki area, Ngāti Te Whiti hapū and Te Atiawa iwi.  My heartfelt thanks go to Damon Ritai [Ngati Te Whiti] for supporting my mahi [work] here, what a beautiful welcome and a privilege. Thank you to Sheryl and the Pukekura team for welcoming me so wonderfully; thanks to Ed and to Zara for your wonderful writing; thanks also to the Research Grant from the Waikato Institute of Technology Te Pūkenga, Ramp Gallery and the Chartwell Trust for their support for this book; the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, and friends and family for helping to make this a memorable time. Thanks to Sam Hartnett for the photography, and Alan for the design. Pukekura Park | Te papa rēhia o Pukekura is located in Ngāmotu New Plymouth in the region of Taranaki in Aotearoa New Zealand, and is cared for by the New Plymouth District Council | Te Kaunihera ā Rohe o Ngāmotu.

Articles by Edward Hanfling and Zara Stanhope

Pukekura en plein air: The paintings of Amanda Watson in the environment and in context. Written by Edward Hanfling, published in artist book In and of the Earth, 2023, pages 24-28. PDF available here.

Affective Witness. Written by Dr Zara Stanhope, published in artist book In and of the Earth, 2023, pages 4-5. PDF available here.