Bronze Casting Foundry - Thailand

In June, I visited Asia Fine Art bronze foundry in Ayutthaya, Thailand to consider working with them on future bronze artworks. I've made a short video of bronze sculptures and the foundry. You can get an idea of the bronze casting process which requires many stages and a high skill level to complete the technical process. Bronze casting also requires a lot of equipment and workshop space. I have made bronze artworks previously, completing each stage of the process in workshops where I was privileged to be taught by New Zealand artist Paul Dibble.

By the way, I have no idea who the Thai artist is (I can't read his name in Thai) whose playing the soundtrack that's accompanying the video, or what he's saying! We were in a cafe in Phuket town, heard his music playing and were reminded of Bob Dylan, so we bought the CD to remember the relaxing experience. Hope you enjoy it even if you don't understand the lyrics.

The Earth's waters are both boundaries and pathways for peoples, objects and ideas.

Fumio Nanjo

Poem by Wendy Grace Dawson (now Allen) in response to "Toss in Greymouth" by New Zealand Artist Colin McCahon

Dialogue with Toss Woollaston and Colin McCahon, written by Wendy Grace Dawson (now Allen)

Performed at The Suter Gallery, Nelson, New Zealand, June 14th and 15th 2002

A collaborative performance with composer Ian MacDonald, cellist Kate Sherwood, Dialogue with Toss Woollaston and Colin McCahon written and performed by Wendy Grace Dawson (now Allen).

This poem and performance is in response to the painting Toss in Greymouth 1959, by Colin McCahon, held in The Suter Gallery Collection, Nelson, New Zealand.

About the Painting and the Performance.

Toss in Greymouth by Colin McCahon (1919-1986) was created in response to a letter by artist friend Sir Tosswill (Toss) Woollaston (1910-1998). Colin McCahon subsequently gave this painting to Toss Woollaston where it hung for many years in the Woollaston family home, until 1984 when it was gifted by Sir Tosswill Woollaston to The Suter Gallery in Nelson.

As research for this poem, I interviewed a friend of Woollaston's who knew the history of this painting - thanks Gurli Hansen for that interview. I also researched material about both Toss Woollaston and Colin McCahon. It was discovered that the text in the painting includes a inconsistency by Colin McCahon from the original letter by Toss Woollaston. Dialogue with Toss Woollaston and Colin McCahon acknowledges and reflects this difference. It was a privledge to have members of the Woollaston family at the collaborative performances held at The Suter Gallery.

Dialogue with Toss Woollaston and Colin McCahon

written by Wendy Grace Dawson (now Allen)

I

Alit on the flax a Tui at dusk.
And broke the late evening open with song.

II

Look at my true New Zealand.

Unpicturesque ordinariness.
Barren empty landscape.

Rounded hills.
Spaces between.

I am dealing with the essential monotony of this land.
A landscape with too few lovers.

Tau cross.
Figure of Toss.
Stands.
A fellow lover of that land.

III

Stormy skies.
Brooding, moody, solemn.
Glimpse of a headland.

Earth wrestling with sky.
Painter wresting with canvas.

IV

Light separating from darkness.
Painting's essential task.

I am the source of the light in this darkend landscape.

Words made clear, and spoken directly to the viewer.
A conversation in paint.

Look at my true New Zealand.
My vision, my invention, my discovery.

V

Alit on the flax a Tui at dusk,
And shot the late evening open with song.


© Copywrite Wendy Grace Dawson 2002

For more information about this painting please check out:

• Toss in Greymouth
• Toss Woollaston
• Colin McCahon

The Earth's waters are both boundaries and pathways for peoples, objects and ideas.

Fumio Nanjo

About This Blog & Expanded Content

Sorry I haven't blogged much. One reason was that our computer was stolen, another that I couldn't get the internet in my apartment for four months (the challenges of living on the 26th floor etc). I'm going to change the direction of this blog. My initial idea was to keep it all about The Border Crossing Art Project but I want to expand the content so I have more material to write about and to keep you interested. So, you'll notice the tone of this blog is more personal and written in first person. You'll read more about the day to day life of artists, other cool art that I've seen or found and other life stuff like travel. Maybe a poem or two. Let me know - post a "comment" if you like the material I write so that I know I'm on the right track, or if it's really boring knowing day to day stuff and you'd rather I wrote in a more formal publishable style, then let me know that too. Watch this space... the sky's the limit.

The Earth's waters are both boundaries and pathways for peoples, objects and ideas.

Fumio Nanjo