The Starling nā Vivienne Joseph i tuhituhi; nā Robert Jahnke kā whakaahua. School Journal, 1978 (Pt. 1, No. 2)
The School Journal was first published in 1907 with the intention of providing children with educational content relevant to their lives. Starting out as a very colonial text, it has constantly evolved and reflects changes in Aotearoa society over time. It has provided generations of artists, as well as writers, with a platform from which to help hone their craft and launch their creative careers. Presented here is a selection of school journals illustrated by Māori artists in the ‘70s and ‘80s. This period saw what has been described as a renaissance of Māori knowledge and culture. This included initiatives to revive te reo Māori, which had been in danger of disappearing, and the set-up of the Waitangi Tribunal. It was also at around this time that some of Aotearoa’s most celebrated Māori contemporary artists were developing their artistic practices.
Robin White supplied illustrations for the two 1972 school journals displayed in the exhibition. It was also in 1972 that she became a full-time artist, having very recently shifted to Ōtepoti. In the years previous (1969-1971) she lived in Paremata, next to Sam Hunt at a spot he had dubbed “Bottle Creek”, apparently due to the number of empty alcohol bottles lying around the place. During this time they collaborated in “The Bottle Press” creating poetry broadsheets.
The Starling nā Vivienne Joseph i tuhituhi; nā Robert Jahnke kā whakaahua. School Journal, 1978 (Pt. 1, No. 2)
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