Arc Artists Yvette Atkins
Maori tribal affiliations Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Rangitane, Ngati Apakura.
A Triptych, ‘Aussie Dad, Māori Mum, What is that? Born and Bred in Australia’
Digital Archival pigment print on cotton rag paper. Each 68 x 35cms
“Questions of identity are recurring in my work and together with an exploration of my Maori heritage provide a power that gives continuance to my artistic expression and practice. In this image I examine the dichotomy between the external ‘Australian’ world I was born into, see, live within, have internalised and the unfamiliarity of my own exotic physical appearance to others and to myself within that world view. The work, prompted by a 5 year old primary school student asking where I was from and when being told I was from Australia, she replied ‘You don’t look Australian’, echoes a lifetime of similar experiences for me and raises ‘Well What does an Australian look like?’, touching on broader themes of colonisation, imperialism, identity, marginalisation, multiculturalism and cultural dissonance. The blue green skin tone reminiscent of the Chinese Girl by Russian artist Tretchikoff and a high keyed Gaugin palette leaning to pop art are devices used to accentuate a sense of the exotic ‘other’ and seek here to illustrate further, feelings of alienation and questions of ethnicity, race and belonging”
Yvette Atkins has been participating at arc since 2002 and a member for 15 years. During this time, she has raised funding, facilitated and delivered a range of creative workshops to the community. As a member artist Yvette has exhibited regularly in open entry, group and solo shows in both gallery arc and gallery SParc and was the 2012 recipient of the Latrobe Regional Gallery Emerging artist award.. Currently the Chair, she has been the facilitator of the recent Arc Building redevelopment project 2020 - 2025 and continues to project co-ordinate the next stage of Arcs redevelopment; the refurbishment of the Print room with the print room working group and arcs collective print makers the ‘Yinnar Press’.
Yvette works from her studio at arc when she can, around other work engagements when available and the recent Covid restrictions and can be found in either the print room making prints or the ceramics studio working on her jewellery and homewares range under the name ‘Mokomamma’©️ (Images below), which she intends to launch in the new year.
images: 1: Mokomamma series 1, Many faces. Drawings, 2020.
2: Hue (Gourd) and Whakakai (earrings and pendants), Stoneware with Shino glaze. 2019.
3. The Tide is High, Plight of the Pacific, Photographed Digital effects on original Watercolour, archival pigmentprints, 2021.
4. Stairway to Change and Healing ( Poutama a Koru ), a. Light of Day (Marama o te ra) b. Dark of night (Pouri o te po ).Archival pigment prints of a digitally photographed screen print, 2021.
“While recovering, I played with picture making in this summer’s past toddler pool, now pond. I had set it up on the back deck to enjoy with my grandchildren (mokopuna). On many occasions it caught my eye. I watched the sun, (ra);the sky, (Rangi) the wind (hau) and the fading light (marama) play upon the reflective surface of the water. Autumn vine leaves changed colour and fell, floating then sinking, layer upon layer into the ever increasing liquid darkness. Raindrops and insects sang and fluttered, breaking the surface and sometimes the silence in rhythmic bursts.I joined in the song, the dance, beside the pond I moved my numb legs, pushing them into the soft walls of the toddler pool, floating and recording the movement and light……..”
Yvette Atkins 2016
After Spinal neck surgery
Digital photography
Reclamations 3 Years at GCAD, Latrobe Regional Gallery Emerging Artists Award.
2012 recipient of the Latrobe Regional Gallery Emerging Artist Award. Sponsored by ArtsVictoria, Latrobe City Latrobe Regional Gallery, Monash University Art Design and Architecture and Gallery Arc Yinnar.
'The Box' 'Cut Peice, 8 cut drawings' 'Emergent' installation 2013
The Box, polystyrene, wood, acrylic paint, PVA, coloured LED lights.
Cut peice, 8 cut drawings, domestic house blinds, acrylic paint, wood.
Emergent, black and white digital photo.
Works are part of 2013 exhibition, Reclamations 3 years at GCAD
The promotional photograph for the exhibition ‘Carnival of Multidimensional Cosmic Radiance’ a collection of works by artists Kate Zizys, Amanda Thompson, Sheena Jones and Yvette Atkins
An installation of ‘Swings’ Mixed Media, Recycled and plaited Telstra rope with recycled Oregon and performance below.
‘Carnival’ had a huge crowd who got into the spirit by dressing in costume for the afternoon. There was entertainment galore. The day was perfect for an exhibition opening.
Yvette Atkins
Impress an exhibition of 12 printmakers at arc yinnar Oct 22 to November 20, 2022.
Artist statement
In my printmaking I explore aspects of my Māori heritage. In these works that span some 10 years from linocut to photogravure taken from photographs that have been digitally worked, I delve into the Polynesian seafaring history of the Pacific Ocean as the largest Ocean in the world. Focusing on the traditional Māori spiritual belief system of Papatuanuku (earth mother) and Ranginui (Sky Father) I give consideration to the concept of land as a stabilising place to stand and the constellation of stars as a constant and guiding force within a world of water. A world subject to continuing and sometimes seismic change where tectonic plates move, islands have appeared and disappeared, waves of colonisation and nuclear testing have occurred and the impacts of climate change are being experienced.
The above photographic and photogravure works were made possible with a Sustaining Creative Workers grant from Regional Arts Victoria.