A MUDDY LAND

I am interested in how the land in Aotearoa was altered after colonisation and the lasting social and ecological impact of those actions. For millions of years, a Kahikatea forest flourished on the swamp lands of the Hauraki Plains, and later provided fish, birds, roots, flax, and building materials for local Māori. The newly formed Crown government declared these lands 'waste,' and a process of procurement, dredging, and drainage began.[1]

I am using my family history in the Hauraki Plains, my childhood home, to depict the land and the transformation of the wetlands. While I acknowledge my ancestors—their difficult decisions and the hard work they invested in settling in this country—I also believe the acquisition and destruction of this land should not be forgotten.

Using watercolour as a medium feels close to the swampy lands of pre-colonisation. To avoid romanticising the area and the history, I have been using historical photos as reference and experimenting with brighter colours. Using photographs of family yes, but also of the dredging machines – a treeless muddy land.

 

Jo Dalgety
MFA Year One

L to R, 210 by 297 mm, watercolour on paper, 2024

1. ‘Dipper_dredge’
2. ‘Cutting wood on the farm’
3. ‘Men labouring on the Maukororo Canal’
4. ‘Reclaiming valuable swampland’
5. ‘Pye’s maize dryer’
6. ‘Priestman steam dredge’
7. ‘Latest 45-horsepower Caterpillar dredge at work deepening the Piako River’
8. ‘How the modern dredge operates’