Creative talent of Queenstown photographer graces second calendar

The creative talent and photography skills of Queenstown-based Jackie Gay of Still Vision has been brought to bear on a calendar celebrating the connection of land, people and culture in Aotearoa.

Charitable trust Nga Kete Matauranga Pounamu is this week launching its Matariki calendar celebrating the Maori New Year and reflecting the joy of raising a whanau.

Following the success of her debut calendar Ink of Aotearoa, featuring artists such as Hollie Smith and King Kapisi, Ms Gay said she was “thrilled and proud” to be the photographer and creative force behind her second release of cultural images.

The concept of the calendar was created by Nga Kete and facilitated locally by Alesha Kereru, with the support of family and community services programme SKIP and the Ministry of Social Development.

Twelve local families from Queenstown, Invercargill, Timaru and throughout the lower South Island were chosen as subjects for the calendar, and Ms Gay had two days with the families in which to deliver the creative vision behind each shot.

The calendar uses a range of positive parenting messages to profile and support the role of parents and caregivers.

“To work with parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters from 12 families to produce the range of shots we needed in just two days was a huge challenge, but one I enjoyed tremendously,” said Ms Gay.

“The interpretation of each parenting ‘slogan’ was left to me, so I made sure I shot up to three or four different slogans with each family group.”

Ms Gay said it had been an “amazing experience” to photograph such a high calibre of New Zealand musicians for her first calendar and launch Ink of Aotearoa nationally.

“Since expanding my skills with my new studio and equipment, I’m once again very proud to share the images in the Mo Tatou calendar with the public. I believe that they reflect not only my growth as an artist but the style and vision of my most current portraiture and exhibition work.”

Nga Kete Matauranga Pounamu CEO Tracey Wright-Tawha said every picture in the calendar showed its relationship with pounamu with most of the pieces supplied by local carver Luke Leaf.

“It is a reflection of our people, our land, our customs and the things we value,” she said.

She said thanks were also due to Dean Whaanga who assisted by incorporating maori planting and fishing information in the calendar, and thanked SKIP MSD for contributing some funds to help offset the cost of the project.

The launch will be held at the Invercargill Tomairangi Marae at 1pm on Saturday June 16.

The calendar can be viewed in the Exhitiions section of Still Vision’ website at http://stillvision.co.nz/exhibitions/motatou/ and can be bought from Still Vision’s studio in Camp Street, Queenstown, Nga Kete’s Queenstown and Invercargill branches and at the launch for $20 each.  All profits will go back to supporting whanau in the community.