| HERITAGE |
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| Public Sculptures & Symbolism |
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| There are four public sculptures in the K Road
area. Two works presented to the Auckland City Council have been placed
in Myers Park. Both are imported statues of stone. |
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| The granite statue of five goats
presented in 1999 by Auckland's sister city Guangzhou [formerely Canton]. It is a representation of a traditional
Chinese story and is a symbol of the contribution of the Chinese Community
to New Zealand. |
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| 'A herd of goats discover a bleak valley and
survive eating the rough vegetation. Their feeding prunes the spiny plants
and their droppings manure the soil. Contained in their droppings are
the seeds of plants from outside the valley. Over a period of time the
valley is transformed into a fertile place due to their quiet diligent
activity.' The statue is made of granite to underline the enduring quality
of this work. |
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| Prior to the Communist Revolution in 1949 all chinese immigrating to New Zealand came from the province directly to the north of Hong Kong & Canton. |
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| The placement of the statue in Myers Park recalls the longstanding presence of the Chinese in the area. For the first half of the 20th century there were a number of Chinese living and working in the Greys Avenue / Cook Street / Hobson Street areas. Now at the start of the 21st century the shops on Queen Street facing Myers Park may be seen as a continuation of this presence. |
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| Michaelangelo's Moses. |
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| The marble copy of Michaelangelo's Moses stands at
the base of the stairs connecting Myers Park with St Kevin's Arcade. Sculpted of white marble from the same quarry as the
original; it was imported by the Milne & Choyce Department Store as the
centrepiece for their Centenary Celebrations in 1971 and later presented to the
City. |
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| The original of this statue was created by Michaelangelo for the tomb of Pope Julius the second. It depicts Moses having returned from recieving the tablets of the covenant and paused while viewing the Israelites adoring the Golden Calf. Imbued with divine fury beams of light radiated from his head. However due to a medieval mistranslation from hebrew into the latin vulgate this was understood as "horns of light" Thus Moses was often represented [as here ] with horns on his head however improbable this was for a christian saint. |
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| This sculpture evokes the 'Refined Good Taste' of
the 19th century when the Italian Rennaissance was very popular and the works of Michangelo in particular were undergoing a reasessment. It can also be viewed as a symbol of the important contribution of the
Jewish Community to the early Colony. Auckland's Main Synagogue [1966] and Jewish
School back onto the Park. |
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| Two Bronze sculptures by New Zealand Sculptors are sited
on K Road. |
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| On the K Road façade of the 1973 Newton Post Office is a bronze
relief by renowned artist and sculptor Guy Ngan, b. 1926, OBE. The new
Newton Post Office was opened by N.V.Douglas MP on 11 June 1973. Ngan's
work has been of a consistently high quality and he has been very prolific,
being patronised by the Government for many Public Buildings since the
late 1960s. His work is usually placed in very public locations but ironically
he appears to have one of the lowest profiles in the public eye. |
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| The bronze wall relief on the Newton Post Office is an
abstract representation of the workings of the postal service. The central
oblong void is simultaneously a letter slot and the outline of an envelope
or parcel. Emanating from the central motif are swooping forms symbolising
correspondence winging their way to the correct address. The bronze's
green/brown patina harmonises well with the 1970s tilework of the façade;
hat distinctive brown being so typical of the period. |
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| "I made a rocky seaside of water and rocks, with people sitting
beside them, for the people who use this park" - "Karangahape Rocks"
sculpture by Greer Twiss in Pigeon Park. |
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| In the park at the corner of K Road and Symonds Street is
located a large bronze work by one of New Zealand's most significant sculptors,
Greer Twiss, b. 1937, ONZM. This work was commissioned by the Auckland
City Council and installed, amid some controversy, in 1968. The Council
had previously weathered controversy a few years earlier when the acquisition
of a Barbara Hepworth sculpture for the Art Gallery had resulted in a
private benefactor purchasing and donating the sculpture. For the Council
to have spent public money on such a large work for such a busy corner
shows some amount of courage and conviction. |
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| The Work itself shows the influence of both Hepworth and
Henry Moore and is arguably one of Twiss' greatest works. It is a fountain
designed to avoid the usual problems of water spraying everywhere because
of the wind. Unfortunately the clever containment of its water feature
has allowed the Council to neglect turning it on for some years and subsequently
many people are unaware it is a fountain. It has long needed some form
of sympathetic lighting to illuminate it at night and appropriate planting
around it. Hopefully the much vaunted and long-awaited upgrade of the
park will eventually see this happen. The sculpture itself is in very
good condition, having weathered to a beautiful green verdigris colour.
It is certainly one of the most important pieces of public sculpture in
Auckland, if not the whole country. |
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| Greer Lascelles Twiss ONZM |
| http://www.aucklandartgallery.govt.nz/exhibitions/0303greer.asp |
| http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/news/council/200303/02/a13.asp |
| http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/publicartworks/cityart.html |
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| Edward Bennett, K Road Historian. |
| If you would like more information email business@kroad.com |
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