Clay artists

Concepts

My concepts come from many places, this usually means culturally, globally, and generally whatever is happening right in front of me. But what is inexplicable is the emotional pull of an event or what people are dealing with day to day. What intrigues me is the unseen, the links humanity have with the spirit but as people strive for a more material value, the old ways seem to disappear and so my concepts become a link to the customary but moving forward with new technologies and materials.

Contextual Basis

The work I am exploring at the moment is purely about the pure art of paint and mark making, the works have evolved over the year and are becoming works which I enjoy making.

I have experimented with wide variety of tools from an assortment of brushes which have included a small broom to the tiniest of sable brushes.

With these I have been able to make huge sweeping gestural strokes to a smaller more lineal mark.

I have also included the use of varying sizes of squeegees and scrapping tools, these more painterly marks are then filled with delineation of pastel, chalk and crayon.

The imagery has become secondary to the actual marks; I do these without overthinking the whole process. In appearance there seems to be a randomness and naivety to the overall work but I am conscious of what should happen once the medium comes in contact with the surface.

Biography

Linda Munn has worked in the arts for over twenty years, as a young clay artist she was mentored by the likes of Manos Nathan and Wi Te Tau Pirika Taepa. It was through their teaching and influence that led to a lifelong passion for sculpture, whakairo and clay. It was while studying paint with Nigel Borell that Munn began to seriously think of paint as a medium.

Munn always stated that she painted like she made clay, the marks made while constructing pots and sculptures, became so much more interesting when put to canvas and paint.

Munn had been involved in the Māori Movement in the 1980’s and protest art became a media which Māori artists used to express issues relevant to Maori.

In 1989 Linda Munn, Jan Dobson and Hiraina Marsden collaborated on a design that would offer some unity to Māori. Tino Rangatiratanga became the concept for the flag and has been acknowledged as a symbol of autonomy.

Future plans include a solo exhibition in New York and community arts projects. Munn was curator for the Tono Toi art gallery in Tauranga and is involved with several art projects locally and nationally.