Matthew McIntyre Wilson
An ancient tradition meets modernism, in the skilled hands of Wellington artist Matthew McIntyre Wilson.
Matthew, who is a jewellery teacher at Whitireia Polytechnic and father of three, takes the ancient Maori tradition of weaving and translates it into modern art works, with the use of contemporary materials. Intricately woven metal strands of copper, retrieved from used power cable, and silver, are given new life and at the same time, honour the skills of generations of Maori – and Matthew’s ancestry.
He will join 160 other leading and emerging contemporary Maori artists, who have been invited to the biennial MAORI ART MARKet, held this year at Porirua City’s Te Rauparaha Arena on October 9, 10 and 11.
It will be the largest collection of contemporary Maori artwork ever assembled. More than 2000 items including paintings, jewellery, clay work, sculpture, carving, weaving, fashion, worth more than $3 million will be on sale direct from the artists and invited galleries.
Trained as a jeweller, Matthew became interested in weaving when living in Hawke’s Bay (where he attended polytechnic, gaining a diploma in visual art and design) in the 1990s. He was inspired by friend and master weaver Rangi Kiu.
“Rangi worked in a beautiful whare raranga above the polytech, with woven panels from floor to ceiling. I would watch him work, watch him create his pieces.”
Matthew learnt the traditional techniques from Rangi, who was known for his very fine weaving. Several years later, when his first child was born and he found himself the ‘at home’ parent, he thought about marrying his expertise in jewellery making and ability to work with metals, with these ancient techniques.
“I couldn’t be in the workshop, but I wanted to make things, so I needed something I could do at the kitchen table when the baby was asleep. My weaving developed in that time, and it got finer and finer.”
He had discovered the contrasting colours of copper and silver leant themselves to the patterns used in traditional weaving.
“I use these two colours to create a pattern.”
Patterns used in intricately created and detailed kete, armbands, tatua (warrior’s belts), hinaki (traditional fish trap) – and more recently a cloak.
As well as modern materials, Matthews methodology is current and relevant – he uses recycled materials. All copper comes from old electrical wiring found in the walls of houses, sourced from demolition sites. Silver is bought as wire. A roller mill jewellery machine is used to roll the wire into flat strips and Matthew melts down all off-cuts, then casts them into ingots to be rolled back into wire.
When he first began to weave in metal, Matthew used sheet copper cut into strips.
“But that was very painful! The rolled wire is very fine.”
For Matthew, the patterns he creates are the essence of his work. He takes a traditional pattern and puts a twist on it….
“The pattern is very important. I often hesitate to use patterns I have seen elsewhere. I will find a pattern that appeals and then draw it out on graph paper. Often what starts as a very traditional pattern develops and shifts as I draw it. The result often looks traditional, but for those with an eye for this sort of detail will notice and hopefully enjoy the difference.”
The drawing, or ‘mapping’ stage is very important for the creating of the intricate patterns he uses, and Matthew can spend weeks on it.
“You need the map, so you don’t get lost.”
“Metal is very unforgiving. If you make a mistake and have to undo it, it can dent and bruise – you get metal fatigue.”
There are very few artists in this country who use contemporary materials to create traditional objects; which makes Matthews work all the more unique. And this local artist now has an international following. His works are being sold in Vancouver, at the Spirit Wrestler Gallery. They are available here in Wellington at Avid Gallery.
Last year an exhibition at City Gallery attracted a lot of attention and Matthew was invited by Toi Maori to show his work at the Maori Art Market – a showcase of the very best of indigenous artists’ work, to be held in Porirua on October 9-11. (See below).
“They were really excited about my work (at the exhibition), it really does get received very well.”
The cloak (pictured?) will be on display at Maori Art Market. It is created from the fine silver and recycle copper - and the plastic insulation of the electric cabling he normally extracts the copper from. This cloak was inspired by a rain cape given to Matthew’s great-grandfather from Te Rangi Hiroa in Hawaii many years ago.
Such is the uniqueness of Matthew’s work, that Te Papa has purchased three of his pieces. They are currently in storage – awaiting an exhibition in 2011.
As with many of the 180 artists whose work will be on display and for sale at the Maori Art Market, Matthew is as enthusiastic about seeing the works of those gifted artists who have influenced his own work, as he is about exhibiting his own.
“Sonia Snowden, from Otaki is one. Her work is extraordinarily fine, there is something about it that I find very inspiring.”
Written by Freelance writer Linda George for immediate use, Tel 027 251 2622, (04) 976 9927. Supplied by Toi Maori on behalf of the MAORI ART MARKet or contact Iain Morrison Tel 04 473 7980 or 021 688 668.