The work of Cliff Whiting

More like 'awe-full'; what a beautiful structure

Thank you for posting those, BK- Whiting's work is incredible.

The carver Cliff Whiting is neato.

[ Edited by: Basement Kahuna - content revision (see PM) - 2007-03-18 19:08 ]

[ Edited by: AlienTiki 2007-03-19 03:01 ]

People really should let the quality of their work do the talking ; that's the way it used to be. Nobody can argue with the quality of the carvings in those photos. Cliff Whiting is amazing. The work of the late Pineamine Taiapa is also well worth taking a good look at. He is one of my greatest personal inspirations whenever carving in the Maori style. Remarkable man in general, a great carver, author, and WWII hero. He worked on over 100 meeting houses in his lifetime, and if you've ever carved one, you know the magnitude of that body of work seems insurmountable. http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/TePapa/English/WhatsOn/LongTermExhibitions/TheMarae.htm http://www.flickr.com/photos/ecclestone/131826443/ http://www.christchurchartgallery.org.nz/Publications/1997/PublicArtInChristchurch/NgaKeteWananga/

[ Edited by: Basement Kahuna 2007-03-18 19:34 ]

Hey Alien
"Rainbow coloured images" just about sums up my crap photo's
This guys a true artist
Regards
Flynny

I guess no one can argue when it comes to letting the work speak for its self. Your work BK is tops.

On a funny side note. That rainbow image that was posted and taken down was of Maui slowing the sun with his fishing net, a legend I know well being from Maui. A beautiful carving but the dramatic lighting is what soured me.

[ Edited by: AlienTiki 2007-03-17 12:35 ]

I think the lighting choice was probably largely symbolic..Interesting-If you notice there few yellows, it's because it wasn't traditionally distinguished as a color by the Maori (yellow was usually called red, and not an important color!). The greens and reds are the colors of celebration, blue is the pukepoto clay (face painting color), the Red Ochre is the traditional color of meeting house panels and a national symbol. Just an educated guess-that could well be wrong. I've never seen the meeting house in person, but it's definitely on my list of "things to do before I die":) Add that to Machu Pichu, the Pyramids of Giza, and two weeks on Tahiti..(sigh...one day we'll all be rich...)

Uhhh BK?, would seeing the Pacific Ocean be on your "Things to do Before I die" list? I guess if you flew to Tahiti, you would see it. Har! Har! But then you'd be flying OVER us on the West Side.
Officially hijacking this thread.

BK, That wood came to me from a dear friend in a Guitar manufacturing company. Those were the split ends that they couldn't use.

Isn't that ironic? I really never have seen the Pacific Ocean! I had a would-be art show promoter tell me one time that I was forbidden to visit it prior to exhibiting..he considered it a great selling point..If I fly over you, Jungle, I'm dropping a Baby Ruth in your swimming pool :)

On 2007-03-17 21:43, Basement Kahuna wrote:
If I fly over you, Jungle, I'm dropping a Baby Ruth in your swimming pool :)

mmmm damn good too, I'd jump in and eat it, Super-size it please.

My 2c?

I've visited the Te Papa 'Peoples Marae' on several occasions & pondered it very hard. Just for the sake of it Ill throw my opinion into the wind; just MY opinion mind...

Bright to the point of garishness, but otherise fulfilling traditional 'purposes' to a tee. It really is quite a spectacular piece with incredible movement & texture. Im sure that most visitors only glean the very surface of its interpretation/meaning, (despite the info being readily available -there is just so much to see throughout the museum) but Im also guessing that this was probably forseen from the very start and so was designed with punter-punch in mind.

For sheer audacity, I give this piece 9.5 out of 10 :lol:

If you're ever in Wellington, drop in and have a look; well worth it!

TTT :wink:

Well here's my unwanted opinion, This is all about people perceiving a threat, real or misinterpreted and reacting to it as best as they can. I'm an ekspurt on this cuz I'm such an angry sumbitch an' all. A Maori is trying to defend her proud culture, didn't do all her homework on this sight first, posts message. Gman, defending his awesome work, replies. Repeat. BK doesn't appreciate comment about ripping on carvers who closely replicate pieces and defensive of one of his heroes enters the game. I doubt any one of these people's root desire is to diminish another. It's just self defense. The wrongs or perceived wrongs committed here are mostly based on false assumptions or honest mistakes. There's 3 good carvers getting discussed in this thread, BK, Gman and Whiting.

Aloha

To drown sorrow, where should one jump first and best? "Certainly not water. Water rusts you." -Frank Sinatra

edited for gender mistake, "her" not "his" proud....

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2007-03-18 22:23 ]

You Have an open Invite to So Cal, BK. Anytime!

There's no attempts on my part to copy artifacts verbatim. I do try to do my homework. I try somewhat to keep it true in form and detail, and treated with all the respect or tradition to the items of old as I can, whether that be an indigenous style carving or a pop style. Look around, and you'd be hard pressed to find an exact match in the real Oceanic realm. But I do carve straight along those lines. I don't tell anybody else to do what I do, that's just the way I choose to do things. And my customers appreciate it; that's very important to me. As for how someone else goes about it, that's completely up to them. I've had three different persons of Maori descent over here in the States write me asking me for instructional information on carving their own Taiaha. Now that was intimidating, because, frankly, I treat myself like student every time I carve. I was honored to have a chance to bring some of what I taught myself and learned along the way back to a culture that I have a deep admiration for..and do everything I could to make sure a nearly lost art doesn't slip away. It was a priveledge that I barely deserved.

[ Edited by: Basement Kahuna 2007-03-18 18:32 ]

Me and G-man have made up but not kissed (won't happen). But we have made up. Details to be announced soon.