Category Archives: Te Papa Press

Birds of a feather

13 December 2012 – 8.39am

The Te Papa Store has just taken possession of a range of new stock inspired by the museum’s natural history collection. Dead Set is by textile designer Genevieve Packer, and is based on Te Papa’s haunting and strange collection of bird skins.

DEAD SET | KOTARE CUSHION, Digital print on hemp / organic cotton

DEAD SET | KOTARE CUSHION, Digital print on hemp / organic cotton

 
For the novice, of which I am in the case of natural history, bird skins are collected for research purposes, and are just that – boneless skins, stuffed with a bit of padding and a stick. Te Papa holds multiples of native bird skins. Collected over time and en masse they enable scientists to compare and contrast specimens.
 
Page from the British Museum's 1970 guide for collectors on preparing bird skins.

Page from the British Museum’s 1970 guide for collectors on preparing bird skins.

 
Grouped en masse, where difference suddenly comes to the fore, Genevieve Packer saw a design opportunity. She writes:
 
‘This new range of printed textiles and paper continues to expand on my ongoing interest in how we package and sell our culture and history – not only to foreigners, but to ourselves. It takes native New Zealand birds commonly used on souvenir / gift products – such as the Tui and Pukeko – and presents them in the rarely seen form of ’skins’ from Te Papa’s bird collection, exposing the care and beauty involved in preserving our natural history.’
 
DEAD SET | MIROMIRO SCARF, digital print on silk/cotton

DEAD SET | MIROMIRO SCARF, digital print on silk/cotton

 
The little birds above are tomtits or miromiro, of which there are five different subspecies. Te Papa has 169 miromiro skins plus a few wings and tails. A mix of male and female, adults, immature and juveniles, the oldest specimen was collected on Chatham Island in 1871 and the latest donated from Karori Wildlife Sanctuary (now Zealandia) in 2002.  Today, Te Papa does not actively collect live birds, but we do accept donations of deceased birds from Department of Conservation staff or members of the public.
 
The bird skins are stored in drawers, arranged very much as you see above. It was an image of drawers upon drawers of colourful bird skins and their keepers at the Smithsonian, that inspired Genevieve to pick up the phone and ring Te Papa. She was put in contact with Gillian Stone who looks after the bird collection, and who soon found herself in the role of stylist. Genevieve worked with Gillian to curate and ‘style’ the drawers – removing any odd or particularly damaged birds, arranging their labels etc and giving consideration to overall composition. They were then photographed under Genevieve’s direction by Te Papa photographer Kate Whitley.
DEAD SET POSTER | PUKEKO, offset print on 170gsm

DEAD SET POSTER | PUKEKO, offset print on 170gsm

 
Genevieve chose to primarily focus on Pukeko, with their wonderful balletic legs, Miromiro and Kakariki skins, along with the Kotare and Tui. She has produced a range of products from cushion covers and scarves to postcards, that have already provoked quite a reaction.
 
‘The response has been quite polarising. Some viewers get it and love it. Others not so much! But it has certainly been a conversation starter.’
 
Bird skins have long been the subject of conversation and debate, especially in regards to the international trade of bird skins, or as it was known ‘plume traffic’.  In New Zealand Victorian ornithologist Walter Buller, from whom the national museum acquired its first collection of bird skins in 1871,  has long been at its centre. The controversial Buller features as the suspect in a Tales from Te Papa episode entitled Who Killed the Huia? and in the exhibition  Buller’s Birds: The art of Keulemans and Buchanan (on at Te Papa until 27 January 2013). The latter features a number of skins collected by Buller, and coincides with a brand new publication from Te Papa Press – Buller’s Birds of New Zealand: The complete work of JG Keulemans.
 

Buller’s Birds of New Zealand by Geoff Norman

Both Buller’s Birds of New Zealand and Genevieve Packer’s provocative Dead Set collection are available from the Te Papa Store - Christmas gifts perhaps for bird lovers, conversationalists or provocateurs. Whether or not Dead Set is to everyone’s taste, it has been wonderful experience having a designer use our collections as a design resource.

PS: for more on the history of Walter Buller’s collections of New Zealand birds read Sandy Bartle and Alan Tennyson’ in-depth article here.

By Claire Regnault | Also posted in Art, Birds, Exhibitions, Textiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Delighted to have two finalists in New Zealand Post Book Awards

13 June 2012 – 2.41pm

Te Papa Press, New Zealand’s unique museum publisher, are delighted to advise that two of its books are finalists in the prestigious annual New Zealand Post Book Awards.

The finalists, announced last week, were selected from 160 entries and are described by the judges as “diverse and exciting”.

Whatu Kākahu: Māori Cloaks edited by Awhina Tamarapa and New Zealand Film: An Illustrated History, edited by Diane Pivac, Frank Stark, Lawrence McDonald and published in association with The Film Archive, are both finalists in the Illustrated Non-fiction category of the awards.

According to the finalist announcement the judges were unanimous in their selection of  the titles and Te Papa Press publisher Claire Murdoch is thrilled that both books are being recognised in this way.

“Awards like this are a welcome acknowledgement of the great care and professional pride our team takes in creating books about Aotearoa’s art, culture and natural world. An immense amount of dedicated scholarship went into the writing and editing of both books, and because they’re also heavily illustrated, the efforts of the photography and design teams were similarly substantial. I’d like to extend congratulations and hearty thanks to all who worked on these beautiful books, and to all who work closely with Te Papa Press.”

The New Zealand Post Book Awards will be announced at an evening ceremony on Wednesday 1st August. Readers are invited to vote for their favourite through the People’s Choice Award here: www.nzpostbookawards.co.nz

Visitors to Te Papa will also be able to find elements from Whatu Kākahu: Māori Cloaks featuring in the exhibition Kahu Ora Living Cloaks which opens at the museum this week. Entry to this exhibition is free. 

By Roxan Mathys | Also posted in Museums, News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Fresh on the bookshelf – Tangata o le Moana: New Zealand and the People of the Pacific

18 April 2012 – 3.23pm

Tangata o le Moana: New Zealand and the People of the Pacific, Te Papa Press, 2012

Aotearoa New Zealand is home to a large Pasifika population. This illustrated collection of essays is the first of its kind to tell their stories – from the legendary feats of the ancestors of modern Māori, to the politically explosive dawn raids of the 1970s, and beyond.

This beautiful book is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of historical and contemporary photos and archival documents. Drawing on a rich cache of oral history, it is a fresh and surprising record of over a thousand years of discovery, encounter, and cultural exchange. The research for this book commenced in 2003 and produced a major  exhibition which opened in 2007.

For more information about the book click on the image above.

To view details about the exhibition Tangata o le Moana: The story of Pacific people in New Zealand  click on the image below.

Mannequin (Marquesan warrior), 1959, White, Gordon, Wellington. © Te Papa.

By Safua Akeli | Also posted in Māori, Pacific | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Brian Brake: Lens on the World nominated in the 2011 New Zealand Post Book Awards

7 June 2011 – 12.00pm

Spirits are high at Te Papa Press as our publication Brian Brake: Lens on the World, was nominated in the illustrated non-fiction category of the 2011 New Zealand Post Book Awards. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at Wellington’s Town Hall on Wednesday 27 July 2011.

View the full list of 2011 finalist

Te Papa Press sends hearty congratulations to Athol McCredie, Curator Photography, who edited the book, and to the specialist writers whose contributions offer such depth.

This long-overdue critical examination and evaluation of the work of Brian Brake,New Zealand’s best-known photographer, was published in conjunction with a major retrospective exhibition celebrating Brake’s work. It brings together over 300 stunning photographic reproductions and six all-new essays.

The New Zealand Post judges are not the only ones looking twice at Brian Brake: Lens on the World:

This is a remarkable book, beautifully produced and meticulously researched to give a careful and fair portrait of the one landmark international photographer this country produced in the 20th century, Brian Brake. Te Papa’s photography curator Athol McCredie is to be congratulated on his careful editorial work and a very good choice of contributors.

…worthy of a craftsman photographer who cared and followed through the nuts-and-bolts side of getting his work to fully express his meaning. —  Max Oettli, New Zealand Books Autumn 2011

This lavishly illustrated book, accompanying a major retrospective of Brake’s work at Te Papa, is hard to put down —  Artnews New Zealand December 2010

a clear-eyed and magisterial tome — HOME New Zealand January 2011

Editor’s choice. This beautiful book takes the reader around the world and home again, taking in landscapes, people and objects through the discerning of Brake and critical essays by artists, photographers and curators. —  Air New Zealand Kia Ora magazine December 2010

This is a luscious-looking tome–great design and fantastic reproductions. — Andy Palmer, The Lumière Reader 30 November 2010

With its knowledgeable essays by specialist writers, Brian Brake: Lens on the World is a fine record of a fine photographer’s achievements. —  Architecture New Zealandeditor John Walsh, Prodesign No. 109 November 2010

Very grunty critical analysis written in a very accessible way. It does give a wonderful pathway into the work. Terrific. — Paul Diamond, Interviewed on Radio New Zealand’s Nine to Noon, 9 November 2010

The New Zealand Post book awards were formerly called the Montana New Zealand book awards and Te Papa Press books have won three of the last four Montana Medal for Non-Fiction awards – the most prestigious award for non-fiction in NZ. Those lucky winners were:

2006:Pohutukawa and Rata: New Zealand’s Ironhearted Trees by Philip Simpson
2007:Eagle’s Complete Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand by Audrey Eagle
2009:Rita Angus: An Artist’s Life by Jill Trevelyan

Other Montana-shortlisted Te Papa Press titles have included the following:
2003:Pacific Art Niu Sila by Sean Mallon and Fuli Pereira
2005:Icons Nga Taonga: From the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
2005:Toss Woollaston: A Life in Letters by Jill Trevelyan
2006:Extinct Birds of New Zealand by Alan Tennyson and Paul Martinson
2006:An Illustrated Guide to New Zealand Hebes by Alison Kellow and Michael Bayly
2010: Art at Te Papa by William McAloon

Best of luck Athol!

By Roxan Mathys | Also posted in Art, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)

Art at Te Papa shortlisted in the New Zealand Post Book Awards

24 June 2010 – 12.57pm
Art at Te Papa

Art at Te Papa

There were whoops of delight here on the Wellington waterfront as our landmark art collections publication Art at Te Papa was nominated in the illustrated non-fiction category of the 2010 New Zealand Post Book Awards.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in Auckland on Friday 27 August 2010.
Te Papa Press warmly congratulates William McAloon, Curator Historical New Zealand Art, who edited the book, and all the writers and staff who contributed to the superb final result.
The New Zealand Post judges are not alone in recognising the quality of Art at Te Papa:
  • This is a milestone of a book, demonstrating high standards of research, writing and reproduction. – John Daly-Peoples, The National Business Review March 2009
  • A rich and accessibly written account of collections of surprising depth – in both international and New Zealand Art. – Hamish Keith, Metro (May 2009)
  • New Zealand’s most extensive art collection is celebrated in this encyclopedic publication. – Amber McCulloch, Art World No. 9, Jun/Jul 2009
  • Roomy and elegant, and unfailingly informative and lucid. – Graham Adams, Air New Zealand Kia Ora magazine May 2009
  • From Rembrandt engravings to a plastic resin chimp, there’s something for everyone’s taste. A work of art in itself. – Steve Trotman, Wairarapa Times-Age Saturday 18 July, 2009
  • This gorgeous book invites you to leave aside the debate about gimmicky displays and enjoy the art. – Eleanor Black Watkin, Next August 2009
The New Zealand Post book awards were formerly called the Montana New Zealand book awards and Te Papa Press books have won three of the last four Montana Medal for Non-Fiction awards – the most prestigious award for non-fiction in NZ. Those lucky winners were:
  • 2006: Pohutukawa and Rātā: New Zealand’s Ironhearted Trees by Philip Simpson
  • 2007: Eagle’s Complete Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand by Audrey Eagle (LINK)
  • 2009: Rita Angus: An Artist’s Life by Jill Trevelyan (LINK)
  • Other Montana-shortlisted Te Papa Press titles have included the following:
  • 2003: Pacific Art Niu Sila by Sean Mallon and Fuli Pereira
  • 2005: Icons Nga Taonga: From the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  • 2005: Toss Woollaston: A Life in Letters by Jill Trevelyan
  • 2006: Extinct Birds of New Zealand by Alan Tennyson and Paul Martinson
  • 2006: An Illustrated Guide to New Zealand Hebes by Alison Kellow and Michael Bayly
Fingers crossed!
By lucyhoffman | Also posted in Art | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)

Tatau: Samoan Tattoo, New Zealand Art, Global Culture – a new publication

18 June 2010 – 1.34pm

Check out the new publication from Te Papa Press:

Tatau: Samoan Tattoo, New Zealand Art, Global Culture

Photographs by Mark Adams, with essays by Sean Mallon, Peter Brunt and Nicholas Thomas

One hundred memorable images by documentary photographer Mark Adams present a powerful and moving portraits of a great Polynesian art tradition.

Tatau also tells the story of Sulu’ape Paulo II, the pre-eminent figure of modern Samoan tattooing. Paulo was a brilliantly innovative and controversial man, who saw tatau as an art of international importance. He was killed in 1999.

Accompanying Adams’ arresting photographs are two essays, and two interviews in which Sulu’ape Paulo II and Mark Adams each articulate their understanding of their own practices.

’Paul’s nephew Jim at Paul’s house’; Te Papa; Purchased 1993 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds

’Paul’s nephew Jim at Paul’s house’; Te Papa; Purchased 1993 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds

By Safua Akeli | Also posted in Collections Online, Pacific | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (2)

Report from our latest book launch

15 April 2010 – 5.42pm

Antonia Prebble launched our newest Te Papa Press book New Zealand Fashion Design by Angela Lassig on Thursday night at the Grand Tearoom at the Heritage in Auckland.  That amazing piece of Queen City retro looked all the more beautiful decked out in the A1 poster blowups from the book and so did all the dollies (thanks again, Purfex), dressed museum-style in archival garments loaned by the designers. (Thanks to all 25 of you.) 

Early guests admire the garments on display

Garments on display at The Grand Tearoom, in the Heritage Hotel, Auckland

Te Papa Press Publisher Claire Murdoch with authors Peter Shand and Angela Lassig and MC Antonia Prebble

Te Papa Press Publisher Claire Murdoch with authors Peter Shand and Angela Lassig and MC Antonia Prebble

It must be said that the real people looked pretty fine too! As a big book geek I was delighted by the great turnout of industry supporters and designers. Murray Crane, Liz and Neville Findlay from Zambesi, Benny from WORLD, Doris de Pont, Tanya Carlson, Kate Sylvester, Adrian Hailwood, Cybele Wiren, Kylie from Stitch Ministry, Beth Ellery, James Dobson, Liz Mitchell –- we only got to talk to some of you and a few more sadly couldn’t make it, but we salute you all, all over again, for your inspiring creative and entrepreneurial work.

Angela Lassig, Liz Findlay (Zambesi – featured designer in ‘New Zealand Fashion Design’) and Colin Mathura-Jefree

Angela Lassig, Liz Findlay (Zambesi – featured designer in ‘New Zealand Fashion Design’) and Colin Mathura-Jefree

Kate Sylvester (featured designer in New Zealand Fashion Design’), author Angela Lassig and Wayne Conway

Kate Sylvester (featured designer in New Zealand Fashion Design’), author Angela Lassig and Wayne Conway

Now the impossible has been achieved (book made, outfits chosen, Auckland and Wellington united in creativity and celebration, all that crème de cassis and bubbles…gone) and now that our 5kg baby is out in the world, it’s even better to see all the online discussion about the book and its contents – keep it coming, critics and watchers!

Book review by Isaac Likes
Quick note on Front Row Diary
Preparing for the event, Pilot Magazine
Preparing for the event, by fashion loaf
Fashion Heritage, on thread.co.nz
Angela Lassig interviewed in TV One’s Good Morning
A celebration of fashion in New Zealand, on The A List

Staff at the Unity Books stand, selling ‘New Zealand Fashion Design’ to eager readers

Staff at the Unity Books stand, selling ‘New Zealand Fashion Design’ to eager readers

Adrian Hailwood (featured designer in ‘New Zealand Fashion Design’), Bronwyn Illingworth and Josh Kronfeld

Adrian Hailwood (featured designer in ‘New Zealand Fashion Design’), Bronwyn Illingworth and Josh Kronfeld

See more great photos of the event on Te Papa’s Flickr site

It’s awfully true that we couldn’t fit in all the great designers we wanted to — and some essential names are getting named — but we at Te Papa Press believe in compost, so the feedback’s great for the next time.

Claire Murdoch, Publisher, Te Papa Press

Buy the book from Te Papa Store
Attend Talking Fashion, a series of conversations with New Zealand fashion designers
Learn more about the book

By Te Papa | Also posted in Events, Fashion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

And the winner is…

28 July 2009 – 9.35am

Angus BioJill Trevelyan’s biography, Rita Angus: An Artist’s Life was proclaimed winner of the Montana Medal for Non-Fiction last night, as well as category winner for the Biography section of the 2009 Montana New Zealand Book Awards. Congratulations Jill!

Everyone here at Te Papa who worked with Jill on the exhibition Rita Angus: Life  & Vision is thrilled for her and for Te Papa Press. The exhibition opens at Auckland Art Gallery this Saturday, 1 August.

By williammcaloon | Also posted in Art, Exhibitions | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Rita Angus biography finalist in Montana Book Awards

4 June 2009 – 5.49pm
 

Rita Angus: An Artist's Life book cover

Rita Angus: An Artist’s Life by Jill Trevelyan and published by Te Papa Press, is a finalist in the biography  category of this year’s Montana Book Awards. The winner will be announced on Monday 27 July 2009.  Best of luck Jill!

 But wait, there’s more…

Rita Angus: An Artist’s Life is also a finalist for Nielsen BookData NZ Booksellers’ Choice Award where all booksellers are asked to nominate the three books they have enjoyed selling the most over the last twelve months. The winner will be announced at the Booksellers conference dinner on 26 July.

 And…

Rita Angus: An Artist’s Life was also highly commended in the annual Museums Australia Publishing and Design Awards in Sydney a couple of weeks ago.

Post by Sue Beaton, Te Papa Press

By Te Papa | Also posted in Art | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

The big art book

27 January 2009 – 3.40pm
tpa5480-art-cover_flexibind_aw

Art at Te Papa - coming soon.

Hi there, I’m William McAloon, Curator of Historical New Zealand Art here at Te Papa. Over the last couple of years I’ve been working on a big book on Te Papa’s art collection. Art at Te Papa features over 400 works, from the 15th century to the present day. The cover star is Michael Illingworth’s painting Untitled, 1971.

The book is due out in April. Te Papa’s art curators all contributed entries on individual works, as have a range of other writers, and I’ve written about the history of the national art collection. Art at Te Papa clocks in at well over 400 pages and every work is reproduced in glorious colour.

Claire Murdoch, publisher at Te Papa Press, has just come back from China where she has been overseeing the printing of the book. She bought back a set of pages, hot off the press.  They haven’t been trimmed or stitched or bound or anything – we’re doing two editions, a softcover and a special limited-edition case-bound hardcover – so it’s not a book just yet, but it still looks amazing.

The limited edition ... gorgeous

The limited edition … gorgeous.

The enormous effort that went in to every aspect of the production  – the photography, the design, checking proofs, matching colours, and much, much more – all looks like it’s paid off handsomely.

I’ll be posting about the book over the coming months, about what’s in it and what it was like bringing it all together.  There’ll be lots more information about it on the Te Papa website and in the media too, so keep an eye out.

By williammcaloon | Also posted in Art | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)
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