Mesh

Artist: Jeff Thomson
Year: 2017 SOTG
Materials: Maquette

One of my all time favourite New Zealand paintings is 'Pohutakawa Rina', 1930 by Evelyn Page. Filtered sunlight through pohutawaka leaves falls upon two female nudes creating a pattern that camouflages and blends thrie bodies with that of the surrounding foreshore. The idea of 'Mesh' is to create an experience of transformation, of patterns of light and shadow. Using perforated sheets of steel and aluminium and a variety of meshes, the sculpture spans a curved section of the walking track, leaving no option but to enter. Once inside, the repetitive punched and cut out holes, layered and singular, create a magical environment of dappled light and, looking outward, moire patterned vistas of the surrounding Matiatia environment. 'Mesh' will hopefully bring a moment of respite from the heat of the say, a shelter of speckled shade not unlike the pohutakawa shadows along the walkway.