Jane Zusters
Matters Arising
1 – 30 August 2025
In collaboration with Envy
L2, 22 Garrett Street, Wellington
Opening Friday 1 August 5:30pm
MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETING
Visit to artist Jane Zusters from Linwood in Christchurch
THE PUBLICATIONS WORKING GROUP RECEIVED AND COMMENTED ON THE REPORT OF THE KEEPER OF THE HOUSE, WHO, IN JUNE 2021, WENT ON A THREE-DAY TRIP TO THE SOUTH ISLAND AND MET WITH ARTIST JANE ZUSTERS AT HER OLLIVIERS ROAD SCOUTS’ DEN STUDIO TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSAL THAT MOKOPŌPAKI MAKE A CONTRIBUTION OF SOME KIND TO HER FORTHCOMING BOOK PROJECT “LOOKING AT YOU: DESIRE AND THE FEMALE GAZE, AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND IN THE 1970s & EARLY 1980s.”
AFTER EXTENSIVE REVIEW OF THE ARTIST’S COMPLETE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE FROM THE PERIOD, 108 IMAGES WERE SELECTED AND REPRODUCED IN HARD COPY AS TEST PRINTS FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION BY MOKOPŌPAKI (A COPY OF THE REPORT CIRCULATED IS WITH THE AGENDA AND APPENDED TO THE SIGNED MINUTES). THE MAIN POINTS FROM THE REPORT AND PRESENTATION INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING:
AGREEMENT:
1. THAT THE MOKOPŌPAKI CONTRIBUTION TO THE NEW JANE ZUSTERS PHOTO BOOK WOULD INCLUDE TEXT.
2. THAT THE ARTIST ALLOWS MOKOPŌPAKI TO DETERMINE WHAT THIS TEXT WILL BE AND HOW IT WILL RELATE TO THE IMAGES CHOSEN.
RECOMMENDATION:
1. THAT MOKOPŌPAKI FOCUS THE RESPONSE AND CHOOSE NOT TO COMMENT ON ANY OF JANE’S ABSTRACT PHOTOGRAPHS, LANDSCAPES, INTERIORS OR IMAGES OF BODIES WITHOUT HEADS.
2. THAT THE MOKOPŌPAKI SELECTION OF IMAGES TO BE DISCUSSED SHOULD INCLUDE WORK FROM THE ARTIST’S ARCHIVE OF BLACK AND WHITE AS WELL AS COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHY.
INSTRUCTION:
1. THAT FROM THIS REDUCED NUMBER OF IMAGES, THE MMPK GENERAL SECRETARY WAS TO SELECT EIGHT PHOTOGRAPHS WHICH TELL A STORY AND DISCUSS A VIEW OF JANE’S WORK FOR PRESENTATION AT THE NEXT MEETING.
2. THAT THE GENERAL SECRETARY LOOK CRITICALLY AT JANE’S PHOTOGRAPHS OF PEOPLE AND THE RELATIONSHIPS THEY HAVE, NOT ONLY WITH OTHERS IN THE FRAME, BUT ALSO WITH THE ARTIST HERSELF, AND EXPLORE TO WHAT EXTENT JANE HAS CAPTURED A WHAKAAHUA OR LIKENESS, WHERE THERE IS SOME VISUAL SENSE OR VIBE ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL THAT REVEALS MORE THAN JUST THE PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION OF A PERSON.
CONFIRMED:
1. THAT THE REPORT AND PRESENTATION SUMMARISING A PRELIMINARY DISCUSSION WITH JANE ZUSTERS REGARDING HER FEMALE GAZE BOOK PROJECT WAS NOTED.
2. THAT THE MOKOPŌPAKI SELECTION OF IMAGES BE DRAWN FROM A LIMITED BUT CLEARLY DEFINED BODY OF WORK AND INCLUDE EXAMPLES OF BOTH THE ARTIST’S BLACK AND WHITE AND COLOUR PHOTOGRAPHY, LINKED BY EITHER NARRATIVE OR SOME CONCEPTUAL INTENT.
3. THAT MOKOPŌPAKI ONLY CONSIDER JANE’S PHOTOGRAPHS OF PEOPLE WITH A VIEW TO UNDERSTANDING MORE ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS THE SUBJECTS HAVE WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH THE ARTIST.
Image: Jane Zusters, Out in the Sun, Diogenes the Dog Considers the Cosmopolitan, 1980
