Nik Hanton
About Nik Hanton
Completion…
The series that I developed for HandShake 7 revolved around concepts that has long interested me.That of "lexical semantics," "the analysis of word meanings and relations between them" (Oxford Dictionary) and the use of typefaces for communicating ideas and evoking...
Masterclasses- further reflections
As I look back on the experience, I further appreciate that there is nothing quite like hearing how others approach their work to inspire and make you question your own approach to your own work. Because of the way the masterclasses were structured, you had access to...
Growth
I landed on the path that I wanted to take for the Handshake Masterclass (HS7) quite early in the process, thanks to the tasks that Estella set. While I had an initial vision of the direction I wanted to go in, having the fresh eyes of Estella and the team of...
Repurposing
The magic of taking the everyday and transforming it into something beautiful is perhaps no clearer than with the stunning creations of the Dassanech tribe of southern Ethiopia. From bottle tops, to watches, to sim cards, the ingenuity is stunning. They mix their...
Ancient materials
There is sand on the floor, Sand in my hair, Under my finger-nails, Sand everywhere. Following the making of my pieces for Te Uru Contemporary Gallery, I'm still cleaning up sand from my studio. I suspect I will be for some time. Made through the erosion of rock...
BELONGING&S E P A R A T E N E S S…
In my final work as part of Handshake 5 at Te Uru Contemporary Gallery (Auckland), it feels appropriate that I refer to: belonging and s e p a r a t e n e s s. Handshake has offered me the opportunity to be part of something *much* bigger than myself. I've been...
Te Uru
When looking at creating work for the Te Uru space I researched the meaning of "Uru". According to https://maoridictionary.co.nz/ the meaning of "Uru" is as follows: "uru 1. (verb) (-a,-hina) to enter, go in. [...] 2. (verb) (-a,-hina) to enlist, enrol, join, be...
Sand
I've been spending an increasing number of hours with sand and all of the pieces I've made for the work for the Te Uru space reflect this. It's incredible how each beach has a different look and feel in both the landscape and the sand. From sand that's almost white,...
Bringing the outside in
When making work in response to the Te Uru space I thought about the bringing of the outside, in. I looked at the gallery rooms and saw that from one of the spaces there's a window from which you have a view of trees and the sea. It was this that informed my material...
Stendhal Syndrome
I have a fascination for psychological terminology- this has most recently been seen in my enthusiasm in response to the Placebo and Nocebo Effects, which I've based two bodies of work on. When I heard of the classification of Stendhal Syndrome I was excited. Stendhal...
Shadow
When I saw the Eva Rothschild exhibition at Wellington City Gallery I was as drawn to the shadows cast by the works as much as I was drawn to the works themselves. Both were remarkable. I'm wanting to play with shadow in my work for the Te Uru show. The title of my...
Kōrerorero
There are so many times in making when talking through your work helps to clarify/solidify your thought processes- provided you're talking with the right person. I had my kōrerorero with Sian van Dyke from the Dowse Art Museum and it offered just that. In explaining...
