Waka Huia (Steel Blue) (2014) cast glass, size: 150 x 510 x 135 mm
Kupenga Jugs (Black) (2014)
2 pieces; cast glass, large jug: 273 x 240 x 193 mm, small jug: 237 x 190 x 130 mm
Kupenga Jugs (Aquamarine Blue) (2014)
2 pieces; cast glass, large jug: 278 x 245 x 195 mm, small jug: 224 x 185 x 135 mm
Kumete (Pale Cobalt) (2014) cast glass, size: 175 x 477 x 253 mm
Kowhaiwhai Bowl (Cobalt) (2014) cast glass, size: 293 x 403 x 316 mm
Kupenga Bowl (Clear) (2014) cast glass, size: 187 x 250 x 195 mm
Raupo Urn (Black) (2014)
cast glass, size: 407 x 250 x 250 mm
Kumete (Cobalt) (2014)
cast glass, size: 203 x 465 x 245 mm
Kowhaiwhai Jug (Pale Cobalt) (2014)
cast glass, size: 460 x 210 x 145 mm
Waka Huia (Pale Aquamarine) (2014) cast glass, size: 120 x 470 x 125 mm
In Crystal Palace, Mike Crawford imagines a meeting of minds between Māori artisans and those from the British Arts and Crafts movement of the 19th century. Directly referencing “one of the major events in the history of British decorative artsthe Great Exhibition of 1851,” (1) Crawford skilfully weaves together two visual art traditions.
The hue (gourd) is a departure point for a number of the pieces in Crystal Palace. The swell of the Kupenga Jugs suggest the fullness of ripe fruit and the twisted necks of the gourd can be imagined in the solid curves of the handles. The raised pattern of netting, used here as a decorative device, is Crawford’s nod to the utilitarian origins of the forms.
The statuesque Kowhaiwhai Jug and Raupo Urn both sport kowhaiwhai patterning that Crawford has pared back to a spare ornamentation. The sinuous lines emphasise the volume and scale of the vessels and on Raupo Urn the fronds reach up from the base of the work, recalling the repetition of a William Morris fabric or later Art Nouveau florals. On smaller vessels, the incised patterning is complex and dense as “kowhaiwhai patterns morph into a flowing, organic motif that borrows from the patterns of Victorian decor.” (2)
Working on a conceptual level as a metaphor and cultural signifier, Crawford’s use of embellishment on his glass works operates on a physical level as well. Unadorned works in the collection draw attention to the clean lines of the form and the volume contained in the work; they appear to absorb light and glow softly with a calm presence. Where the surface of the glass is broken up with flowing lines, so too is the light fragmented as it is refracted back off multiple surfaces. This movement of light engenders a sense of energy as the viewer walks about the work or the light conditions change.
Mike Crawford’s works reveal a finely poised balance between concept and craftsmanship, and as the original Great Exhibition in 1851 showcased the best of the best, so too does Crystal Palace.
1. Lucy Hammonds, Crystal Palace, July 2014
2. Ibid.
MIKE CRAWFORD
b. 1979, lives Napier
"Mike Crawford is... the creator of elegant, often intricately carved, cast glass hue (gourds), bones and teeth. Working on a small scale, thereby increasing the sense that these are pieces to be treasured, Crawford reworks traditional Maori art forms and artefacts, conveying subtle commentaries on multicultural New Zealand." (1)
"The recognition of Dutch still life paintings, in themselves often created as memento mori, lends another layer to this reading. Memento mori or vanitas paintings, intended as reminders of the fleeting nature of youth, of life, and of the passage of time, have prevailed in European art for centuries. While Crawford’s groupings do not display the more blatant motifs, the solemnity of their colouration and the forms’ evocation of historic ways of life contribute to a similar effect." (2)
Mike Crawford has a Bachelor of Design majoring in Sculpture from UNITEC School of Design in Auckland. In 2006 he was a finalist in the Ranamok Australian and New Zealand glass prize. His work features in the public collections of Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, The Dowse Art Museum and Waikato Museum as well as private collections in Zealand, Australia and North America. In 2010 Crawford’s 'Moa Bowl' was selected for the prestigious applied arts and design exhibition 'Talente' in Munich, Germany.
1. Joanna Trezise, Pango: Mike Crawford, 2008 2. Ibid
Mike Crawford: Kumete (Cobalt) (2014)
EDUCATION
MIKE CRAWFORD
b. 1979, lives Napier
2002 Graduated from Bachelor of Design Degree (Sculpture Major) Unitec School of Design, Auckland
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2014 Crystal Palace, milford galleries queenstown
2013 The Bird Collector, milford galleries queenstown
2012 Bird Lore, Masterworks, Auckland
Art on Life, New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington
2010 Mantel, Masterworks, Auckland
2008 Pango, Masterworks, Auckland
2007 Hue, Masterworks, Auckland
2005 Mihi, Masterworks, Auckland
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2014
The Royal Queenstown Easter Show, milford galleries queenstown
2013 Birds, Birds, Birds, Masterworks, Auckland
Architecture of the Heart, MTG Hawke’s Bay, Napier
The Review, milford galleries queenstown
2012
The Review, milford galleries queenstown
The Royal Queenstown Easter Show, milford galleries queenstown
Chosen, milford galleries queenstown
2011 Summer Show, Milford Galleries Dunedin
The Familiar Ben Pierce, Mike Crawford, Black Barn Gallery, Hawkes Bay
Nga Pou Whenua, Waikato Museum, Hamilton
Traverse, Milford Galleries Dunedin
The Royal Queenstown Easter Show, milford galleries queenstown
2010 Talente, Munich, Germany
Wallace Art Award, Touring Exhibition, The Dowse Art Museum
The Earl Street Journal, milford galleries queenstown
2009 Glass 09, milford galleries queenstown
Glass : Ann Robinson, Layla Walter, Mike Crawford, Black Barn Gallery, Hawkes Bay Intimate, Masterworks, Auckland
2007 Ranamok Contemporary Glass Travelling Exhibition, Australia
2006
The Gift Exchange, New Dowse Gallery, Lower Hutt
2005 NZSAG Members Show
2004 NZ Glass, Masterworks, Auckland
2003 Absolut Invitational Exhibition
2003 NZ Glass, Masterworks, Auckland
2002 NZ Glass, Masterworks, Auckland
AWARDS
2012 Creative New Zealand New Work Funding
2011 Selected New Zealand Artist, New Glass Review, Corning Museum of Glass
2010 Selected Artist Wallace Art Award, Auckland
Selected New Zealand artist, Talente 2010, Munich, Germany
2008 Creative New Zealand, New Work Funding
2007 Finalist in Ranamok Prize for Contemporary Glass
MikeCrawford2014CV milford galleries queenstown
COLLECTIONS
The Dowse Art Museum
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Waikato Museum
University of Waikato
Represented in private collections in New Zealand, Australia and America
Mike Crawford: Koreke (NZ Quail) (2012)
