Resonance is open at @fhegalleries . Thank you to everyone who supported my first solo show. The exhibition is on until the 13th December.
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Resonance presents new work from Oliver Roake. A development from his Re/cognition series, this exhibition extends the visual language Oliver has created to embody sound, place, and time. Continuing his exploration of traditional craft and modern technology, Oliver uses computerised machinery to form the sculptures, and finishes them with techniques honed over centuries.
This body of work is based on sound recordings taken over a five day period in Fiordland. They map encounters with native birds along the journey into Piopiotahi Milford Sound. Oliver introduces a new composition, the concentric circles are framed by defined edges in the wooden panels. This creates a portrait of a distinct bird or group of birds that Oliver encountered. The exception is the rounded sides of Deer Flat Dawn Chorus, its Oregon Pine grain embodies the layering of birdsong at daybreak. Each song bleeds into the collective whole, becoming indistinguishable from one another and filling vast spaces. As Oliver says, ‘you can’t feel the edges of that sound.’
The three species highlighted in this series, Toutouwai New Zealand robin, South Island Kākā, and Kea have official conservation status of at risk, nationally vulnerable, and nationally endangered. The works in Resonance connect with Oliver’s unease about human activity that erodes the habitats of native wildlife and the need to protect these environments.
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📸: @samuel_hartnett
📃: @erinfoongkuan
I was lucky enough to make it to Fiordland a few weeks back. The colours, textures and sounds were amazing! Cheers @ferrymeadfilm for the speedy turnaround on developing and @earnestartservices for the recommendation.
The newest work in my Re/cognition series is in the current show, TONU • STILL, at @fhegalleries .
The sound of Re/cognition #13 came from a recording I took while I was collecting this timber. It’s based on the song of a Piwakawaka (Fantail) who was curious about what we were doing.
Photos of the exhibition by @samuel_hartnett
During lockdown I have spent some time under our house in the basement/laundry making and restoring things. This is a Japanese water stone that an antiques dealer gave me along with a box of old chisels I bought from him.
I haven’t had time to flatten the stone or do much with the chisels until now. I decided to get the stone true and make a wet stone holder for it so I can sharpen the chisels to do more projects in the future.
I adapted the design from some photos I’d seen on Instagram from a woodworking school in Japan. I would really like to do a woodworking course one day but I am just teaching myself for now.
This was my first time learning to square, flatten and dimension rough timber with only hand tools. It was difficult but very rewarding once I got all of the components together. I did use my battery powered router to make the shoulders for the stone to sit on but everything else was done by hand.
The latest work from my Re/cognition series is on display at the Auckland Art Fair with FHE Galleries. Head along over the weekend if you would like to see it.
Restored this Sewing machine lid for a friends family. It had accidentally been left in the garage and the ends had almost fallen off when I got it. Was a slow process, carefully sanding glueing oiling and waxing to get the wood looking as good as possible and then refinishing the hardware to try match the Machine. Was a fun little project, keen to do more like this. Send me a message if you have any projects like this that I could help with.
At the end of last year I made the largest of my re/cognition series. Just over 4.5 meters in length and made out of laminated ply it was commissioned for the new apartment building at 52 Sales Street. Thanks to @object_support@fineworkmodel@framesbydaniel and all my friends and family for there help with this project.
One of the latest works in my Re/cognition series, currently on loan from a private collector. Showing at @allpressespresso studio until the 16th. Come along on Thursday the 15th 6pm for the closing.
Head down to @allpressespresso studio to see a show I have put together with @f__j__p called "In the tradition of making" running for the next 2 weeks!
