Edge Message #100 from Brian Sweeney, producer NZEDGE.COM
“The Luminary” For our 100th letter we publish the story of New Zealand’s most revered artist who reconceived Aotearoa “as the land of the long black shadow”. At every turn, Colin McCahon’s uncompromisingly individual works were underpinned by a deeply felt sense of place and a search to find symbols that might represent this sense. His deep introspections about the New Zealand landscape, and its relationship to universal spiritual truths, leached into his abstract. Standing before the canvas, McCahon’s needs were binary. “Most of my work has been aimed at relating to an acceptance of the very beautiful and terrible mysteries that we are part of. I only need black and white to say what I have to say. It’s a matter of light and dark.” Walking on the wild edge of New Zealand, Colin McCahon was our “signwriter for God”. The story (4,500 words) is by Paul Ward, nzedge.com editor-at-large and author of several of our “Hero” stories including those of Edmund Hillary, Richard Pearse, Janet Frame, Jack Lovelock, and John Britten.
Image: Victory Over Death 2, 1970. Courtesy of the Colin McCahon Research and Publication Trust.
New Zealanders in Global Headlines
New Zealand headlines in this week’s sampling of global media appearing in U.S. News, New York, Telegraph, BBC World Service, Rocky Mountain News, Sunshine Coast Daily, London Time Out, Times Online, Empire, Guardian, National Post, The Sydney Morning Herald, Independent, Maxim, Los Angeles Times, Film Stew, PR Week, Deutsche Welle, Reuters and Travel Mail include:
– Scott Dixon makes history with first NZ victory at Indianapolis 500
– Lucy Lawless performs live at London’s Carling Academy
– Mark Simmons, contestant in Top Chef, aims to serve NZ cuisine in NY
– Andrew Adamson’s Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian opens wide
– James Flynn, moral philosopher, rethinks intelligence in 21st Century
– Bill Phillips’ Economic modelling machine still at work in UK
– Youngest country, the new focus of Tourism NZ global branding
– New Zealand number four on 2008 Global Peace Index of 140 nations
– Anna Paquin, one of the world’s most beautiful women, Maxim
– Emily Perkins, author, comes home to write London novel, About My Wife
– Lake Karapiro, Cambridge, home to “strongest rowing squad in the world”
– The Great Romance, 1881 sci-fi novella, dusted off in Dunedin
– Lance and James Morcan, Tauranga, to make Precious McKenzie film
– Robbie Penny, Auckland greensman, arranges on-set nurseries in Narnia
– NZ scientists discover “Brittlestar City” on Macquarie Range peak
– Christopher Chandler, tycoon, philanthropist, funds $50m business school
– The Conchords clone themselves and release “genre-bending” LP in UK
– Otago University asthma, obesity study results published in US journal
– From Takaka, journo Peter Foster celebrates autumn’s long shadows
– Escape to NZ, BBC radio doco, interviews with eco-refugees in Wanaka
– Matt Reed, world’s tallest triathelete, wins place on US Olympic team
– Mihirangi, singer, films No War clip on an iceberg in Antarctica
– Neil Berkett, Virgin Media CEO, 8 weeks into the job and pragmatic
– The Mongrel Mob argue their “warrior” culture in BBC gang documentary
– Jacob Oram, “stretch limo version of fast bowlers” ready for UK Tests
– NZ’s favourite wizard Sir Ian McKellen to reprise Gandalf role in Hobbit
– Tame Iti, activist, heads to Europe to star in NZ production, Tempest II
– Hector’s World, NZ software, teaches London children about cyber-safety
– Sir Richard Hadlee “dodged his father’s shadow” to bowl own records
– NZ dairy farmers profit from worldwide demand in “best year in history”
– Napier’s Art Deco and artisan produce “still a bit of a secret”, SMH
– Nick Evans signs with Harlequins, NZRU think contract strategies
– Christchurch to cater for Israeli tourists with first kosher restaurant in NZ
– Ruby Suns, Brunettes, two of NZ’s “top five” bands signing US, UK deals
– Queenstown is “Aspen on Acid”, “dramatic” and “visually arresting”
– Anton Oliver moves to Oxford, UK for “academic rigour and thought”
For full stories see our News section, a 6,000-story storehouse of international activities by New Zealanders 2000-08.
Best wishes on this 100th letter from New York and New Zealand:
Brian Sweeney, Kevin Roberts – Partners
and Carla Hofler, Isobel Kerr-Newell, Paul Ward, Jane Nye – Contributors.
