Cliff Whiting, ‘Tāwhiri-Mātea’ (1984), New Zealand Meteorological Service, Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington
Image: Bronwyn Holloway-Smith, Public Art Heritage Aotearoa NZ, 2024
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Description
Signage installed with the work reads:
“The taonga whakairo (carved treasure) Tāwhiri-Mātea depicts events from the Māori creation story. The central figure of Tāwhiri-Mātea (God of the Winds - carved from Northland kauri) is seen wrestling his turbulent offspring Te Whānau Puhi (the four winds) depicted as blue spiral forms: Raro (North, lower left); Tonga (South, upper right); Rāwhiti (East, upper middle); and Uru (West, lower middle).
“Resplendent in orange and yellow, Rā (the sun) occupies the top left corner, while the pale figure of Marama (the moon) occupies the lower right – the greater and lesser lights of day and night.
“In the top right is the distant reference to the separation of Ranginui (the sky father) and Papatūānuku (the earth mother).
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“Ko Tāwhiri-Mātea te ingoa o tēnei taonga whakairo, e whakaatu ana ia i ngā rerenga kōrero mō te orokohanga o te ao. Kei waenganui a Tāwhiri-Mātea (atua o ngā hau - i tāraihiai i te kauri o Te Tai Tokerau) e rutu ana i āna tamariki nō Te Whānau Puhi (ngā hau e whā) - ngā koru kikorangi: Raro (Hau raki, kei raro ki te taha mauī); Tonga (Hau tonga, kei runga ki te taha matau); Rāwhiti (Hau rāwhiti, kei runga ake ki waenganui); me Uru (Hau uru, kei raro iho ki waenganui).
“Ko te karaka me te kōwhai wheriko o Tama-nui-te-rā terā i te kokonga o runga ki te taha mauī, ā, ko te mā hina o Marama ki raro ki te taha matau - te tūmarama o te pō me te rāwhiti o te ao mārama.
“Ki te taha matau ki rungahe kōrero mō te wehenga o Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku.”
“ The New Zealand Meteorological Service, now MetService - Te Ratonga Tirorangi, commissioned artist Cliff Whiting to create this taonga whakairo for their Kelburn office building in 1983, where it was proudly displayed until December 2021. MetService now operate the National Forecasting Centre from Level 2 of Seabridge House.
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“Nā MetService - Te Ratonga Tirorangi a Cliff Whiting, te tohunga toi Māori, i tono ki te tārai i tēnei taonga whakairo mō tō rātou whare ki Kelburn in te tau 1983, ki reira noho ai hei tirohanga mō te katoa tae noa ki te Hakihea 2021. Ināianei e whakahaerehia ana e Te Ratonga Tirorangi te National Forecasting Centre mai i te papa tuarua o Seabridge House.
Note: the Salamanca building requires earthquake strengthening. MetService is currently in this temporary premises, but is set to join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 2025 at 61 Molesworth St (building currently under construction).
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