This work is one of six works commissioned for the purpose-built Auckland Regional Council (ARC) building. ARC was the regional council of the Auckland Region, but was subsumed into the Auckland Council on 1 November 2010. The building is now privately owned.

O’Connor’s work is made from Mt Somers limestone (from South Canterbury.

At the time of their unveiling, the works were considered by NZ Herald art writer Richard Dale to be “very successful examples” of what he considered to be “well sited artworks”, further commenting that, together “the five works at the ARC sustain a complex series of interactions, a connection to the land, to heritage, be it Maori or, in O’Connor’s case, Irish, and thus to an overcoming of displacement and a reclamation of history, culture and spirit” (NZ Herald, 14 June 1990, p.2). Four of the wall sculptures face each other in pairs, framing the foyer space, while the Hotere (now missing) was installed at the far wall facing the entrance.

“The participation of Auckland architect Rewi Thompson was also sought, to ensure that the interiors reflected a sense of unity in diversity. He developed a consistent set of guidelines within which a selection of New Zealand artists and sculptors from all local cultures could contribute works suitable for the building. A theme of “Fire and Water” was adopted as particularly appropriate to the Auckland region, referring to its volcanic history and its water surrounded character. Thompson was responsible for the tiled floor in the entrance lobby which depicts a mat incorporating images of mountains, headlands and volcanoes of the region.”

Source: Peter Shaw, ‘Unity in diversity’, New Zealand home and building, Oct/Nov, 1990, pp. 136-139

The full set of works is:

• ‘Two Harbours’, Denis O'Connor

• ‘The Mythology’, Fred Graham and Brett Graham

• ‘The Sentinels’, Selwyn Muru

• Title unknown, Shona Rapira Davies

• Title unknown’, Rewi Thompson (floor tile design)

• ‘Towards Rangitoto’, Ralph Hotere

See also:

• Peter Shaw, ‘Unity in diversity’, New Zealand Home and Building, Oct/Nov 1990, pp.136-139

• Richard Dale, ‘Narrowing gap between art and life’, NZ Herald, Thurs June 14, 1990, Section 2, p.2