Bronze as a non-customary intervention in the interpretation of insects from the natural world of Māori : an exhibition report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Fine Arts at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa, New Zealand

Grant, Elizabeth Anne

Bronze as a non-customary intervention in the interpretation of insects from the natural world of Māori : an exhibition report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Fine Arts at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa, New Zealand

dc.contributor.author	Grant, Elizabeth Anne
dc.date.accessioned	2015-04-15T23:32:40Z
dc.date.available	2015-04-15T23:32:40Z
dc.date.issued	2014
dc.description	Listed in 2015 Dean's List of Exceptional Theses	en
dc.description.abstract	Without insects the world as we know it would not exist. Insects are essential for life on earth, and yet they invoke from us, a gambit of emotions ranging from fear to fascination. The way in which insects impact on our lives is both surprising and diverse, and yet, in spite of their importance, insects are primarily overlooked as members of our natural world because they are small and inconspicuous. For Māori, insects are part of ngā tamariki a Tāne, borne from the union between Tāne Mahuta and Punga. But, the distraction associated with colonisation, has faded much of the mātauranga (knowledge) and oral story telling associated with insects from Te ao Māori. For this reason, this thesis focuses on insects recognised by Māori and considered significant to Māori around the time of European colonisation as based on written documentation (mostly European) derived from colonial field work observations, dictionaries, missionaries and researchers both Māori and non Māori during the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty first centuries. Set within a scientific framework, the topics covered, range from cosmo-genealogical entomology, through to entomophagy. Using bronze, the thesis exhibition will visually present the diverse ways in which insects were significant to Māori. Given the inherent fragility of the invertebrate fauna and the strength and durability of bronze, this constitutes an ideal medium to interpret their life histories. Concurrently this work seeks to promote an aesthetic appreciation for insects by displaying their diverse forms and colours. The intended out come is to be both informative and visually stimulating.	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10179/6512
dc.language.iso	en	en_US
dc.publisher	Massey University	en_US
dc.rights	The Author	en_US
dc.subject	Insects in art	en_US
dc.subject	Insects and Maori	en_US
dc.subject	New Zealand insects	en_US
dc.subject	Maori folklore	en_US
dc.subject	Dean's List of Exceptional Theses	en
dc.title	Bronze as a non-customary intervention in the interpretation of insects from the natural world of Māori : an exhibition report presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Fine Arts at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa, New Zealand	en_US
dc.type	Thesis	en_US
massey.contributor.author	Grant, Elizabeth Anne	en_US
thesis.degree.discipline	Fine Arts	en_US
thesis.degree.grantor	Massey University	en_US
thesis.degree.level	Doctoral	en_US
thesis.degree.name	Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)	en_US