Six Artists Respond to The Poetry of Joanna Margaret Paul

Six Artists respond to the poetry of Joanna Margaret Paul is a programme of new moving image works by Nova Paul, Rachel Shearer, Sonya Lacey, Miranda Parkes, Shannon Te Ao and the collective Popular Productions.

A prolific film-maker, poet, photographer and painter, the work of Joanna Paul (1955-2003) quietly observed the intimate poetics of the domestic and the modest grace of her bucolic surroundings. Over the past two years there has been a resurgence of interest in Paul’s work with new exhibitions of her photographs, film work and painting in galleries throughout New Zealand, while CIRCUIT has presented screenings of her work in New Zealand, Canada and France.

Co-curated by Canadian artist Solomon Nagler and CIRCUIT Director Mark Williams with the support of Creative New Zealand, each of the contemporary artists in this programme was given a selection of poetry by Joanna Margaret Paul and asked to respond with a new moving image work. The result is an ambitious range of short responses shot variously at home, in industrial space, in nature and using a microscope within salt letter form.

Says co-curator Mark Williams “With so much interest in Joanna’s film work from the 1970s by younger artists, we wanted to find a way to keep the conversation going, inviting contemporary artists to respond with a new work seemed a dynamic way to do that”.

Six Artists respond to the poetry of Joanna Margaret Paul is presented as part of CIRCUIT’s annual festival, entitled A Genealogy of Moving Image Practice, which includes an installation of Paul’s original film works at The Audio Foundation from 11-29 August, curated by British artist Peter Todd.

On Saturday 15 August, CIRCUIT in association with Elam School of Fine Arts presents a symposium at Elam in which one of the six commissioned artists, Nova Paul, will discuss Joanna Paul’s work with curators Emma Bugden (Dowse Art Museum) and Dr. Sandy Callister.

Six Artists respond to the work of Joanna Margaret Paul is free for registered symposium guests.

For non-symposium guests, Six Artists respond to the poetry of Joanna Margaret Paul is $10, door sales only.

For all enquiries email Mark Williams director@circuit.org.nz