Paul Dibble: The Ghost of the Huia and The Orchard

In Ghost of the Huia a monumentally-sized Huia bird is poised elegantly on a geometric circle and although more refined than earlier works, it is reminiscent of his 2010 exhibition Birds’ Eye View. Its head is slightly cocked to one side as it hovers above the viewers, seemingly seeking to engage with its audience.

The title piece The Ghost of the Huia and The Orchard, in part, refers to the passing of time and a perceived loss of paradise. If you consider New Zealand as an antipodean heaven, from generation to generation the idea of paradise has altered. The forest habitats of the Huia bird, now extinct, were replaced by the orchards where children played and families gathered fruit to make sweet desserts. One idyllic scene superimposed over another, but with the passage of time both have been lost – and here, remembered.

A new publication Paul Dibble: The Large Works will be launched to coincide with the exhibition.