ABSTRAXT ABSTRAXT

7 May until 6 July 2024 NorthART Gallery,

Tamaki Makaurau I Auckland

A survey show of wahine artists working with abstraction in

Aotearoa I New Zealand

3 Sisters, 3 Kings (earth from where I was born), 2024 &

Luminary II XR (Betelgeuse), 2024

This sculptural installation represents a new creation specifically tailored for this exhibition. It has evolved from various strands of research, incorporating astronomical studies, Greek mythology, and folklore surrounding the Orion constellation, as well as explorations into the ancient Japanese art form of Hikaru dorodango and the essence of plants with their physical and psychological benefits. The exhibition encompasses elements of sound, aroma, sculptural works, and photography, all exploring the connections between the tangible and intangible, the abstract and the spiritual, and the diverse realms of sensory experience. The artwork endeavors to evoke the unfathomable mystery and beauty of cosmic phenomena, serving as a potential threshold into the realm of the numinous. This iteration is interwoven with the artist's personal history and collective narrative.

3 Sisters, 3 Kings (earth from where I was born), 2024

Sculptural installation, Sculptures: soil, sand, clay, water, pigments, brass rod, brass wire, [1400 x 900 x 1800mm], Photograms: on Ilford FB paper, photographic retouch ink, wooden frames [540 x 2460mm], Scent: Unity 3 Sisters, 3 Kings, (Vetiver, Myrrh, Patchouli, Frankincense, Galbanum, Juniper Berries, Laurel leaf), Sound: Orion’s Anthem, source NASA, 25mins M4A

3 Sisters, 3 Kings references the three stars at the center of the Orion constellation, commonly known as Orion's belt. This celestial feature has been revered throughout history as a celestial bridge, connecting the sky's northern and southern hemispheres. For Sewell, who herself is one of three sisters, it serves as a metaphorical meeting place, symbolizing the convergence of her and her children's families, which span dual hemispheres and encompass diverse cultural heritages.

The exhibition prominently features spherical and circular forms in both sculptural and photographic works, reflecting artist Karen Sewell's fascination with celestial bodies and sacred geometries. The sphere, a universal symbol representing eternity, wholeness, and unity, features as a central motif in Sewell's works. Her interest in levitation, evident in her sculptures that appear to hover in space, is influenced by concepts of ascension and transcendence, highlighting the connections between the material and ethereal realms and encouraging viewers to look beyond the tangible and into the realm of feeling in order to experience the possibilities of wonder.

Photographic Works: Orion's Belt 3 Sisters, 3 Kings These photograms are created using earth and sand collected from the cliffs of a local site in Castor Bay, Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland), which was once the site of a maternity home where Sewell was born. Combined with found and everyday materials such as polystyrene balls and glass baubles, these elements are transformed into celestial bodies suspended in deep space. The resulting compositions evoke the cosmos and offer a glimpse into the earliest representations of our solar system, emphasizing moments of connection between the material and intangible realms.
Sculptures: Stardust 3 Sisters, 3 Kings (earth from where I was born) - Hand-sculpted spheres inspired by the ancient Japanese art form of hikaru dorodango, these sculptures are crafted from earth and sand gathered from the site at Castor Bay. This cluster of sculptures references the Orion constellation, visible from anywhere in the world, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere to the Northwest at this time of year. Orion’s belt, formed by blue supergiant stars Alnilam, Mintaka, and Alnitak, serves as the inspiration for this installation.
Sound: Orion’s Anthem - The sound component of the installation carefully crafted via soundscaping, features recordings from NASA Voyager missions made in deep space around planets, moons, and stars within our solar system. These enigmatic sounds, decoded upon their return to Earth, offer a captivating auditory experience—the music of the spheres.
Scent: Unity 3 Sisters 3 Kings - This component offers an olfactory experience, where the interplay of scent with memory and bodily sensation may be explored. Through a meticulously crafted fusion of essential oils, including Vetiver, Myrrh, Galbanum, Juniper berries, and Laurel leaf, this composition unfolds a rich tapestry of sensory experience encouraging a sense of renewal and cohesion for viewers immersed in the exhibit.

Made of Stardust

“You and I are made of stardust. We are the stuff of exploded stars. We are, therefore, are at least one way the universe knows itself.”

– Bill Nye

Warm, woody, and lingering in the air, the smell of myrrh and juniper melts away any clinging rigidity that hangs from our shoulders. Curious, we follow the scent. Rhythmic synth rolls, roving like celestial bodies, while harpic melodies chime and twinkle like brightly shining stars against the entrancing drone of the underlying low frequency hum. Slowly approaching the plinth, we are met face to face with a trio of vibrant blue spheres set against an astral photogram backdrop—the Three Sisters or Three Kings of Orion’s Belt seem to levitate atop their bronze thrones. Amidst the smells and sounds, they vibrate. Enrapturing the senses, we are held captive by the otherworldly nature of Sewell’s 3 Sisters, 3 Kings (Earth from Where I Was Born).

Greek mythology is overflowing with etiological stories of origin, each interwoven with miraculous feats and divine interventions explaining how things have come to be. Gods wept over the tragic deaths of great heroes, choosing to commemorate them by giving life in new forms of flora, fauna, or celestial beings. Such is the case with Orion who, after his death, was sent by Zeus to the heavens and reborn as the constellation. Similarly, Sewell gives new life to the Three Sisters, Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka, by reforming them into a trio made of earth and sand from the artist’s birthplace. It seems as though she has plucked the Sisters from the heavens and transmuted them into spherical earthly forms. Their blue, of the most vibrant shade of lapis lazuli and ultramarine, not only reflects their categorisation as blue supergiant stars but reveals deeper layers of symbolism, such as the Virgin Mary’s blue cloak—a traditional Catholic symbol of the heavens. Through this transformation, Sewell becomes a conduit that channels the realms of the heavenly, the earthly, and humanity, blending together the tangible and intangible, the physical and the spiritual. 3 Sisters, 3 Kings (Earth from Where I Was Born) thus becomes an etiological reimagining with Sewell as both commemorator and the commemorated.

Not only does Sewell capture the celestial Three Sisters, but she also captures herself as one of three sisters. This personal connection is embodied by the Hikaru dorodangos, which become a central meeting point between the worlds of the heavenly, earthly and humanity. The impermeable connection between these realms is a recurring theme in Sewell’s practice, culminating in the creation of 3 Sisters, 3 Kings (Earth from Where I Was Born). By interweaving parts of herself within her works, the artist explores the interconnectedness of the cosmos, leaving a mark that is at once seen and unseen. Her labor is masked by the effortless shapes of the dorodangos, each made with layers of earth, water, and sand that are shaped, moulded, and smoothed. While the physical imprint of the artist’s marks is removed as the sphere is polished until it shines, their spiritual imprint remains embedded in the earth and time spent in creation. The repetitive motion of rolling and rubbing induces a meditative state, one that lingers long after the artist has completed her work.

This meditative quality can also be felt in Agnes Martin’s 1963 work Night Sea, where the mesmerising blues and golden hues seem effortless, born without labour and devoid of the physical imprint of the artist’s hand. The grids are geometric with delicate lines of gold leaf so evenly spaced; it appears impossible for a human to have made. Yet upon closer inspection, we find marks left by the artist’s hand thus embedding part of their spirit within the work. This meditative flow, achieved through repetitive action and disciplined focus, permeates the painting.

In the same way Sewell’s work is created, it must be viewed. 3 Sisters, 3 Kings (Earth from Where I Was Born) will not reveal its secrets to the impatient viewer. The more time we give to the work and the more we unravel ourselves, the more Sewell’s creation reveals itself to us—opening a pathway of silent communication between the heavenly, the earthly, and humanity.

Written by Zoë May

Writer, Uxbridge Arts Centre, Howick