Waitangi Day

Photographed on Waitangi Day 2005, this painted carving has obviously been sited outside for many years. As with other Peryer photographs, the sculpture expressed a keen immediacy and spirited animation. The smiling facial expression, including many carefully carved geometric teeth, is not characteristic of traditional Māori carving. Rather, this mask has all the hallmarks of late 20th-century folk art. The artist’s delight in finding this fine sculpture is reflected in the fact that he has chosen to print it in an almost miniature scale that gives it a memorable intensity. One sees immediately that the print is obviously much smaller than the actual object and yet, it is offer a very powerful presence as an image displayed on the wall.

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