Lo negro sobre lo oro

The four gold squares of Lo negro sobre lo oro seem to levitate on the surface of the glass with a lyrical sense of dynamic movement. This recycled window frame expresses Ralph Hotere’s environmentalism, and is suggestive of an artist’s subjective view of the

world – an everyday object through which we have all looked, frames and becomes part of his creation. The gold leaf emerging from the glossy black background demands a closer reading of the title, which translates as ‘What about the black gold’. This reveals another strand of Hotere’s interest in the environment – the impact of mining and oil extraction. Hotere’s artwork has served as an arena for political protest, and much of his painting meditates on the relationship between humanity and the natural world.

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