Cliff Whiting
Encyclopedia
Dr Cliff Whiting, ONZ
(born 6 May 1936) is a New Zealand Maori artist, heritage advocate and teacher. Whiting was born and raised in Te Kaha
, New Zealand and is a member of the Te Whānau-ā-Apanui
tribe.
, Paratene Matchitt
, Muru Walters, and Marilyn Webb, was supported and encouraged by Gordon Tovey, the national supervisor for arts and crafts, to explore and promote traditional and contemporary Maori art within the New Zealand educational system.
As a district advisor Whiting worked with local Maori communities as well as schools to encourage engagement with Maori art. Constrained by the price and lack of availability of traditional timbers and tools he explored and encouraged the use of modern materials, especially particle and hard boards, and bold colours. These new materials and techniques combined with traditional subjects contributed to the development of his innovative artistic style.
During the 1970s Whiting accepted the position of lecturer in Maori art at Palmerston North Teacher’s College where he introduced the concept of student marae visits and continued to encourage the inclusion of Maori art in schools. In 1979 he directed and led the carving, kowhaiwhai, painting and kakaho panels of the College's wharenui Te Kupenga o Te Mātauranga.
Whiting's work with Maori communities and his belief in the importance on the role of the marae in maintaining and revitalising Maori arts and culture led him to contribute and lead in restoring historic wharenui
(carved meeting houses) and other marae
buildings. He was encouraged in this by Pineamine Taiapa, a renowned, traditionally trained carver and a relation of Whiting's on his mother's side of the family. Whiting joined the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
and in 1974 served on the Trust's Maori Heritage Advisory Committee. He also worked with the Historic Places Trust as the Maori Buildings Adviser and become a leading authority on the restoration of Maori buildings. Whiting participated in the Historic Places Trust's first marae conservation project at Manutuke. It had always been the Trust's policy to work in partnership with iwi and hapu when restoring marae. Whiting felt that it was his role to establish and maintain a close connection between the Trust and those iwi (tribes) participating in the various projects.
He also completed murals for
His work is featured in the collections of:
). In 1995 he was appointed Kaihautu of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
where he led the exploration of the museum's bicultural processes based on the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi
. He worked in partnership with the Chief Executive Officer Cheryll Sotheran
on the project to construct and open the new museum building on the Wellington waterfront. He worked with museum staff to develop the Maori exhibitions and care for and display the taonga (treasures) from around New Zealand held by the museum. In particular he led the design and construction of the contemporary marae Rongomaraeroa and the spectacular wharenui Te Hono ki Hawaikii. The marae complex is situated in the fourth floor of the museum and was completed for the new building's opening with a dawn ceremony and pōwhiri
on 14 February 1998. This marae is where all of the Museum's formal welcome ceremonies are held and is open for the general public to view during the Museum's opening hours.
After leaving the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
he was appointed Kaumatua to Tourism New Zealand in December 2000. His role was to provide advice and ensure that Maori culture was correctly portrayed when Tourism New Zealand marketed New Zealand as an international visitor destination. The successful 100% Pure New Zealand global marketing campaign featured Maori culture as a point of difference from other international destinations and Tourism New Zealand wanted to ensure that any portrayal of Maori culture was sensitive and culturally acceptable, but also innovative and contemporary.
Whiting has continued to work on contemporary wharenui. He has worked on the wharenui Maru Kaitatea at Takahanga Marae in Kaikoura which was opened in 2001. He has also worked on the development of the Te Rau Aroha Marae for the Awarua Runanga in Bluff. This marae complex was named in remembrance of the bus that traveled throughout New Zealand during the First World War period, receiving donations for soldiers. Again the wharenui was the centre of the marae. Named Tahu Potiki this wharenui also featured the bold colours and rich carvings expected from Whiting's work.
Whiting's contribution to teaching, art and the cultural heritage of New Zealand has been acknowledged. In 1998 he was awarded New Zealand's highest honour - the Order of New Zealand
. He has also received the Alan Highet Award for excellence in the arts in 1986 and was granted an Honorary Life Membership to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
in 2004.
Order of New Zealand
The Order of New Zealand is the highest honour in New Zealand's honours system, created "to recognise outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity"...
(born 6 May 1936) is a New Zealand Maori artist, heritage advocate and teacher. Whiting was born and raised in Te Kaha
Te Kaha
Te Kaha is a small New Zealand community situated in the Bay of Plenty near Opotiki. It has a population of about 375, approximately 70 percent of Māori descent....
, New Zealand and is a member of the Te Whānau-ā-Apanui
Te Whanau-a-Apanui
Te Whānau-ā-Apanui is a Māori iwi located in the eastern Bay of Plenty and East Coast regions of New Zealand's North Island. In 2006, the iwi registered 11,808 members, representing 13 hapu.-Early history:Apanui Ringamutu is the founding ancestor of the iwi...
tribe.
Career
In 1955 he began teacher training at Wellington Teachers College where his artistic talents were quickly recognised. His teachers training coincided with the Department of Education's drive to develop Maori and Western European culture in schools. Whiting was selected as a district advisor in arts and crafts and, with other young Maori artists including John Bevan Ford, Sandy Adsett, Cath Brown, Ralph HotereRalph Hotere
Hone Papita Raukura "Ralph" Hotere is a New Zealand artist of Māori descent . He was born in Mitimiti, Northland and He is widely regarded as one of New Zealand's most important living artists...
, Paratene Matchitt
Paratene Matchitt
Paratene Matchitt is a New Zealand sculptor and painter. He is known for combining traditional Māori art forms with those of modernist art. His work also references events from New Zealand history, particularly the Māori prophetic movements of the nineteenth century and most specifically Te...
, Muru Walters, and Marilyn Webb, was supported and encouraged by Gordon Tovey, the national supervisor for arts and crafts, to explore and promote traditional and contemporary Maori art within the New Zealand educational system.
As a district advisor Whiting worked with local Maori communities as well as schools to encourage engagement with Maori art. Constrained by the price and lack of availability of traditional timbers and tools he explored and encouraged the use of modern materials, especially particle and hard boards, and bold colours. These new materials and techniques combined with traditional subjects contributed to the development of his innovative artistic style.
During the 1970s Whiting accepted the position of lecturer in Maori art at Palmerston North Teacher’s College where he introduced the concept of student marae visits and continued to encourage the inclusion of Maori art in schools. In 1979 he directed and led the carving, kowhaiwhai, painting and kakaho panels of the College's wharenui Te Kupenga o Te Mātauranga.
Whiting's work with Maori communities and his belief in the importance on the role of the marae in maintaining and revitalising Maori arts and culture led him to contribute and lead in restoring historic wharenui
Wharenui
A wharenui is a communal house of the Māori people of New Zealand, generally situated as the focal point of a marae. Wharenui are usually called 'meeting houses' in New Zealand English.-Wharenui:...
(carved meeting houses) and other marae
Marae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...
buildings. He was encouraged in this by Pineamine Taiapa, a renowned, traditionally trained carver and a relation of Whiting's on his mother's side of the family. Whiting joined the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
and in 1974 served on the Trust's Maori Heritage Advisory Committee. He also worked with the Historic Places Trust as the Maori Buildings Adviser and become a leading authority on the restoration of Maori buildings. Whiting participated in the Historic Places Trust's first marae conservation project at Manutuke. It had always been the Trust's policy to work in partnership with iwi and hapu when restoring marae. Whiting felt that it was his role to establish and maintain a close connection between the Trust and those iwi (tribes) participating in the various projects.
Art
Whiting also continued to develop his art. He was one of the first Maori artists to illustrate for school publications such as Te Wharekura and Tautoko. He also regularly accepted commissions for large scale murals including- Tāwhirimātea and children, 1978 for the New Zealand Metservice
- Te wehenga o Rangi rāua ko Papa for the reading room of the National Library of New ZealandNational Library of New ZealandThe National Library of New Zealand is New Zealand's legal deposit library charged with the obligation to "enrich the cultural and economic life of New Zealand and its interchanges with other nations"...
- Nga Kete Wananga, 1989 for the Christchurch High Court
- Aoraki and his brother mountains for the New Zealand Department of Conservation Aoraki / Mount Cook Area Office Visitor Centre
He also completed murals for
- Otago Museum
- Television New Zealand
- Archives New Zealand
- The Waitangi Tribunal
His work is featured in the collections of:
Arts Administration
Whiting became involved in arts administration and in 1979 was appointed to the Council for Maori and Pacific Arts (now known as Te Waka Toi). He became the Chairman in 1988. He was also a member and deputy chair of the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council (now known as Creative New ZealandCreative New Zealand
The Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa is the national arts development agency of the New Zealand government, investing in artists and arts organisations, offering capability building programmes and developing markets and audiences for New Zealand arts domestically and internationally...
). In 1995 he was appointed Kaihautu of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
where he led the exploration of the museum's bicultural processes based on the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
. He worked in partnership with the Chief Executive Officer Cheryll Sotheran
Cheryll Sotheran
Dame Cheryll Sotheran, DNZM is a museum professional who rose to prominence as the founding Chief Executive of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa from 1993-2002....
on the project to construct and open the new museum building on the Wellington waterfront. He worked with museum staff to develop the Maori exhibitions and care for and display the taonga (treasures) from around New Zealand held by the museum. In particular he led the design and construction of the contemporary marae Rongomaraeroa and the spectacular wharenui Te Hono ki Hawaikii. The marae complex is situated in the fourth floor of the museum and was completed for the new building's opening with a dawn ceremony and pōwhiri
Powhiri
A Pōwhiri is a Māori welcoming ceremony involving speeches, dancing, singing and finally the hongi...
on 14 February 1998. This marae is where all of the Museum's formal welcome ceremonies are held and is open for the general public to view during the Museum's opening hours.
After leaving the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
he was appointed Kaumatua to Tourism New Zealand in December 2000. His role was to provide advice and ensure that Maori culture was correctly portrayed when Tourism New Zealand marketed New Zealand as an international visitor destination. The successful 100% Pure New Zealand global marketing campaign featured Maori culture as a point of difference from other international destinations and Tourism New Zealand wanted to ensure that any portrayal of Maori culture was sensitive and culturally acceptable, but also innovative and contemporary.
Contemporary Wharenui and Marae
Following the construction of the wharenui at the Palmerston North Teacher's College and the Marae at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa TongarewaMuseum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...
Whiting has continued to work on contemporary wharenui. He has worked on the wharenui Maru Kaitatea at Takahanga Marae in Kaikoura which was opened in 2001. He has also worked on the development of the Te Rau Aroha Marae for the Awarua Runanga in Bluff. This marae complex was named in remembrance of the bus that traveled throughout New Zealand during the First World War period, receiving donations for soldiers. Again the wharenui was the centre of the marae. Named Tahu Potiki this wharenui also featured the bold colours and rich carvings expected from Whiting's work.
Whiting's contribution to teaching, art and the cultural heritage of New Zealand has been acknowledged. In 1998 he was awarded New Zealand's highest honour - the Order of New Zealand
Order of New Zealand
The Order of New Zealand is the highest honour in New Zealand's honours system, created "to recognise outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity"...
. He has also received the Alan Highet Award for excellence in the arts in 1986 and was granted an Honorary Life Membership to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust
New Zealand Historic Places Trust
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust is a non-profit trust that advocates for the protection of ancestral sites and heritage buildings in New Zealand...
in 2004.