Standing Room Only for Sunday 20 May 2018

 

12:17  Film-maker Phil Grabsky on David Hockney

Painter David Hockney is regarded as Britain's most popular living artist even if he's spent a huge chunk of his long life in America.

Sixty years on, the 80 year old is still prolific and still experimenting with his brightly coloured, large-scale landscapes and portraits.

In 2016 Hockney produced 82 portraits for an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.  Four years earlier he'd mounted a exhibition of landscapes at the same venue.

These two landmark exhibitions form the heart of a new film about David Hockney, the latest in the "Exhibition on Screen" cinematic series that until now has concentrated on artistic geniuses from the past.

 The series, now in its 5th year, is driven by filmmaker Phil Grabsky. The Hockney film will be followed by ones on Canaletto and the Art of Venice, and Cezanne.

Lynn Freeman talked to Phil about Hockney and his work.

David Hockney at the Royal Academy of Arts premieres in New Zealand cinemas on May 24.

12:34 A Wellingtonian view of downtown Auckland

Wellington photographer Mary McPherson has spent the past few years documenting Auckland's CBD. She's particularly intrigued by how rapidly it's changing - her large scale images often feature containers, billbords, construction sites and road work signs.

A selection of her detailed photographs feature in the upcoming Auckland Festival of Photography.  There's also a photo-book of the images.  The show and book are called The Long View, and the exhibition opens on May 29 at the Pah Homestead,

Lynn Freeman asked Mary why a Wellingtonian has spent several years roaming the streets of downtown Auckland.

12:43 Bone carver Owen Mapp

Owen Mapp was New Zealand's first professional contemporary artist to specialize in bone carving.  When he started out five decades ago, bone carving was very much a poor relation to wood and pounamu.

As well as making his name here and overseas with his carvings, he's passed on his skills to several generations of carvers at Whitireia Polytechnic and at workshops.

Pātaka Art + Museum in Porirua is hosting a retrospective of his work:  Owen Mapp: Dragons & Taniwha - 50 Years an Artist Carver.  It opens on May 27, and a book of the same name is being published too.

As Owen explained to Lynn Freeman, it comes 46 years after his first big sell-out show - the show that gave him the confidence he could make a living as a bone and ivory carver.

1:10 At The Movies

 

Dan Slevin reviews Sully, Chappaquiddick and New Zealand rockumentary Swagger Of Thieves

 

1:35  The true story of supreme story-teller Margaret Mahy

Margaret Mahy was one of our most theatrical writers, enthralling her young audiences with her stories in schools across the country while wearing her trademark rainbow wig.

She died six years ago, leaving behind generations of fans and also dozens of books for children and young adults, into which she poured her remarkable imagination.

Now Wellington actor and scriptwriter Jane Waddell has adapted for the stage an essay of Margaret's called Notes of a Bag Lady, where she wrote about memorable moments during her long life.  Jane's called the show I Am Not Margaret Mahy, and it premieres at Wellington's Bats Theatre on May 22 before going to Waiheke Island in June.

Jane Waddell tells Lynn Freeman she read Margaret Mahy stories to her young son, but that wasn't what prompted her to put the writer's own story on stage:

1:48  Projects 2018 offers a wide range of art surprises

A homemade caravan, and canvases that promote one dollar a word as a living wage for art writers - they're among the artworks selected for Projects 2018, part of the upcoming Auckland Art Fair.

It's primarily a trade fair where dealer galleries from here and overseas offer artists' work for sale.

Projects 2018 artists - emerging and established - display their work outside the dealer booths at The Cloud.

Lynn Freeman talks to this year's guest curators Gabriela Salgado, an Argentine curator who's been the Te Tuhi Gallery's artistic director since November last year, and Francis McWhannell who's also a  freelance art writer:

Projects 2018 which opens on May 23.

2:06 The Laugh Track - Ant Timpson

"The Tsar of all the Rushes", 48 Hour Film Challenge boss Ant Timpson talks about the art of fast-and-furious film-making, and picks some favourite comedians, including Dave Attell, Dina Hashem, Rodney Dangerfield and Norm McDonald.

2:25 Novelist Kate Duignan talks about 9/11, Amsterdam and The New Ships

In her new novel, Wellington writer Kate Duignan takes us from an Amsterdam houseboat in the 1970s to Wellington 30 years later, a time when the Twin Towers terrorist attack put the world on edge,  

Kate published her first novel Breakwater in 2001 and also has many published short stories to her name.  

In The New Ships, Peter Collie's wife Moira has recently died from cancer. Their actor son Aaron returns from London but the two men struggle to connect.

At the same time, a possible sighting of his daughter from a past relationship in Amsterdam puts Peter under even more emotional pressure.

Lynn Freeman talks to Kate about what inspired her new novel.  The New Ships by Kate Duignan is published by VUP.

 

2:38 American anarchist with a West Coast connection

Anarchist poet Lola Ridge was one of the most famous women poets of her time in early 20th century America.  And much of her fighting spirit is credited to the 23 years she spent in New Zealand.

She and her mother had left Ireland for Australia, then headed to the West Coast of the South Island hoping to cash in on the gold rush and start a new life.

Later, while standing up for the repressed in America - especially mistrusted and mistreated migrants - Lola Ridge led a troubled and nomadic personal life that included leaving her seven year old son in an orphanage.

Over the decades, Lola has been all but forgotten, but her story is now told in a comprehensive biography by American writer Terese Svoboda.   It's called Anything That Burns You.

Terese tells Lynn Freeman that Lola Ridge and many other radical poets were all but erased from the canon around the time of the second World War II, when dissent of any kind was frowned upon.

Anything That Burns You by Terese Svoboda is published By Schaffner Press. Terese has been speaking at the Auckland Writers Festival this weekend.

2:49 My Heels Are Killing Me

Jeans are a ubiquitous staple in many wardrobes. And today, jeans are big business with street wear denim brands competing against premium labels.

Nicky Rowsell Marketing Manager for Levis Strauss Australia and New Zealand talks about Levi's methods of sustainability, and changes in the market place.

And Gosia Piatek shares her vision for Kowtow's fabric production and its organically produced denim.

3:06 Drama at 3

New episodes of Dexter Guff Is Smarter than You (And You Can Be Too)  and Te Wherowhero.

Music played in this show

Artist: Marteen
Song: Two days
Composer: Estevez
Album: N/A
Label: N/A
Played at: 12.12

Artist:Shanley Del
Song: Two days from knowing
Composer: Welch-Rollins
Album: My Own Sweet Time
Label: Rooart
Played at: 12.30

Artist: Beau Brummels
Song: Two days till tomorrow
Composer: Durand-Elliott
Album: The Best Of 1964-1968
Label: Rhino
Played at: 12.58

Artist: Fur Patrol
Song: Two days
Composer: Deans-Fur Patrol
Album: Pet
Label: Warner
Played at: 1.10

Artist: Ladyhawk
Song: 48 hours
Composer: Ladyhawk
Album: Ladyhawk
Label: Jagjaguwar
Played at:  1.46

Artist: Hiss Golden Messenger
Song:  Super blue (Two days clean)
Composer: M C Taylor
Album: Uncut:  Bad Moon Rising
Label: Uncut
Played at: 1.58

Artist:  Derek Lind
Song: Two days away
Composer: Lind
Album: Stations
Label: Someoneupthere
Played at:  2.04

Artist: The  Clash
Song:  48 hours
Composer:  Jones-Strummer
Album: The Clash
Label: Epic
Played at:  2.39

Artist: Pretty Boy Floyd
Song:  48 hours to rock
Composer: Chasp-Kane-Majors
Album:  The Ultimate
Label: Lemon
Played at:  2.58

Artist: White Cockatoo
Song: Two days sleep
Composer: Blanasi-Traditional
Album:  White Cockatoo
Label: Arc
Played at:  3.04

Artist:  Louis Prima
Song: 5 months, 2 weeks and 2 days
Composer: Prima
Album:  Ultra Lounge
Label: Capitol
Played at:  3.28

Artist: Deanta
Song: Two days to go
Composer: Havlin-Moynihan
Album:  Whisper of a Secret
Label: Greenlinnet
Played at:  3.58