TITOKOWARU'S DILEMMA - Marian Maguire

 
lithographs and etchings 2011

Curio from the Colonial Era 
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The protagonist of Marian Maguire’s new print series is an impressive figure of nineteenth-century Taranaki. Titokowaru was a trained Maori tohunga but a Christian convert; an advocate of peace but an outstanding military strategist; a powerful and charismatic leader but one who lost the support of his followers. This complexity makes him an absorbing subject for Maguire, whose prints challenge simplistic readings of colonial history.

Maguire develops distinctive imagery drawn from ancient and colonial sources, combining the bold silhouettes of Greek vase paintings with the tonal gradations of colonial paintings and photographs. The colour lithographs of Titokowaru’s Dilemma create fascinating cultural crossovers, where Titokowaru debates questions about virtue and peace with Socrates and Te Whiti, Gustavus von Tempsky dies on the battlefields of Troy, and Venus de Milo is taken captive in a Maori pa. Equally intriguing are Maguire’s etchings of surprising visitors to local landscapes in A Taranaki Dialogue, and of amorous adventures involving Greek gods, Maori maidens, satyrs and settlers in Colonial Encounters. Maguire’s visual inventions tease the imagination with human connections across time.
Elizabeth Rankin

A catalogue accompanies this show. It includes colour plates of all the prints in the exhibition; an essay by art historian Elizabeth Rankin that is illustrated by much of Maguire's source material; an entry by James Belich about Riwha Titokowaru; an essay by Giovanni Tiso about Socrates; an essay by Anne Salmond about sex, war and the pae (transitional ground); and a poem by Keri Hulme.

For a fuller description of this body of work please refer to Marian Maguire's artist page.

Giovanni Tiso wrote a review of Titokowaru's Dilemma on his blogspot:
http://bat-bean-beam.blogspot.com/2011/12/t-dilemma.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BatBeanBeam-AWeblogOnMemoryAndTechnology+%28Bat%2C+Bean%2C+Beam+-+A+Weblog+on+Memory+and+Technology%29

For more info about Marian Maguire's work, plus images from past series refer to: http://www.marianmaguire.com/index.html

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The Dialogue of Titokowaru and Socrates The Indiscretion Vase Socrates said, ‘An Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living’ Socrates asks the question, ‘What is Victory?’ Bilingual Belly Amphora, 1867, Titokowaru Ponders the Embers Socrates and Titokowaru, with the Reverend Thomas Kendall in attendance, discuss the True Nature of Love Titokowaru and Te Whiti discuss the question, ‘What is Peace?’ Helen is Enticed Across the Oceans. Love is Lost. She is Returned Home Aphrodite prepares to Introduce Herself to Yet Another of Rangi and Papa’s Sons Atlas assists Tane in Maintaining the Separation between Rangi and Papa Titokowaru wrestles the Lion Dionysos calls on Mrs Harris and her sister Maude while their Husbands are out on Field Patrol Gustav von Tempsky & Lucy Takiora seek a Moment’s Respite from a Hard Day’s Scouting Taking advantage of Rangi’s absence Zeus explores Papa’s dips and hollows Having assumed the Alluring Form of an ally’s wife, Hera distracts Titokowaru from his Military Objective What is History? Forest Encounter on a Belly Amphora: Satyr and Antipodean Maenad The Very Idea of a Maori Satyr was a Distraction Titokowaru's Dilemma (catalogue - click detail for more info) Socrates and Titokowaru discuss the question, ‘What is Virtue?’ Cause and Effect The Colonial Major and his Trusty Guide seek out the Rebel Strongholds Spoils to the Victor The Death of Von Tempsky at Te Ngutu o Te Manu Socrates asks the question, ‘What is Justice?’ What is Myth? Socrates asks the Mountain, ‘What is Wisdom?’