The John Moore Legacy

There's a cool southerly wind but the sun is shining. When I get to the beach the surf flags are horizontal and the air is biting. And the beach is virtually empty. One of the secrets of summer...even if it's cold outside, the water will be the same temperature as yesterday. You just have to walk through the goosebumps and get in. Nicki comes round to do kitchen stuff but we get side tracked. She's choosing an image for a metal screen for her house and is looking through a collection of wood cut prints given to her grandfather by John Moore. John is a little known NZ artist who lived from 1897-1965. His drawings of native flora and fauna reveal a man with vision ahead of his time. He presents fantails, pohutakawa and mountains simply so that their identifying features are starkly apparent. Images such as these became popular in New Zealand once we started to get over our cultural cringe in the late 80's, early 90's and developed a sense of ourselves as island people of the South Pacific. John's love of the natural world here in Aotearoa, as opposed to that of England which so many of his peers aspired to, emanates a sense of pride and there are over 100 beautiful illustrations which capture the essence of New Zealand. Nicki says that at the end of his life he destroyed the wood blocks, so the book and other remaining prints are all there is. Ka pai, John, these images are strong and beautiful. 

My maunga- Rahotu, Mitre Peak