Works by Bing Dawe

Press, 16 September 1986, Page 37

Works by Bing Dawe

Recent Works by Bing Dawe at the Gingko Gallery until October 2. Reviewed by Pat Unger. Bing Dawe continues to impress with works of simplicity and content. His images critically explore concerns for the destruction of life, both world-wide and in New Zealand.

He has presented in sculpture, many contemporary events. The “Big Blow” in August 1975, which felled many trees, the oil shock of 1977 which temporarily disrupted life, kites and a dying albatross all conveyed a forboding that was heightened by their skeletal forms.

Line sculptures, in space, they were immaculately crafted in wood, wire iron, concrete, stone, steel grid and rice paper, and carried an austere

undistracted message. His present works in black woodcut lines on paper also have a visual simplicity. They are illustrations for a dinner set with true egalitarian appeal. There are no fluted edges or graceful shapes but these dinner plates, meat dish, tureen lid, and gravy-boat carry a basic story. Used as we are to the sorrowful fable of the Willow Pattern and the cautionary tales, of encouragement on children’s china, these plates will sober any meat and gravy thanksgiving. The endless cycle of sheep sacrifice from water which gives life, to all, to the first letting of blood — the sheep’s fluid of life — we follow our mutton along the killing chain.

They are knifed hung,

eviscerated their guts funnelled into trays, their pelts wrenched off and sluiced into the waiting vats. A salt-shaker appropriately shows the removal of that delicacy, the tongue from the beast’s head, and the paper-shaker celebrates the hosing down of the carcase.

Pulleys hooks and conveyer belts add interesting mechanical detail and Dawe’s broken direction lines, indicating progression. flesh out the backbone of New Zealand’s primary industry.

With sombre but reasoned images, Dawe records, in a notational style, a series of events in the meat industry. His is an unemotional look; the conflict is the viewer’s and impact is heightened by this projective technique.