savethepoint.org.nz

Photographic Exhibition

McCormack Studio Gallery,
355 The Parade, Island Bay, Wellington,
New Zealand
8 Oct - 7 Nov 2005

Note: Although the exhibition is now over, the images will be available for viewing in a display rack through 2005 indefinately.

On The Edge

Wellington's South Coast

Photographs by members of Save The Point, Gavin Dench, Sunita Singh and Steve Hunt are being exhibited at McCormack Studio Gallery. The purpose of the exhibition is to draw attention to environmental issues on the south coast, and in particular the proposed construction of The Marine Education Centre and Aquarium of New Zealand complex on Te Raekaihau Point, Wellington's South Coast, Wellington. The images will continue to be available for viewing at the gallery till the end of 2004.

Graffiti
Te Raekaihau in background. Photo Gavin Dench

Dusk, Lyall Bay
Photo Gavin Dench

Riprap, Houghton Bay
Photo Sunita Singh

Evening Light, Lyall Bay
Photo Sunita Singh

Seaweed Form
Photo Steve Hunt

Esplanade, Island Bay
Photo Steve Hunt

Photographers' statement

On The Edge is a collaborative effort between Gavin Dench, Sunita Singh, and Steve Hunt, long-time residents of Wellington.s South Coast. They combine a passion for photography with a concern to maintain the coastal environment for the enjoyment of all.

As part of the Save The Point campaign they are seeking to preserve, in its wild state, for future generations, the beaches and open space of Te Raekaihau Point - the "Headland That Eats The Wind" .

To venture upon Te Raekaihau in any weather, even to view it from the road, is an uplifting experience. If the Point is built upon, this miraculously preserved wilderness on the very doorstep of the city will be gone forever.

The proposal to locate a major tourist attraction on a key site in such a coastal environment further extends the encroaching urban .edge.. The scale of this proposal is such that it drastically alters that uncertain balance between our ever-expanding presence and the natural environment we value.

The 'edge' between human habitation and the sea is such a familiar domain that we are at risk of taking it for granted and fail to notice the increasing gradual shift from natural to man-made features.

Most of the photographs in the exhibition have been taken with the natural desire of the photographers to create true and engaging images. While they are therefore not overtly political, placed together in this exhibition they provide a broad context for appreciating our attraction to the beauty of the coastal environment and the incremental impact of our presence on the very elements that draw us to them.