Hotere: Out the black window : Ralph Hotere's work with New Zealand poets

This copy is like new. The exhibition takes its name from a poem by Cilla McQueen and was curated by Gregory O’Brien. It highlights how Hotere didn’t just illustrate poems—he absorbed their rhythm, emotion, and imagery into his painting style. His work often features lines from poets like Hone Tuwhare, Bill Manhire, Ian Wedde, and McQueen herself. These words aren’t just added decoration; they’re part of the artwork’s structure and meaning. For example, Tuwhare’s poem “We who live in darkness” appears beside one of Hotere’s Requiem paintings, and McQueen’s poem is paired with a Black Window piece, creating a layered conversation between text and image. Hotere used a wide range of materials—paper, steel, corrugated iron, and canvas—and applied text using pencil, paint, stencils, and even blowtorches.