oil on board, nz$18,000
I painted Welcome to Aotearoa as an artist, but also as an ex-mining and ex-oilrig worker. I painted Welcome to Aotearoa in anger. The National Government’s decision to seriously consider mining on Schedule Four of the Conservation Estate is, in my view, stupid. To actually mine in these pristine areas would be an act of reckless, counterproductive vandalism, destroying some of the most beautiful and pristine areas of New Zealand and radically impairing our reputation as a clean, green destination for tourists and for increasingly eco-aware overseas consumers. National need to learn that the days of ‘Rip, shit and bust’ are gone.