Janet Muir - A Room At Mengs House
Art print from New Zealand artist Janet Muir.
Home In The Time of Covid
Time spent housebound has encouraged me to revisit a theme that has been prevalent throughout my art practise. When we consciously consider pattern and ornament that surround us everyday and are imprinted on the subconscious, we discover the beauty and wonder of these things. Where icons migrate, shift and morph between worlds, carrying with them the stories, new narratives, myths, histories and tall tales.
In ‘Wonderland of the South Pacific’ and ‘A Room At Meng’s House’, Ornament becomes the bearer of memory that evokes personal or social histories and a sense of time and place. The Souvenir Plate, Willow Pattern teacups, the collection of ginger jars, the Mitre Peak cake tins, Mt Taranaki wearing thin on the tin tea caddy, scones and jam on Noritaki’s Wild Ivy; I bring to these objects my own narratives creating a visual language that tells the stories of who I am. In the eroding barriers between notions of East and West, applied art and fine art, object and subject, inanimate objects are bought to life.
Yanagi the founder of the Japanese folk art movement, drew attention to the importance of ‘arts of the people’ and to the beauty in the everyday and ordinary.
“They did not see the extraordinary in the extraordinary. Therein lies their merit. They did not draw on their cherished treasures out of the valuable, the expensive, the luxurious, the elaborate or the exceptional. They selected them from the plain, the natural, the homely, the simple, and the normal. Can anything be more uncommon than to see the uncommon in the common place?”
‘Silent Spring’ was inspired by the violet patch that was cultivated by my great grandmother, who would share small clumps of violets to friends and family who would then transplant them into their own garden beds.
I began to think about how New Zealand is a nation of gardeners. When I thought about my garden I thought about how the Tauhou [wax eyes] are no longer seeking out my Kowhai flowers for the nectar and how there are so few bees collecting its pollen. In
Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring , she warns us of the all too often negative effects humans have on the natural world resulting in the decline in bird populations. She called it the "silencing of birds".
My father draped his office with a wallpaper depicting scenes of New Zealand landscapes, native birds, flora and fauna, Wharenui, Tukutuku panels, carved gourds, Patu and Waka Huia. As a child I would make up stories for these magical scenes that decorated the walls. Maybe this is where I found my love of pattern and the way stories attach themselves to them.
In 1842 The Duchess of Argyle arrived in Auckland carrying poor weavers from Paisley. Among them was my Great, Great, Grandfather Sandy, a little boy of 9 years. Sandy spoke of how he stood in terror at the bow of the ship watching a waka being paddled towards him by a fierce Maori warrior. When the man reached the ship’s side he began to whistle the tune ‘My Bonnie’. A song the boy knew well. The only common language they shared was a simple tune that welcomed a little boy to new shores. In this new land the mountains, rivers, flora and fauna and surrounding seas are woven in legend and myth. The Silver Eye or Tauhao, meaning 'new arrival', perches on top of a souvenir plate, peering down at Mt Taranaki who stands mourning his lost love the beautiful Mount Pihanga cloaked in her deep green forest. The Legend declares one day Mt Taranaki will return to his love Pihanga.
The Mermaid Pania pearched on a rock looking out to sea longing to return home. Discovers her lover Karitoki’s betrayal to keep her on land. She flees back to the sea never to return . When people now look deep into the water over the reef, some say they can see Pania with arms outstretched, calling to Her love Karitoki.
My Bonnie tells the stories of being caught between two worlds, where hearts are in two places. Like the little boy on a ship about to embark on his biggest adventure in search for what he will come to call home.
Janet muir
- Shipping + Returns
- Size Chart
Returns policy
DELIVERIES & RETURNS
Deliveries
Due to the boutique nature of our shop sometimes orders can take a little more time to fufilll. This is due to the fact that stock maybe be in transit from the cutters to the sewers to the finishers to the store. Stock is delivered and updated weekly to the shop.
Please note that orders are processed in working hours Mon-Fri 10am-5pm (NZ Time) excluding holidays and weekends.
Pricing + Delivery estimate
NZ / $10
Australia / $30
Rest of world / $50
When choosing a size refer to the information in the garment description for fabric qualities.
TIPS:
- Where a fabric may have spandex choose a size that is close or smaller to your actual measurement for a shaped fit.
- For drape and loose fitting garments choose a size that is the same or larger than your measurements.
XS |
S |
M |
L |
XL |
XXL |
8 |
8-10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
Juna
|
8 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
BUST |
82 |
87 |
92 |
97 |
102 |
108 |
114 |
WAIST |
70-72 |
75-77 |
80-82 |
87-89 |
89-92 |
92-98 |
98-102 |
HIPS |
91 |
96 |
101 |
106 |
111 |
117 |
123 |
Vesta
|
8 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
BUST |
82 |
87 |
92 |
97 |
102 |
108 |
114 |
WAIST |
70-72 |
75-77 |
80-82 |
87-89 |
89-92 |
92-98 |
98-102 |
HIPS |
91 |
96 |
101 |
106 |
111 |
117 |
123 |
Pluto
|
8 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
BUST |
82 |
87 |
92 |
97 |
102 |
108 |
114 |
WAIST |
70-72 |
75-77 |
80-82 |
87-89 |
89-92 |
92-98 |
98-102 |
HIPS |
91 |
96 |
101 |
106 |
111 |
117 |
123 |
XS |
S |
M |
L |
XL |
XXL |
8 |
8-10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
Shipping + Returns
Returns policy
DELIVERIES & RETURNS
Deliveries
Due to the boutique nature of our shop sometimes orders can take a little more time to fufilll. This is due to the fact that stock maybe be in transit from the cutters to the sewers to the finishers to the store. Stock is delivered and updated weekly to the shop.
Please note that orders are processed in working hours Mon-Fri 10am-5pm (NZ Time) excluding holidays and weekends.
Pricing + Delivery estimate
NZ / $10
Australia / $30
Rest of world / $50
Size Chart
When choosing a size refer to the information in the garment description for fabric qualities.
TIPS:
- Where a fabric may have spandex choose a size that is close or smaller to your actual measurement for a shaped fit.
- For drape and loose fitting garments choose a size that is the same or larger than your measurements.
XS |
S |
M |
L |
XL |
XXL |
8 |
8-10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
Juna
|
8 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
BUST |
82 |
87 |
92 |
97 |
102 |
108 |
114 |
WAIST |
70-72 |
75-77 |
80-82 |
87-89 |
89-92 |
92-98 |
98-102 |
HIPS |
91 |
96 |
101 |
106 |
111 |
117 |
123 |
Vesta
|
8 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
BUST |
82 |
87 |
92 |
97 |
102 |
108 |
114 |
WAIST |
70-72 |
75-77 |
80-82 |
87-89 |
89-92 |
92-98 |
98-102 |
HIPS |
91 |
96 |
101 |
106 |
111 |
117 |
123 |
Pluto
|
8 |
10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |
20 |
BUST |
82 |
87 |
92 |
97 |
102 |
108 |
114 |
WAIST |
70-72 |
75-77 |
80-82 |
87-89 |
89-92 |
92-98 |
98-102 |
HIPS |
91 |
96 |
101 |
106 |
111 |
117 |
123 |
XS |
S |
M |
L |
XL |
XXL |
8 |
8-10 |
12 |
14 |
16 |
18 |