Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown, New Zealand.

Melting ice defines New Zealand’s most iconic lake.

It is believed that glacial melt originally formed Wakatipu around 15,000 years ago. Today, the surrounding mountains continue to feed the lake from many small streams and large braided rivers formed from seasonal snow & ice melt, as captured in this artwork.

Lake Wakatipu is New Zealand's longest lake, the third largest and at it’s peak has a depth of 380m. This work was installed at the Northern head of Lake Wakatipu, near Glenorchy, where Dart & Ree’s River flow into Queenstown’s iconic lake.

As I worked on this piece, I noticed areas were eroding from the lake after they were carved. Oddly, the lake experiences minor fresh water ‘tides’ (seiches) where the water level fluctuates frequently throughout the day. Māori legend links this occurrence to the heartbeat of a monster named Matau, who is believed to sleep at the bottom of the lake.

Part of an ongoing series, this body of work pays homage to the dynamic & ever-changing landscapes of New Zealand, through carving temporary hieroglyphic stories into their surfaces using hand & tool. Shortly after installed, our environment swallows up the markings and return the sites to their natural form. The works are preserved through photography print only.

Edition: 1/30
Dimensions unframed: A2 (420 x 594mm)
Dimensions framed: 525 x 725 mm
Stock: 260gsm Luster Photographic Stock
Inks: Ulta-Chrome HD, Colorsure
Authentication: Hand signed, numbered and dated 2020.
Installation size: Aprox 450sqm
Tools to produce: Rake, DJI Mavic Pro with Hasselblad camera.
Shipping: Please allow 7-10 days domestic, 14 days+ international (Covid & Christmas may effect these timeframes).