Dr Kirsty Baker is an art historian, curator and writer based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara where she currently works as a curator at City Gallery Wellington Te Whare Toi. She completed her PhD in art history at Victoria University of Wellington—Te Herenga Waka. Alongside this academic research, Baker’s writing on contemporary women artists in Aotearoa has appeared in a wide range of publications, including Art New Zealand, The Pantograph Punch, Artist Profile, Femisphere and Art and Australia. Kirsty talks to NZ Booklovers.
Tell us a little about Sight Lines.
Sight Lines: Women and Art in Aotearoa is an art history of Aotearoa, told through 36 essays and over 150 images. It brings together weavers, painters, photographers, sculptors, performance artists, filmmakers, poets and activists, amongst others, to present a glimpse into the vast breadth of art made in this country. Eight of those essays were written by guest authors – Chloe Cull, Ngarino Ellis, Ioana Gordon-Smith, Rangimarie Sophie Jolley, Lana Lopesi, Hanahiva Rose, Huhana Smith and Megan Tamati-Quennell – who were able to expand the parameters of the book through their insights and expertise. In telling a history of art, Sight Lines also gives an overview to the socio-political and cultural history of Aotearoa, with particular focus on the ways that tangata tiriti and tangata whenua have negotiated their relationships to each other, and to this place.
What inspired you to write this book?
The book was inspired, in part, by my academic research. Both my Masters and PhD were predominantly concerned with feminist art and feminist art histories as they have been constructed in Aotearoa. I’m interested in the shortcomings and exclusions of feminisms, and how we can go about trying to rectify them. I wanted to write an account of artmaking here that pushed back against the biological essentialism of the word ‘woman,’ and that presented a complex, nuanced and multifaceted line-up of artists, to push back against the idea of ‘woman’ as something monolithic or easily definable. I find art itself to be endlessly inspiring so in fundamental terms it was art, and the artists who make it, that really inspired the book.
What research was involved?
A lot of the broad research for the book came out of my PhD, which looked at the ways that women artists have been written into the art history of Aotearoa. That research gave me a solid foundation but was very much literary in focus. For the book I was much more interested in putting artists at the centre. As a result, a lot of the research consisted of conversations with the living artists, working with them to shape the essays, and to explore the ways their thinking around art-making has shifted and changed. In addition to this, I spent a lot of time reading about art and looking at art – so between these elements it was a hugely enjoyable research experience!
What was your routine or process when writing this book?
It shifted a lot as the writing progressed, largely because my son was only one when I began writing! The earliest phase was fairly erratic to be honest – writing time was carved out in the snatched moments before he woke up and during his nap-times. It’s a mode of working that echoed that of many of the women included in the book. As time progressed, though, I settled into more of a routine, continuing to write early in the morning and then spending a lot of Saturdays in public libraries, which are such a valuable resource. It gives me a lot of joy to think that my book might now sit on the shelves of the libraries in which much of it was written.
What did you enjoy the most about writing Sight Lines.
There were so many people involved in this book other than me. Working with them was, without a doubt, the most enjoyable part of the process. Through this project I was fortunate enough to work with some people that I already counted as friends, and to form new relationships with artists and writers whose work I deeply admire.
What did you do to celebrate finishing this book?
Honestly, I’m very bad at celebrating in general! Life has been very busy lately, so after a lovely launch at Unity Books in Wellington, I had a long quiet weekend with whānau, which was just perfect.
What is the favourite book you have read so far this year and why?
That’s such a tough question, but I do find myself often returning to Khadro Mohamed’s debut poetry collection, We’re All Made of Lightning. It’s remarkably rich in visual imagery and emotional complexity.
What’s next on the agenda for you?
I always have more ideas than time, so now that Sight Lines is out in the world, I’m beginning to give shape to a project that I hope will evolve into my next book. I’ve just started to open conversations with some exciting artists, both here and overseas, and am excited to see how it progresses.
Auckland University Press