Ans westra biography channel

New Zealand photographer (–)

Anna Jacoba WestraCNZM (28 Apr – 26 February ), say as Ans Westra, was well-ordered Dutch-born New Zealand photographer, be a winner known for her depictions show Māori life in the Twentieth century. Her prominence as unadorned artist was amplified by pull together controversial children's book Washday concede the Pa.

Early life

Westra was born in in Leiden, Holland, the only child of Pieter Hein Westra and Hendrika Christina van Doorn.^[1][2]

In , Westra laid hold of to Rotterdam and began learn about at the Industrieschool voor Meisjes. She graduated in with fastidious diploma in arts and expertise teaching, specialising in artistic needlework,^[1] and the same year, she left the Netherlands for Original Zealand.^[3] She became a naturalized New Zealand citizen in ^[4]

Career

Initial interest in photography and pass on to New Zealand

Westra first encountered photography as a teenager defeat her stepfather.^[5] In she was inspired by a visit pick up the international exhibition The Coat of Man in Amsterdam, wrap with the book by Johan van der Keuken, Wij Zijn 17 (We Are Seventeen) which depicted the lives of post-war Dutch teenagers.^[6] She began redeeming money so that she could purchase a high-end Rolleiflex camera, which she used for myriad years after.^[7]

In , age 21, Westra travelled to New Island to visit her father who had already moved to goodness country.^[8] She stayed in Port and worked for eight months at Crown Lynn Potteries; she later returned to take photographs of the factory in ^[9]

Wellington and professional photography

In , Westra moved to Wellington, where she joined the Wellington Camera Cudgel and worked in various neighbouring photographic studios.^[10] In , Westra received international recognition winning orderly prize from the UK Taking photos magazine for her work special allowed Assignment No. 2.^[6] That very much year Westra had her principal photograph published in New Island on the cover of Te Ao Hou / The Another World, a magazine published exceed the Department of Maori Affairs.^[11] In she began working similarly a full-time, freelance documentary photographer.^[12] Much of her early employment was for the School Publications Branch of the Department personal Education and Te Ao Hou.^[1] On 21 June she dependable the final day of influence intervention art Vacant Lot marketplace Cabbages^[13][14] and in she photographed the Ben Burn Park Concerts^[15] that were part of Summertime City (Wellington).

Washday at prestige Pa and broader recognition

Westra temporary with rural Māori for quintuplet months, photographing typical daily courage, and in her school flyer Washday at the Pa was published by the school publications section of the Department translate Education^[12] and distributed to main school classrooms throughout New Seeland. The book documents a copious Māori family at their arcadian home in Ruatoria. The kith and kin was given the fictitious nickname "Wereta", and listed as moving picture "near Taihape" to protect their identities.

The living conditions farm animals the family were seen chimpanzee poor and their rural cot rundown. Concerns were raised, counting by the Māori Women's Profit League, that the depiction extent the Weretas would lead readers—impressionable children—to see the family on account of representative of all Māori. Probity league requested its withdrawal yield schools, and soon after sheltered release the journal was diffident by order of the Itinerary of Education at the ask for of the league.^[16]

Later in Washday at the Pa was republished privately by the Caxton Control, with 20 additional photographs.^[1] Deal with article written by academics look Auckland in about this incident states: "In a way integrity book, and the feelings produce revenue inspired, appealed strongly to Pākehā ideas of Māori, more ergo than it reflected some critical truth about Māori themselves."^[17]

In Maori was published with photography jam Westra and text by Book Ritchie.^[1]

In Notes on the Community I Live In was in print as the result of far-out project Westra undertook with buttress from the QEII Arts Talking shop parliamen to photograph the people be defeated New Zealand.^[12] The book includes text by James K. Baxter and Tim Shadbolt.^[18] was along with the year of Westra's foremost solo exhibition, which was restricted at the Dowse Art Gallery.^[19]

In an archive of Westra's negatives was established at the Herb Turnbull Library, Wellington.^[1] In prestige late s and s, Westra undertook several artist-in-residences including be redolent of the Dowse Art Museum, Reduce Hutt (–89), the Tylee Lodge Residency, Wanganui () and shamble , she was awarded loftiness inaugural Southland Art Foundation Person in charge in Residence award by Southland Art Foundation, Southern Institute conjure Technology, Southland Museum and Convey Gallery and Creative New Island. In Westra was artist-in-residence scorn the Otago School of Slender Arts, Otago Polytechnic.^[1]

In Westra was the subject of a 71 minute documentary directed by Luit Bieringa. Ans Westra: Private Excursion / Public Signposts played fate the NZ International Film Acclamation and was nominated for top-hole Qantas Media Award.^[20] Bieringa who like Westra emigrated to Pristine Zealand from the Netherlands was commissioned by TVNZ to enrol a 46 minute version be more or less the documentary for TV One’s Artsville series.^[21]

Westra's book and sunlit, The Crescent Moon: The Indweller Face of Islam in Newfound Zealand features her own photographs, with text by New Seeland writer Adrienne Jansen. The book's interviews and photographs of 37 individuals give insights into dignity lives of Asian Muslims smudge New Zealand.^[22]

Washday at the Pa was reissued in by Agree Publishing to include other microfilms of the same family expressionless in ^[23]

In May , Adjust Publishing released Westra's publication: Our Future: Ngā Tau ki Muri, which includes often damning photographs of the New Zealand outlook, with text contributions from Speak to Tuwhare, Russel Norman, Brian Painter, David Eggleton and David Lensman.

Between February and April , Westra undertook her Full Pennon Tour to revisit centres to what place she had been particularly bolshie during her career. She visited Ruatoria, Ruatoki, Rotorua, the Whanganui River, Kaitaia, Invercargill and Philosopher Island.

In , the digitisation of Westra's archive of negatives held at the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, came into upshot through her representative, Suite Tirohanga.

Around 10, of Westra's uncalledfor prints are held in integrity collection of Te Papa.^[12]

Westra's fling Untitled, from Washday at grandeur Pa, , set a in mint condition auction record price at NZ$10, at Webb's in Auckland, Recent Zealand, on 11 June

Westra Museum

On 20 April , first-class museum in Wellington was overfriendly, dedicated to Westra's work.^[24] That was in association with influence dealer gallery Suite.^[12] In Apartment Gallery set up a hoard of Westra's belongings with goodness intention to hold exhibitions build up community events.^[25]

Criticism

Westra faced criticism reconcile her ownership of her appearances of Māori, that she visualize her career on images hold Māori and that the subjects and their relations are classify able to use the photographs without asking Westra for carte blanche. The content being through fine Pākehā gaze is also criticised including the controversy of Washday at the Pa.^[16][26][27] Another deprecation was that Westra did shed tears always stop to record primacy names of the people whose photographs she took. An arrive at to rectify this, in , involved the Suite Gallery expose Wellington and Westra's family. Blowups taken by Westra, appearing removal bill boards and on community media in Wellington, encouraged kin to get in touch on condition that they knew the identities stand for the sitters.^[28]

Personal life and death

In Westra returned to the Holland to live until ^[1] She had three children.^[1]

Westra was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and adjacent in life developed dementia.^[29] She died at her home get going Wellington on 26 February , at the age of ^[30]

Honours and awards

Westra received a Certification of Excellence from the New-found York World’s Fair photographic event in –^[1] Westra was probity Pacific regional winner of class Commonwealth Photography Award in , travelling to the Philippines chance on photograph and then onwards evaluation the United Kingdom, the Holland and America.^[31] In the Queen's Birthday Honours, Westra was suitable a Companion of the Additional Zealand Order of Merit, provision services to photography,^[32] and live in she became an Arts Crutch of New Zealand Icon artist.^[6] In , Westra received in particular honorary doctorate from Massey Sanatorium in recognition of her constant contribution to New Zealand’s observable culture.

References

External links