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Alex Monteith: Big Wave Aotearoa


Big Wave Aotearoa depicts professional surfers surfing hugely dangerous ocean waves. As an artist and surfer; Alex Monteith searches for the relationship between art and big wave surfing. Surfing waves on this scale is both rare and creates temporary sites for performance.

The Big Wave Aoteaora exhibition will be made up of three main elements:

- A major video installation: Big Wave Aotearoa
- Surface Movements, a 'live action' preoject filmed at Mount Maunganui along with a series of specially designed rash vests
​- An installation featuring retrospective performance work

 

Surface Movements Mount Maunganui, performed originally at Lyall Bay, Wellington, documents hours of free surfing lessons given by the artist and others. Members of the public were given the opportunity to experience surfing and with footage taken at 'the Mount' on 22 February, Alex Monteith made a new work. 

The artist is a dedicated surfer, and was the Women's Champion for Ireland in 2001. The works in this exhibition showcase Monteith's surfing interest combined with performance events in which she invites the public to experience surfing.

 

 

 

Alex Monteith, originally from Ireland, is a senior lecturer at the School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland. 

Interested in 'art as action' or 'participatory art', Monteith is especially keen on audience participation as subject matter.

(Images: Surface Movements Mount Maunganui Alex Monteith 2014 Sarah Munro and Sean Joyce)

 

 

 

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