Denise Batchelor, Morning Commute, video still, 2023
Denise Batchelor: Morning Commute
3 November, 2023 – 18 February, 2024
Exhibition Opening: Thursday 2 November, 6-8pm
AV Gallery
As a city awakens, early morning hues colour an increasingly busy scene. The dawn chorus, having just completed their concert, is now busy foraging. Kotare, duck, gulls, kawau and all manner of smaller birds come to the lagoon seeking food. A lone heron forages above, between the graves of well-known men; the site privy to the best seats in the house.
Animalia, human, are also beginning the day. Ensconced in moving metal cages, they follow each other in a ritual resembling ants. The path ahead is potentially slow. At the end of the day, the path is retraced and repeated the following. To be human is to be inextricably entwined to a natural environment, even one that is more often urban.
As the sprawl expands, unseen territories are trespassed. Lines of demarcation become muddied, creating competition for space. In this delicate dance of survival, it is essentially a human decision determining where these spaces converge, forcing other species to adapt or perish. In a plot twist however, nature is often known to have the last word.
Morning Commute offers a view where the seemingly opposing worlds of urban and natural environments collide, overlap and even occasionally succeed in existing side by side.
About the Artist: Denise Batchelor
As a visual artist living in the far north of Aotearoa New Zealand, my practice often reflects personal encounters within natural environments; moments of quiet engagement within which deeper connections can be experienced. Working in video, photography, and installation, my intention is to capture the familiar while simultaneously revealing the overlooked or unnoticed.
As a recipient of artist residencies and art awards, my work has been exhibited widely in New Zealand and internationally; in galleries, art centers and at festivals. Work is also held in public and private collections.