Birds of a Feather - Bronwynne Cornish and Pauline Bern

11 - 25 October 2016

Birds of a Feather

Birds of a Feather celebrates 35 years of treasured friendship for Bronwynne Cornish and Pauline Bern.

It is a friendship that has involved spending time together, working together while teaching in their respective disciplines at Unitech in Auckland and 35 years of swapping their own art work. One of Bronwynne’s early Chimney Cats has lived on Pauline’s window sill for the duration of their friendship.

This is the first time they have exhibited together collaboratively.

Bronwynne Cornish

The major work in this show, Echo, was inspired by New Zealand poet Andrew Johnston’s recent suite of poems from his book, Fits & Starts. Some of the other works refer to poets, and the transformative power of poetry.  Alongside this work is a group of new temples, watched over by two guardians.

…There was

so much meaning in her life.

She didn’t know what any of it meant. (Johnston 2016, p56)*

Pauline Bern

This work is a continued exploration and development of the Carapace series, an exploration of material and blurring the boundaries of flora and fauna forms.

They are also an evolving diary of Bern’s morning walks along the beach: they are worn publically but create stories and conversations around the personal and intimate for both the maker and the wearer.

*Johnston, Andrew, 2016, Fits & Starts, Wellington, Victoria University Press

See more work by Pauline Bern, Bronwynne Cornish