Call of the Wild

Hayden FoWler

Hayden Fowler: Call of the Wild12 June - 12 July 2014

Michael reid is proud to announce a special two part performance Hayden Fowler

Performance Part 1 - will be held at Michael Reid Berlin on:

Thursday 12th June 2014 (from 5pm to 9pm)

Saturday 14th June 2014 (from 5pm to 9pm)

Thursday 19th June 2014 (from 5pm to 9pm)

Performance Part 2 - will be held at Michael Reid Sydney in December 2014

HayDen FoWleR - Call oF tHe WilD (BeRlin, 2014)

By wearing mourning we pay tribute to those who have died. it is a public display

that acknowledges their absence and our loss. Mourning jewellery - engraved rings

or lockets, often bearing a portrait of the deceased - dates back to the sixteenth

century, and black clothes are customary at funerals and during widowhood. after

a period of days, weeks, months or years, the time arrives when such outward signs

of grief may be cast off.

But what if it is not an individual, but an entire species or a whole ecology that is

being mourned? a loss of such magnitude surely deserves to be marked in a per-

manent, irremovable way. in Call of the Wild (Berlin, 2014), Hayden Fowler con-

tinues a lifelong memorial to extinct new Zealand birdlife, using his own body as

the canvas. Over three sessions of four to five hours each, his chest is being tattooed

with an image of a Whēkau – or laughing owl - by artist W.T.Norbert.

The last recorded specimen of a Whēkau was found dead in 1914 in Canterbury on

new Zealand’s South island. it was no match for feral cats and stoats brought from

the northern hemisphere to control a rabbit population that was breeding at brea-

kneck speed. For Fowler the story of the now extinct Whēkau, symbolizes the rapid

disappearance of so many of the bird species that once dominated his homeland.

In a period of less than a thousand years since first human habitation, the introduc-

tion of predatory mammals and destruction of vast areas of ancient forests caused

new Zealand to lose a third of all its native and freshwater birds. Many of those re-

maining are like the living dead; existing in small, isolated colonies on tiny offshore

islands. the surviving forests are all but silent. Fowler says the swift devastation of

this unique ecosystem is “ like breaking an egg. it can never be put back together.”

Call of the Wild (Berlin, 2014) continues a project Fowler started in 2007 when he

sat in a high street shop window in auckland while designs of the Huia were tat-

tooed onto his back. in December this year Call of the Wild will transfer to Sydney

where a further bird will emerge on his torso to add to the diorama. Both Berlin

and Sydney performances will be documented in video and a series of stills.

A white face and yellow-brown feathers give the Whēkau a less exotic-looking ap-

pearance than Fowler’s previous subjects - the Huia with its long tail feathers, or

the fluffily-plumed heritage bred hens in New World Order (2013). Through the

humbleness of the Whēkau Fowler represents all those extinct bird species not usu-

ally singled out by artists and natural historians.

the design for the tattoo has been an act of interpretation, pieced together from

nineteenth century watercolours and early black and white photographs. on

Fowler’s chest the Whēkau is captured in flight, looking down, legs hanging loosely

beneath it and talons empty. This Whēkau is not the predator; it is the prey.

Fowler’s white, geometric set prophesies a depleted, sterile future as an increasing

number of species face the same fate as the Whēkau. In this world beyond nature

all that remains is the haunting sound of recorded birdsong and two lone figures

etching out memories of what has been lost.

in taking Call of the Wild to Berlin, Fowler lifts the veil on the common northern

hemisphere misconception that new Zealand is an untouched wilderness. Submit-

ting himself to be tattooed, he sacrifices his own body in a ritual of repentance for

the part humans have played in the extinction of wildlife. Call of the Wild is a de-

monstration of reverence, respect and regret; keeping what has been lost in nature,

alive in the conscience of the world.

Hayden Fowler

Call of the Wild I2007

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Hayden Fowler

Call of the Wild II2007

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Hayden Fowler

Call of the Wild III2007

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Hayden Fowler

Call of the Wild IV2007

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Hayden Fowler

Call of the Wild V2007

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Hayden Fowler

Call of the Wild VI2007

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Hayden Fowler

Call of the Wild VII2007

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Hayden Fowler

Call of the Wild VIII2007

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Hayden Fowler

Call of the Wild IX2007

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Hayden Fowler

Call of the Wild X2007

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Hayden Fowler

Call of the Wild XI2007

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Hayden Fowler

Call of the Wild Berlin

working sketch 22007

whekauphotographed in wild

1909

HayDen FoWleR

Born 1973, Te Awamutu, New Zealand. Lives and works Sydney, Australia.

aCaDeMiC

Current PhD candidate, School of art, College of Fine arts, UnSW, Sydney, australia.

2009 Guest Student, Universitat der Kunst, Berlin, Germany, Class Hito Steyerl.

2007-13 Sessional Lecturer, School of Art, College of Fine Arts, UNSW, Sydney, australia.

2004-06 MFa (research), College of Fine arts, UnSW, Sydney, australia.

2000-02 BFa (1st class honours), College of Fine arts, UnSW, Sydney, australia.

1993-95 BSc (biology), University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.

Solo exHiBitionS

2013 New World Order: Ilam Gallery, Canterbury University, Christchurch, nZ, august.

New Romantic: Artereal Gallery for Sydney Art Month, Sydney, Australia.

2011 The Long Forgetting: Dubbo Regional Gallery, Dubbo, Australia.

2008 Call of the Wild: Fremantle arts Centre, Fremantle, australia.

Second Nature: Gallery Barry Keldoulis, Sydney, Australia.

2007 Video Projects: Christchurch Art Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand.

Call of the Wild: Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne, australia.

Call of the Wild: Gallery Barry Keldoulis, Sydney, Australia.

2006 AS SEEN ON TV: Gallery Barry Keldoulis, Sydney, Australia.

2005 White Australia: Elastic residence, London, United Kingdom.

Product Placement: Gallery Barry Keldoulis, Sydney, Australia.

2003 Postcards from Utopia: UnSW roundhouse, Sydney, australia.

2002 Progress in Harmony: Space 3, Sydney, Australia.

SELECTED GROUp ExHIBITIONS

2013 MCA Collection: New Acquisitions in Context, MCA, Sydney, Dec 2013 – Feb 2014.

The Wandering: Moving images from the MCa Collection. touring Australia 2013-14.

Somewhere: Among the Machines, Dunedin public Art Gallery, New Zealand, July–Nov.

Intra-action: Multispecies becomings, Mop Gallery, Sydney, July 8-29.

Inside the Silos, Delmar Gallery, Sydney, April 7-28.

2012 When I grow up I want to be a video artist: plimsoll Gallery, Hobart, australia.

The Visitor: Black & White Gallery, Brooklyn NY, US.

The Secret Cabinet: Antje Oklesund, Berlin, Germany.

2011 The Blake Prize (highly commended): National Art School Gallery, Sydney australia.

Awfully Wonderful: Performance Space, Sydney, australia.

After Glow: Monash Gallery Of Art, Melbourne, Australia.

The Animal Gaze: Sheffield Institute of the Arts Gallery, Sheffield, United Kingdom.

2010 In Context: Museum of Contemporary art, Sydney, australia.

Souvenirs from Earth: French tV Video art broadcast, www.souvenirsfromearth.tv

Cartography of Myth: Ficken 3000, Berlin, Germany.

LoveArt: Casula Powerhouse arts Centre, Sydney, australia.

Understory: Devonport Regional Gallery, Devonport, Australia.

Imagining The Everyday: australian Centre for Photography at the Pingyao international Photography Festival, Pingyao, China.

2009 RBS Emerging Artist Award exhibition, RBS towers, Sydney, australia.

Bowness Photography Prize exhibition, Monash Gallery Of Art, Melbourne, australia.

Tier Perspektiven: Georg Kolbe Museum, Berlin Germany.

Colliding Worlds: Samstag Museum, adelaide, australia.

The Animal Gaze: london Metropolitan University, london, United Kingdom.

The Animal Gaze: plymouth Arts Centre, plymouth, United Kingdom.

Minding Animals: the lockup, newcastle, nSW.

2008 In Captivity: Dubbo Regional Gallery, Dubbo, Australia.

2007 Eye to Eye: Dubbo Regional Gallery, Dubbo, Australia.

Windows: auckland Festival, auckland, new Zealand.

2006 December Group: Gallery Barry Keldoulis, Sydney, Australia.

Pet Project: Australian Centre for photography, Span Galleries, Melbourne, australia.

Pet Project: australian Centre for Photography Sydney australia.

Art and About: City of Sydney, Sydney, australia.

Flaming Youth: Orange Regional Gallery, Orange, Australia.

Sowing Seeds: Dubbo Regional Gallery, Dubbo, Australia.

White Australia: Dubbo Regional Gallery, Dubbo, Australia.

The Idea of the Animal: RMIT Gallery, Melbourne, Australia.

2005 Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Scholarship exhibition: artspace, Sydney, australia.

Space to Place: plimsoll Gallery, Hobart, Australia.

GBK@SPAN: Span Gallery, Melbourne, Australia.

Selekta: West Space, Melbourne, australia.

Sunshine Policy: Blue Oyster Gallery, Dunedin, New Zealand.

2004 Beautiful Garbage: Cheongju Art Centre, Cheongju, South Korea, Australia.

Australian Artists: pici Gallery, Seoul. South Korea.

The December Group: Gallery Barry Keldoulis, Sydney, Australia.

2003 Tale-chaser: Gallery 4A, Asia-Australia Arts Centre, Sydney, Australia.

Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Scholarship exhibition:

artspace, Sydney, australia.

2002 In the Flesh: First Draft Gallery, Sydney, Australia.

Expo: imperial Slacks, Sydney, australia.

2001 Mint: CoFa, Sydney, australia.

Helen Lempriere Travelling Art Scholarship exhibition:

artspace, Sydney, australia.

Fusion: Melbourne Film Festival, Melbourne, australia.

Eat My Shorts: Carnivale Festival, Performance Space, Sydney, australia.

2000 Downwardly Mobile: imperial Slacks, Sydney, australia.

Furr: kudos Gallery, Sydney, Australia.

ReSiDenCieS

2010 Creative NZ and Department of Conservation, Wildcreations residency: o tu-Wharekai national Park, new Zealand.

Ministry for the Arts, Gunnery studio residency: artspace, Sydney, australia.

2008 National Art School Gallery Artist Residency: Sydney, australia.

2007 Artspace/Gunnery studio residency: Ministry for the arts, Sydney, australia.

2004 IASKA: Kellerberrin, Western Australia.

Nine Dragon Heads Environmental Art Symposium: Daecheong Lake, South Korea.

AWARDS, GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIpS

2013 New Work Grant (established), Australia Council Visual Arts Board

2011 New Work Grant (established), Australia Council Visual Arts Board.

2010 University post-Graduate Award: University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia.

2008 Anne and Gordon Samstag International Visual Arts Scholarship.

New Work Grant (established), Australia Council Visual Arts Board.

2006 New Work Grant (emerging), Australia Council Visual Arts Board.

2004 Australian post Graduate Award, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

IASKA Residency: Kellerberrin, Western Australia.

Nine Dragon Heads Environmental Art Symposium: Daecheong Lake, South Korea.

2003 University of New South Wales, Student Union Artist Residency: Sydney, Australia.

2002 University of new South Wales Honours Scholarship.

2001 Basil and Muriel Hooper Scholarship.

SeleCteD ColleCtionS

-National Gallery of Australia.

-Museum of Contemporary art, Sydney.

-artbank, australia.

-elton John Collection, london.

-Dunedin public Art Gallery, New Zealand.

-Dubbo Regional Gallery, Australia.

BIBLIOGRApHY

angeloro, Dominique; Chicken Run, Sydney Morning Herald – Metro, April 8, 2005.

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angeloro, Dominique: Talechaser, Sydney Morning Herald – Metro, August 8, 2003.

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Backhouse, Megan; Hayden Fowler: Call of the Wild, the age, november 17, 2007, a2 pg. 10.

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Bosben, Jo; (ed) The Resurrection, CoFa art and Design, issue 20, Summer 2008

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Hill, Peter; The Sound of 28 Artist’s Clamouring to be Heard, Sydney Mor-

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Hill, Peter; Unsettled Boundaries, photofile, no. 79, summer 2007, pp. 36-39.

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John, elton; (ed.) Fashion and Frame: Elton’s Sydney Gallery, Time Out – Sydney, issue 8, December 12, 2007.

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Martin-Chew, louise; Alternative Realities, Anne and Gordon Samstag Internati-onal Visual arts, Scholarship catalogue, 2008.

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McDonald, John; New Romantic, Sydney Morning Herald Spectrum, March 23-24, 2013, pg. 12.

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Weekend, August 30, 2008, pg. 13.

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Berlin, 2014