Transition on Waiheke: changing ways we view and inhabit the landscape

This thesis project explores, through art practice that is informed by sociological and theoretical considerations, a transition taking place on Waiheke Island, in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The project focuses on, and investigates change. The research examines the heightened public profile, which has impacted upon the development of the Island. The study explores states of human occupancy, in particular how we view and inhabit the land.As a photographer, it is my intent to consider how modern properties experience place, via the constructed aperture of the window.This is a creative production1 project, that utilises the medium of photography, to explore the notion of change through a representation of images. The exhibition of outcomes is divided into three distinct sections. I am employing analogue and digital technologies to contrast old and new Waiheke. The link between past and present, indicated by the movement of people to and from the Island, is delineated through a journey through the space of the installation. This passage, provides a metaphor for the transition