A public artwork installed to celebrate women’s suffrage is doing what good art should – provoking a response.
Crafted by Auckland artist Erin Forsyth, Kid Justice has been installed in Howick’s Crawford Reserve on a temporary basis.
Howick Local Board deputy chair Katrina Bungard says the work is drawing plenty of comment, not all of it positive.
"That’s okay, because no piece is ever to everyone’s taste. While the board didn’t pay for the work or select it, we certainly support public art and want our area to be part of that.
"Public art should add to the vibrancy of a place and stimulate conversation, exactly as Kid Justice is doing."
Forsyth’s work came about after a call for proposals from emerging artists to respond to the underlying themes of Suffrage 125.
The visual artist and illustrator’s most recent series, Tauhou, is focused on native flora and fauna and was shown at Pah Homestead last month.
While researching women’s suffrage, the artist uncovered many black and white cartoons from the time, two images standing out, the first a woman striving to push a boulder up a hill into Parliament, and the other the blindfolded figure of Justice.
Unity became a central theme for the work after discussions with Emilia Maud Nixon Garden of Memories kaitiaki and long-time Howick resident Taini Drummond.
"We talked about how future generations might confront social issues. Kid Justice developed about upholding equality for all people, looking toward an unseeable future," Forsyth says.
The work is only expected to be in place for five years, with future work responding to new themes. The installation is funded from Auckland Councils public arts budget.
