Judy Millar, Untitled, 2020
Judy Millar
When my mother died, I found bundles of handwritten cards my three sisters and I had sent to her from childhood to adulthood. Small things bound together with ribbon and treasured. The thankyous, the I’m sorrys, the wishes – the things in life that demand a hand-formed thought.
I still love to send handwritten notes, when they get kept and popped on the bookshelf or windowsill, sometimes framed for keeps, it’s a plus.
For more information about Judy and her work visit www.judymillar.com
John Reynolds, Kauri (The Judgement of Paris) 2017 - 2025
John Reynolds
Notes on kauri (How to send a card)
First dig your hole.
A little deeper than you need.
Mix in your peat/compost planting mix and add water.
Maybe some slow-release fertiliser.
And here’s the moment, liberate your wee kauri sapling from its nursery bag, and tease the roots a little, before lowering it gently into its new terra firma.
Take your time over the final orientation of the little trunk and it’s skeletal branches, just like you chose carefully the siting of the hole it now spectacularly occupies.
Add further planting mix, tamper it down and anoint with more water.
Finally a little mulch halo to augment and protect your new winsome time bomb.
With this brazen yet humble ritual you are now a fully fledged citizen of Aotearoa, and you have just voted for the future.
Worth a celebratory message on a card, mailed that same day, to anyone, actually.
XJ
Jack Hadley, Pink Snake, 2021
Jack Hadley
What I like most about the act of sending a card is the making of the card. The cards I make are typically collages of whatever materials are on hand or scraps from the studio floor—coloured duct tape, aluminium offcuts, synthetic gemstones, bits of paper streaked with spray paint. These rough assemblages are definitely not archival or conservation grade.
The work of mine featured as a Good Card is an image of a crude snake form, cast in aluminium and dyed pink. I’ve been enjoying the idea of someone looking through the Good Cards box and deciding that this card feels fitting. What would the occasion be? A birthday? A thank-you note? A passive-aggressive apology?
My practice is broad. It jumps between sculptural installation, contemporary jewellery, furniture design, fashion and ad-hoc electronics. I often combine industrial materials and manufacturing processes with the traditions of craft, decoration, and ornament. You can see some of the work I have made at lareepaynegallery.com
Emma Fitts, Untitled, 2020
Emma Fitts
For me, writing a letter or card is an act of generosity, offering thought and companionship to another. Like architecture that by definition provides a social sphere for people to move through, a letter offers a platform for a social act, but it’s on a more intimate and private scale.
My practice investigates the intersection between painting, textiles and sculpture, with research that delves into a myriad of interests such as feminist histories, landscape, fashion and architecture. The exchange of letters between artists and thinkers of the past is where I find some of my most fruitful research.
My work is available for viewing here: https://melanierogergallery.com/stockroom/emma-fitts/
Cora-Allan Lafaiki Twiss, Raumati Hiapo, 2021
Cora-Allan Lafaiki Twiss
Attending special Niue community events has often meant I am searching for a card to match the occasion. Koha inside a beautiful card and envelope has always made
me feel more sorted. Having a professional and beautiful card isn't easy to find. The gifting of a card is a part of my art practice and I am looking forward to using these beautiful taoga when I travel sharing Aotearoa art with the world.
My work draws inspiration from my Māori and Niuean heritage. In recent years my art practice has focused on developing the art form of Hiapo where I’ve
dedicated time into re-introducing hiapo to the community as a functioning and living treasure as it once was. My work is held in art collections such as Te
Papa Tongarewa, Te Paenga Hira Waka Auckand War Memorial Museum, New Bedford Whaling Museum, The Chartwell Trust and most recently Te Puna Waiwhetu Christchurch Art Gallery.