Near the beginning of The Aeneid (29-19 BC), Aeneas is wandering around snapping twigs off trees, trying to find a decent oracle. Blood oozes out of a tree and voice says: "this is NOT a good place to build your city—be gone!" These days we have the opposite issue. The city is everywhere—we're looking for somewhere other than the city. We pick up broken bits of it and listen for the oracular voice coming from the power box or the wheelie bin. It says: "Keep going. Head towards the abandoned shopping trolley. Take the abandoned shopping trolley through the stormwater drain. When you come out the other end, there’s a patch of grass waiting for you."
Motorway Flowers (2024)
Other works by Gabriel White
Gabriel White
Aucklantis (2008)
Speaking to a handheld camera, the artist weaves monologues into intricate, whimsical mappings of his surroundings.
Gabriel White
Triangleland (2012)
Speaking to a handheld camera as he wanders far (and not-so far) flung regions, the artist weaves monologues into intricate, whimsical mappings of his surroundings.
Gabriel White
Sign of the times (2021)
One of a series of clips shot in 2021 around Auckland on a cell phone which offer a subjective, playful map of the city in all its sprawling glory.
Related podcast
Wild Wild Life: Artist Talk
Wild Wild Life: Artist Talk
CIRCUIT Cast #117
Artists Layne Waerea, Leala Faleseuga, Gavin Hipkins, Jae Hoon Lee, Gabriel White and Tia Barrett discuss their video works for Wild Wild Life with curator Mark Williams.