Kia ora!
Welcome to “The Change Makers” – a weekly video series.
In this series our Change Makers share their stories, their thoughts, their ambitions and their actions to leave the earth a better place – to be a Good Ancestor to future generations.
Our planet is experiencing catastrophic environmental harm and it requires us to Think Long Term, beyond our lifetimes, to evaluate our choices and to take actions to ensure a sustainable and healthy future for all.
The stories of those leading the change – The Change Makers – those thinking and acting with long term vision, are inspirational.
Inspired, we can ask ourselves, “what can we do to be Better Ancestors?”
This week, Better Ancestors visits Andy Mardell in Piha on the West Coast of the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Nature is complex, chaotic and yet interconnected in ways that we are only beginning to imagine.
Andy Mardell takes fallen timber, often very old trees like swamp kauri, and he slowly and carefully works with the wood to reveal secrets. Andy’s art, the creation of exquisite wooden pieces, is motivated by the desire to connect us with nature, to reveal complexity and timelessness through the shapes, colours and textures of the timber. “I like to incorporate the irregularities of the timber and will often include remaining pieces of bark to add character and texture to each individual art work.”
The essence of Andy’s work is connecting viewers with nature, reminding us to appreciate and embrace, spiritually, the natural world around us.
Although we can never fully fathom the complexity of the natural world we must take the time to think, feel and act with greater detail and depth to see the fullest picture possible.
With an increased understanding we will slow down, taking more time to think, to evaluate our choices and then to act - to be Better Ancestors.
To see more of Andy’s work, purchase a piece, or request a commissioned piece, visit: https://www.andymardell.com/
Footage used in this video is provided courtesy of Andy Mardell with cinematography by Phil Stebbing.
Episode 14 premieres next week, Sunday 11th April.
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This series is made possible by the New Zealand Regeneration Investment Group.