Latest news with #Twiss
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- General
- NZ Herald
Greer Twiss the ‘Godfather' of contemporary New Zealand sculpture: Laura Vodanovich
In a way I grew up with Twiss, with his work Karangahape Rocks, 1967-69, strongly influencing my young sense of art in public spaces - it was a work that arrested my attention and I would stop and ponder it often. Sculptor Greer Twiss died earlier this month. Photo / Greg Bowker While I was working at Auckland Museum, a project initiated by Outdoor Sculpture 2001, and supported by the Edmiston Trust, installed sculptures throughout the Auckland Domain. Marquette's of these sculptures, including Twiss's work among other significant names in the artworld, were displayed at Auckland Museum in 2004. Some magnificent and striking sculptures were created as part of this initiative, but it was Twiss' work Grafting, that was my very favourite. Grafting is a series of 10 sculptures in the fernery, part of the Wintergardens in the Auckland Domain. These works include nine native birds and a pear tree, each complete with a label typical of those used on specimens you might find in a museum. The individual labels include the Latin, te reo Māori and English 'common' name for each bird, but for the tree just the word pear along with Twiss's signature. Woven through this work you can detect his interest in the colonial period through his use of three forms of classification identifying each native bird. For the pear tree, introduced to Aotearoa by missionary Samuel Marsden, Twiss dispenses with the three names and strips this specimen to just the one common name, pear. His exploration of the colonial period and the 'dialogue between the natural situation and the imposed brought into the situation' has seen him create a number of works on this theme. In 2020 his agent, Jane Sanders, reached out to us to say Twiss would like to offer a work to the Hawke's Bay Museums Trust Tai Ahuriri collection and we were delighted to accept his generous offer. The work, Hobson's Baggage, 1995, is another sculpture exploring the colonial theme. Toni MacKinnon, art curator at the time, wrote that 'Greer Twiss' sculpture brings objects together in unexpected ways… Queen Victoria is loaded into an old suitcase, there is a flag that has no way of fitting into the case, and a watering can! And what is the little lamp about?' Twiss of course made sense of this, pondering what Hobson might have bought in his luggage including, possibly, a bust of Queen Victoria. In his eyes the items all represent something including authority, cultivation and the law. It is a wonderful work to have in our collection and another way in which Twiss has positively influenced my personal relationship with artworks in Aotearoa.
Perth Now
25-06-2025
- Perth Now
Family's plea over missing Aussie hiker
The family of an Australian who disappeared on a hiking trip in Albania have issued a fresh plea for answers, revealing their latest update eight months after he vanished. Cameron Twiss, 28, last spoke to his family ahead of trek into the Albanian Alps in October last year. His family are now fundraising for a private investigator following extensive searches of the area. 'So far Albanian police have not found any evidence and DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) haven't been able to help,' Cameron's brother Stuart said in the fundraiser. Cameron Twiss went missing while hiking in Albania in October 2024. 7NEWS Credit: Channel 7 'Our family has now employed private investigators, but despite their efforts, we've had no breakthroughs. 'We're reaching out to ask for help - any financial contribution, no matter how small, would mean the world to us and will go directly toward continuing the search for Cameron.' Launched on Monday, the fundraiser had garnered more than $10,000 as of Wednesday night. Mr Twiss went missing in the Albanian Alps, which are also named the Accursed Mountains, which extend across Albania's northern border into Montenegro. Cameron Twiss was last seen in the Albanian Alps, trekking from Valbone to Theth. Google / Mapy Credit: Supplied Mr Twiss had planned to hike from an isolated village called Valbona, to another isolated village called Theth. Hiking websites generally consider the trip a moderately difficult trek while anecdotes on forums suggest hikers should take a guide on the journey during winter. The Adelaide Advertiser interviewed a hiking guide who took Mr Twiss and a group onto the trail, who revealed Mr Twiss split from the trek by himself part-way through the hike. The guide reported he was last seen heading for the busy path to Theth. The route from Valbone to Theth is a popular trek. Supplied Credit: Supplied The hike requires a day of travel by road to the remote starting point. Albanian authorities found Mr Twiss' passport in his hostel hundreds of kilometres away in the city of Shkoder. The hostel operator filed a missing persons report when Mr Twiss did not collect his belongings. 'Your support can make a real difference in helping us find answers,' Stuart said in the fundraiser. 'Please share this message and help us keep hope alive and find some answers in this hard time.'
7NEWS
25-06-2025
- 7NEWS
Adelaide family desperate to find son missing for more than eight months in Albania
An Australian family is desperately trying to find their son and brother who disappeared while hiking in Albania more than eight months ago. Several searches have failed to find Cameron Twiss, 28, and now his Adelaide family are trying to raise funds to continue a private search. Twiss failed to return from walking a hiking track in the Accursed Mountains on October 13, 2024. He had set off alone from Valbona, in the north of the Balkan nation, heading for Theth about 17km away. His belongings including his passport were later found in his hostel. Albanian police and professional mountain searchers exhausted thousands of man hours searching the trail, with drones and sniffer dogs also enlisted in the efforts to try to find Twiss. No further trace of Twiss was found and the search was called off after two weeks. Stuart Twiss has now relaunched a crowd-funding appeal for a private detective to continue seeking clues to his brother's whereabouts. He said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has not been able to provide any answers to his family. 'So far Albanian police have not found any evidence and DFAT haven't been able to help,' Stuart Twiss said. 'Our family has now employed private investigators but, despite their efforts, we've had no breakthroughs. 'We're reaching out to ask for help ... toward continuing the search for Cameron.' When Twiss first disappeared, locals told 7NEWS the 17km-long hiking trail should normally be undertaken with a professional guide. However, it is understood Twiss set out alone. At the time a friend told 7NEWS they feared he had fallen from a cliff or met with foul play.
