In the Studio @creeksidestudioatx with Tina Weitz
Iao Valley, Maui
Maui’s beautiful rainforest trails and volcanic mountains of Iao Valley offer incredible vistas and scenery. They also hold a sacred spirituality in history and instill a place to respect what remains. What remains are the stories featured in my photogravure series, Telescoping Landscapes, a visual voice of the land.
One of the wettest areas of Maui, Iao Valley offers a rainforest and National Natural Landmark. Lava mountains offer breathtaking waterfalls and lush vegetation. This is the landscape which covers the phallic lava remnant known as Kanaloa, God of the Underworld, the Eye of the Needle.
The Iao land itself holds countless remains and history of an ancient warrior lookout. There are sacred and secret ali’i burial grounds that include Kings. The Iao Needle also holds the past of those who lost their lives in an historical bloody battle. So many fell their bodies blocked the Iao stream of water which ran red. This battle site is called “Kepaniwai”, “the damming of the waters”.
In Weitz’s photogravure “Iao Valley”, the serene example of an early Maui settlement home stands beneath in the Valley. Part of history, and part of the continuing encroachment of the rest of the world to Maui’s shores. The green Kozo chine collé represents the history, mystery and the past of Maui. The brown ink a la poupeé creeps toward the past but is lost in the black and white of today. The plant of the tarot root, significant in Hawaiian culture, watches below.
The next print in this series is from Maui’s Sugar Cane Fields. Watch for our writeup during Austin Studio Tour in the next week. For sales information contact us at hello@creeksidestudioatx.com.
