Field Note 2

Maori Petroglyphs

The ancient Maori Tribes of New Zealand employed the use of Petroglyphs in order to communicate. The carvings found in Maori rock art, depict various human figures, various fish, water vessels, Moa birds, now extinct, and other bird figures, mythological tribal figures, and recurring similar symbols and motifs.

There are hundreds of sights on both the North as well as South Islands which one encounters through travel there. Kakahu Bush is the main area on the South Island where the majority of these petroglyphs are found. A guide at one site claimed the bulk of all ancient Maori rock art is on private lands which the public never sees, or likely yet to be discovered.

The Maori petroglyphs are often small faded simplistic designs upon random rocks, or in some cases elaborate lengthy murals carved upon protected under overhanging limestone outcroppings.

This picture of what is called the Squatter Man, was found in the region of Kaku Bush, on a bit of north facing rock, it is a mysterious recurring symbol or effigy, not only in New Zealand, but also all around the world. Some say it has resemblance to other similar petroglyphs found elsewhere on the planet where the Squatter Man imagery is found on north facing rocks upon mountainous regions, which are protected by other rock barriers, and survived as a result from what may have been an ancient high energy radiation blast. This similarity of imagery and placement ties into the, "Electric Universe Theory",  a a hypothetical event which suggests that a plasma discharge occurrence near the South Pole, seen in the skies on a global scale by ancient peoples simultaneously, is the reason for the similar imagery found on worldwide petroglyphs.

There is no way to know for sure, but it is interesting to consider the possibilities. The early development of communication is a conundrum of worlds within worlds which we are still in our advanced technological age unable to truly decipher.

Field Note 1

When scanning the voluminous text of "Meggs History of Graphic Design", one is confronted with a travel through time which encompasses many familiar, and in my case nostalgic, images which I had never realized were connected to the art of graphic design.

Namely that of the artist Aubrey Beardsley, whose eccentric and eclectic illustrations always seemed just that, illustrative fine art. I had never equated his stunning renderings with the art of graphic design, but now see the correlation, and have had a certain awakening as to how pervasive graphic design is in covering such a broad spectrum of disciplines and genres.








I was also very impressed with another image from a similar time period, these beautiful and simplistic of line, monograms from the Vienna Secessionists, of the Art Nouveau period at the turn of the last century. The classic line and creative approach reminded me of the grace of the period, and also how graphic design can also seem like ancient primitive form and simultaneously still appear contemporary, and in the case of these designs, timeless.