Featherweight

Featherweight by New Zealand sculptor Paul Dibble. Standing just under 3 and a half metres high this bronze sculpture was commissioned to mark the 40th anniversary of the University of Waikato and depicts a huia feather standing on the tip of its quill. The huia feather is a longstanding feature of Dibble’s work, this piece is one of three. The huia is a now extinct bird that was endemic to the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, their feathers were prized as a symbol of mana and prestige. 

Dibble is a contemporary sculptor working in bronze, his pieces reminiscent of the skill of great 20th century European bronze workers. However, unlike the often heavy content of his predecessors, Dibble prefers utilising humour and wit in his work. As an artist he has been compelled from a young age to present his work outside, away from the confines of a gallery space, often creating monumental large scale pieces that echo the traditional heroic forms of classical bronze sculptures. But rather than further elevating gods and heroes, Dibble draws from contemporary life in New Zealand and the pacific, transforming them from small objects to grandiose sculptures of significance simply through scale and material. 

Conceptually Dibble’s work has been influenced by the irony and absurdity of surrealist artists, Feather-weight is a great example of this influence. The title of this piece was originally hyphenated, thus differentiating it from the boxing weight class of featherweight which is all one word. (Though due to a classic quirk of human error and budget constraints the plaque was accidentally written sans hyphen, a title change later approved by the artist) However, in either context the term inspires the same understanding, an incredibly light object. In this instance it is literally the feathers' weight; something so light it can float, drifting on the air and settling gently on a surface. And while the piece is a feather that appears to be effortlessly twirling on the tip of its quill, it is quite clear that the weight of this object is anything but feather like.  

Featherweight is heavy in another way. As mentioned the feathers of huia were highly treasured, even before the bird became extinct. This depicts the tail feather of the huia, often worn by great Māori leaders in their hair, as earrings, or around the neck. Huia feathers would often be stored in intricately carved boxes known as wakahuia and would only be taken out and worn on very special occasions. Despite being incredibly delicate, huia feathers were powerful markers of rank and authority and exuded and amplified the mana of the wearer.  

Featherweight visually manifests the proverb “Ahakoa iti, he pounamu. Although it is small, it is of greenstone” in that Dibble amplifies small objects to a universally understood visual form of significance. Within New Zealand, and particularly Māori culture, the significance of the huia feather is generally known. However, the University of Waikato includes people from all around the world who may not be familiar with the small intricacies of culture in Aotearoa. In the proverb the pounamu is a valuable treasure, its size is inconsequential. Here, Dibble has simply aggrandized the form of the huia feather to match its significance, echoing the work and efforts of the students that come through the university as they move back out into the community as well as the work of the university itself. Ahakoa iti, he pounamu.