The Canoe Tainui, 1969

Record number
cm000912
Title
The Canoe Tainui
Date
1969
Medium
synthetic polymer paint
Support
8 hardboard panels
Dimensions
each panel: 603 x 603 mm
Inscriptions
1: THE FIRST HISTORY I (brushpoint, t.r.); THE CANOE / TAINUI (brushpoint, l.r.); McCahon March '69 (brushpoint, b.r.)
2: THE FIRST HISTORY II (brushpoint, t.r.); THE CANOE TAINUI. (brushpoint, b.l.); McCahon March '69. (brushpoint, b.c.)
3: THE FIRST HISTORY III (brushpoint, t.c.); THE CANOE TAINUI (brushpoint, b.l.-b.c.); McCahon March '69. (brushpoint, b.c.)
4: THE SECOND HISTORY (brushpoint, t.c.-t.r.); THE CANOE TAINUI (brushpoint, b.l.); McCahon March '69 (brushpoint, b.r.)
5: THE THIRD HISTORY (brushpoint, t.c.-t.r.); THE CANOE TAINUI (brushpoint, b.l.); McCahon March '69 (brushpoint, b.r.)
6: THE FOURTH HISTORY (brushpoint, t.c.-t.r.); THE CANOE TAINUI (brushpoint, b.c.-b.r.); McCahon March '69. (brushpoint, b.r.)
7: THE FIFTH HISTORY (brushpoint, t.r.); THE CANOE TAINUI (brushpoint, b.l.); McCahon March 69 (brushpoint, b.r.)
8: THE SIXTH HISTORY. (brushpoint, t.c.); THE CANOE TAINUI (brushpoint, b.l.); McCahon Feb 69 (brushpoint, b.r.)
Extended inscriptions
1: The chief of the canoe
was HOTUROA
whose eldest son was
PAENGA whose son was
REHUA whose son was
URA whose son was
TUTAMAHINE
whose daughter was
TE MIHINGA

2: TE MIHINGA had a son
who was WHAKARUA
whose son was
MOKOHOREA
whose daughter was
WAIRUPE whose son
was
TE HUHU who married
MAUMAU.

3: Their children were
WHAKARERE, PUITI,
and TE MOKI and others.
WHAKARERE had a son
WIKIRIPI who had a son
KEREAMA whose chidren
were MEI
and
MATIRE.

4: PUITI had a son
RETETI
whose son was
PIRINI
and others.
PIRINI
had the children
WHAREMATE
PARAIHE and others.

5: TE MOKI had a son
TARAPATIKI and others.
TARAPATIKI had three
daughters
MATEHUIRUA
MIRAKA and KAHU
MATEHUIRUA had a son
HAIMONA
and a daughter HIRA
and others.

6: KAHU had a daughter
TAUROA and others.
MIRAKA
had two
daughters
NGATI and PUTI
and a son PUHIRERE
and others

7: TE HUHU and NGAURU
had a Son TAMAHO
whose daughter was
NGAWINI McMATH
whose Son was WIREMU
McMATH whose children were
ARTHUR
AND
BELLA.

8: PERI TE HUHU
BROTHER OF TAMARO
had issue HEPARA,
TAMAHO and others.
HEPARRA had a daughter
AKINIHI and others.
Exhibition history

1969 An Exhibition of Paintings by Colin McCahon
Peter McLeavey Gallery
Wellington
22/7/1969 - 9/8/1969

1984 I will need words: Colin McCahon's Word and Number Paintings
Power Gallery of Contemporary Art, University of Sydney
Sydney
11/4/1984 - 17/6/1984

2011 Behind Closed Doors: New Zealand Art from Private Collections in Wellington
Adam Art Gallery
Wellington
4/6/2011 - 18/12/2011

2017 Colin McCahon: On Going Out with the Tide
City Gallery Wellington
Wellington
8/4/2017 - 30/7/2017

Notes
The text is from the preface to Matire Kereama's The Tail of the Fish: Maori Memories of the Far North (Oswald-Sealy, Auckland, 1968).