Morgan stitched up in cat fur
A Kingston artist might be New Zealand’s first satirical embroider, putting the stitch into Gareth Morgan for his anti-cat rhetoric.
Amy Baker’s work, Gareth Morgan on Cats, was on display at the week-long Stitching New Zealand exhibition at the Otago Museum.
But she never expected the piece, depicting the polarising politician on felted cat fur, to be a target for attention.
‘‘[His comments about cats] were sensationalist, maybe this is a little payback. But I hope he gets a little laugh out of it actually.’’
To create the piece she handfelted cat fur and stitched Morgan’s portrait on top with regular thread.
She says there was no lack of material as her two Birman cats, Monty and Oscar, have fur to spare.
As for her inspiration, Baker says the idea just fell into her lap.
‘‘Gareth Morgan was on the TV or he came up in conversation. Something happened and I was like ‘Gareth Morgan, Gareth Morgan on cats’. It just fitted so well. At the risk of sounding a little bit arrogant, there was a bit of divine intervention.’’
Baker admits she has a ‘‘subversive streak’’ which often escapes through her creative outlet.
Another ‘‘outrageous moment’’ overseas inspired her first piece back in September, called Where’s the Pussy, Mr President?
Again using fur, and adding some of her own hair this time, she stitched a portrait of United States President Donald Trump for an entry into the Association of New Zealand Embroiderers’ Guilds colour challenge Outrageous Orange.
‘‘What’s outrageous and what’s orange? Suddenly Donald Trump popped into my head. What’s more outrageously orange?’’ she said.
‘‘I tried to recreate those emotions that he invokes in people, a visceral reaction in people, to make people recoil.’’
Baker says she has other pieces in the planning process, but she was reluctant to reveal what they are.