Photographer Tanu Gago Research

RESEARCH:
Tanu Gago was born in Samoa of Samoan decent and adopted by a Samoan relative and his Maori Irish wife and lived in Manukau City, South Auckland with 12 culturally diverse siblings. His art reflects on his unique perspective of life in South Auckland's multicultural diversity and engages with urban social issues including the fluid nature of ethnic and gender identities. He holds a Bachelors degree in Performing and Screen Arts with a major in writing and directing for screen. Tanu Gago is a photographer who also works in film. His culture is one of the driving forces behind his artistic expression. He sees photography as the ‘one shot’ opportunity to tell a story and to use a single frame to convey an entire universe of ideas to the viewer. His latest work "Tama'ita'i Pasifika Mao'i" commissioned and exhibited by the 2014 Auckland Festival of Photography at the Silo Gallery.      

Falency, Moe and Nana

CONTEXT: Tanu, a Pacific Gay Male have struggled over time to identify a clear distinction of Pacific masculinity he feels comfortable relating with and is a provocative and political visual artist.

Lauryn, Luisa, Sini and Hilda



CONTENT: He challenges how Pacific women are depicted as symbols of Pacific tourism or as living on the fringes of contemporary society and how they are represented with the desire to move away from cultural stereotypes, propagated by the media and in advertising images he is keen to expunge.

Vicky and Genevieve

FORM: Tanu utilizes the readily available key rooms in his family's houses and backyards and conveys his messages with minimal addition to the scenes. Family members are also employed to communicate his intentions.
EVALUATE:  Long DOF, Fast Tv, Introduced lighting, Large colour pallet, Open composition, Very textural, Images has fore-mid and background, direct and diffused light.

Auckland Festival of Photography
South Auckland based photographer Tanu Gago has been commissioned as the artist for the 2014 Auckland Festival of Photography Annual Fine Arts Commission by Sacred Hill. It is the first year that Sacred Hill Vineyards will present the Annual Fine Arts Commission for the Auckland Festival of Photography.www.photographyfestival.org.nz.
Sacred Hill founders, David and Mark Mason, with friend and winemaker Tony Bish, began with a simple philosophy of making more wine than they could drink, and sharing the rest. The winemaking generosity continues. www.sacredhill.com.ENDS © Scoop Media Auckland Festival of Photography interview with Tanu Gago

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