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Pisupo lua afe (Corned beef 2000); Tuffery Michel; 1994; FE010516

Pisupo lua afe (Corned beef 2000), Tuffery Michel, 1994, FE010516
FromMuseum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Name/Title
Pisupo lua afe (Corned beef 2000)
About this object
Pisupo lua afe (Corned Beef 2000) is a sculpture of a small cattle beast. It is made from flattened corned beef tins that have been joined together with dozens of rivets. It was first exhibited in the landmark exhibition Bottled Ocean curated by Jim Vivieaere at the City Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand, in 1994.

New food, new word

In the 1960s, former Chief Justice of Samoa C C Marsack wrote that 'when Samoans were first introduced to the wonder of tinned food, this was in the form of pea soup. As no Samoan word can end in a consonant, they tacked an "o" on the end and made the Samoan form of the English term pisupo, pronounced pea-soup-o. As time wore on and other edible matter arrived in tins, the generic term pisupo was used for all of it. Now it is more or less confined to tinned meat.'

Significance

For decades, pisupo has been a prestige food item eaten and gifted at feasts, weddings, funerals, and other special occasions in Samoan society. In this artwork, New Zealand artist Michel Tuffery comments on how an imported product has replaced local Pacific Island foods used in feasts and gift giving. Like many artists of Pacific descent living in New Zealand, the wider Pacific and its history are recurring themes in his work. Through Pisupo lua afe, Tuffery asks questions about the effects colonial economies have had on Pacific peoples and whether foreign intervention actually encourages independence or fosters dependency.

See more at Te Papa's Collections Online: http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/ObjectDetails.aspx?oid=235630
Maker
Tuffery Michel
Maker Role
sculptor
Date Made
1994
Place Made
New Zealand
Medium and Materials
Flattened tin cans, riveted together
Measurements
1150 x 2170 x 650 mm
Credit Line
Purchased 1995 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds
Object Type
sculpture
Object number
FE010516

Tags

colonisation
Corned beef
cows
tin cans


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Results from DigitalNZ

In the Pacific Islands there are many traditional gifts of exchange such as fine mats and tapa cloth. However, at weddings, funerals, feasts, or other special occasions, tins of pisupo (corned beef) might be eaten and also given as gifts. Although cattle are raised on many Pacific Islands, pisupo is also imported. Not only does pisupo play an important role in the Pacific Island diet, but in the culture as well. Pisupo lua afe (Corned Beef 2000) is a life-size bullock made from flattened cans of corned beef by artist Michel Tuffery. The work combines the art of recycling with a light-hearted and ironic comment on the value of colonial economics. Tinned pisupo is an example of the replacement of traditional items by imported ones. This ‘un-Polynesian looking' bullock raises the issue of whether foreign intervention encourages independence or actually fosters dependency. Says Tuffery, ‘My corned beef bullock talks about the impact of global trade and colonial economies on Pacific Island cultures. Specifically it comments on how an imported commodity has become an integral part of the Polynesian customs of feasting and gift giving.' (1) Pisupo lua afe (Corned Beef 2000) featured in Bottled Ocean - an exhibition of works by artists of Pacific Island descent. Initiated by Wellington City Art Gallery in conjunction with Creative New Zealand, Bottled Ocean was curated by Jim Vivieaere. The exhibition gave artists the opportunity to create artworks which expressed their views of contemporary Pacific Island culture. After completing Pisupo lua afe Tuffery wanted to push the ideas that brought it about even further. He developed a multi-media performance piece Povi Tau Vaga (The Challenge) involving over 80 performers and two motorised cattle in combat. The performance piece symbolised the tension and friction caused during evolution when familiar customs find new expression. References (1) all quotes from interview with Michel Tuffery from Speaking in Colour , edited by...
Pisupo lua afe (Corned beef 2000) by Michel Tuffery
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Pisupo lua afe (Corned Beef 2000) is a sculpture of a small cattle beast. It is made from flattened corned beef tins that have been joined together with dozens of rivets. It was first exhibited in the landmark exhibition Bottled Ocean curated by Jim Vivieaere at the City Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand, in 1994. New food, new word In the 1960s, former Chief Justice of Samoa C C Marsack wrote that 'when Samoans were first introduced to the wonder of tinned food, this was in the form of pea soup. As no Samoan word can end in a consonant, they tacked an
Pisupo lua afe (Corned beef 2000)
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Artist Michel Tuffery puts a Pacific spin on sculpture with a cow made from corned beef tins. Riria Hotere finds a new way to savour a favourite food of the Pacific.
Tales from Te Papa Episode 15: Pisupo Lua afe (Corned Beef 2000)
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Tuffery is a Polynesian artist born in New Zealand to a Samoan mother and a palagi (European) father. He also has a Cook Island and Tahitian heritage. Tuffery works in a number of media including printmaking, posters, woodcuts, lithography, sculpture, set design and performance pieces. Explaining his choice to work in many media, he comments 'I'm fascinated by everything I see around me. I like to have a go, interpret how I see things, because if you don't try you'll never know.' (1) Tuffery combines both his Pacific Island and palagi heritage in his art. Awarded a MASPAC Queen Elizabeth II study grant in 1987, he travelled through the Pacific Islands numerous times running art workshops for local children and has visited Melanesia. Visiting the Pacific Islands has helped Tuffery understand and value his Pacific heritage. ‘I used to hate the whole (Samoan) cultural thing', says Tuffery. ‘I was really anti-fa‘a Samoa. What turned me around was going to Samoa. I wasn't ashamed to be Samoan after that because now there were things to be proud of. But being born in New Zealand, that separation really makes it hard for us here to understand.' (1) Tuffery gained a Diploma of Fine Arts (Hons) from Otago Polytechnic in 1988 then undertook further study in Hawai‘i with the aid of a David Con Hutton Award Scholarship. In 1990 Tuffery took part in Te Moemoea no Iotefa - a group exhibition of South Pacific Art which toured the North Island. In 1993 Tuffery was invited to participate in the Tokyo International Print Show where he won second prize. In the same year he took part in the Asia Pacific Triennial, at Queensland Art Gallery, which purchased one of his sculptures. In 1994 Tuffery designed the logo for the International Festival of the Arts where it appeared on billboards, banners, posters, brochures and a bus. He gave a solo exhibition at the Claybrook Gallery in Auckland in the same year. In 1995 Tuffery took part in Bottled Ocean - an exhibition of works by New...
Biography of Michel Tuffery
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
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