'Pisupo Lua Afe' (Corned Beef 2000): A Comment on Imported Goods
Chapter navigation:
- Introduction
- Teaching and Learning Sequence - Teacher Copy
- 'Black phoenix', 1984
- 'Traffic Cop Bay', 2003
- 'No nukes in the Pacific' poster, 1984
- 'Asiasi II', 2000
- 'Native portraits', 1994-97
- Student Task Sheet
- Student Peer Assessment
- Student Information Sheet
- Assessment Schedule
- 'Pisupo lua afe' (Corned beef 2000), 1994
- Lotus Blossom Diagram - Investigation Task 3
- 'Pisupo Lua Afe' (Corned Beef 2000): A Comment on Imported Goods
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Pisupo lua afe (Corned beef 2000) Source Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
What is the social issue that this art work is about? It is a comment on imported goods in the Pacific Islands. Tinned corned beef (pisupo) has replaced local foods in the Pacific Island diet and is often given as a gift on special occasions. The purpose of this art work is to provoke thought about whether global trade is good for Pacific Island cultures. How has the artist communicated their ideas about this issue? Michel Tuffery has made the art work out of Golden Country brand corned beef tins, which are the packaging for one of the main imported goods used in the Pacific Islands. These tins are now a key part of Pacific Island culture, having replaced local foods in the Pacific Island diet. Tuffery has made an "un-Polynesian-looking" bullock out of the tins to make us think about where the meat in them comes from.