Party in Piha

Arne Loot

Te Uru Waitākere Contemporary Gallery
420 Titirangi Road, Titirangi, Auckland

29 May - 12 September 2021

Part of the Auckland Festival of Photography

This winter Te Uru presents Party in Piha by 97-year old Titirangi photographer Arne Loot. The exhibition documents the legendary full-moon beach parties that took place in the remote coastal settlement of Piha in the 1960s. It has been created from a series of original proof sheets that Loot used to make for young party-host, Brian Rainger.

Party in Piha celebrates a unique selection of photographs that connects us to the rich social history of west Auckland and is a rare glimpse into a vast archive from Loot’s long career, much of which has never been seen and cannot be found online.” — Andrew Clifford, Director

Party in Piha has been developed by Sir Bob Harvey and Heath Wilkes from Phreon print studio, and is presented as part of the 2021 Auckland Festival of Photography.

Talk on the exhibition with Sir Bob Harvey, Brian Rainger and Arne Loot
Saturday 17 July, 11am
Join Sir Bob Harvey (81), Brian Rainger (90) and Arne Loot (97) as they reflect on west Auckland’s rich history through the exhibition. Looking at the history of Piha, the social culture of the time, the fashion industry and photography, these three gentlemen hold over 260 years of stories and experiences that will be sure to entertain and enthuse visitors to the exhibition.

Talk on Aloha shirts with Claire Regnault from Te Papa
Saturday 7 August, 1pm
Te Uru welcomes Claire Regnault, Senior Curator New Zealand Culture and History at Te Papa, who will be joining us on Saturday 7 August at 1pm to share her research on aloha shirts. In 2017, Regnault travelled to Hawai‘i and collected 83 aloha shirts with a focus on indigenous Hawaiian designers. She worked with Noelle Kahanu, a cultural specialist from University of Hawai‘I and Sonya Withers, who was completing a Tautai Oceania Internship at Te Papa. Together, they assembled a group of aloha shirts for Te Papa’s growing collection of Pacific-infused fashion. In this talk at Te Uru, Regnault will reflect on the connection these designers have with their natural environment and how this inspires their designs.