Born 1964, New Zealand, Shane Cotton is undoubtedly one of New Zealand’s leading contemporary artists, drawing on a wealth of art historical references, from Colin McCahon to René Magritte. Strongly informed by and actively informing contemporary post-colonial discourse, Cotton mines his own mixed cultural heritage (both Maori and Pakeha) to create an artistic language that resonates with audiences around the world. Lookout #1, 2007 is a key work from Cotton’s acclaimed series of vertiginous skyscapes. Spectators are plunged into an otherworldly void inhabited solely by feathered emissaries, birds who remain curiously suspended in a liminal space where gravity holds no purchase. Infused with the gothic tension of a brooding storm, whose1. Paton, J., (et al.), Shane Cotton: The Hanging Sky, Christchurch Art Gallery, Christchurch, 2013, p. 42 2. Paton, J., ‘Shane Cotton. Stamina, Surprise and Suspense’, Bulletin Magazine, Christchurch Art Gallery, Christchurch, Issue 170, December 2012 3. Leonard, R., ‘The Treachery of Images’, in Paton, J., (et al.), op cit., p. 136...