Fiona Pardington: The Pressure of Sunlight Falling

Discover 'The Pressure of Sunlight Falling' by Fiona Pardington, an evocative hardback book that explores the fascinating history of 18th and 19th-century European explorers in the Pacific. With dimensions of 245 x 330 mm and 160 pages of rich content, this beautifully crafted publication invites readers into a world where art, science, and history intertwine. The book showcases stunning photographs of life casts made during the significant third voyage of French explorer Dumont d'Urville, featuring portraits of Maori and Pacific peoples. It brings forth the narratives behind these casts, made by Pierre-Marie Dumoutier, an eminent phrenologist, during a time when photography was still in its infancy. Fiona Pardington's four-year project uncovers these historical casts, connecting contemporary viewers to long-forgotten narratives. With insightful essays from leading scholars in Pacific history, art, and photography, this work delves into themes of identity, colonial encounters, and the legacy of these artifacts. Whether you're a scholar, art enthusiast, or simply curious about the intriguing intersection of anthropology and photography, 'The Pressure of Sunlight Falling' is an essential addition to your library. Experience the power of these images that resonate with stories of the past and elicit profound empathy for their subjects. This collectible book is not just a visual feast but also a thought-provoking exploration of encounters that shaped our understanding of the Pacific and its peoples.

Author: Kriselle Baker Publisher: Otago University Press
Bind: hardback
Dimensions: 245 x 330 mm
Pages: 160
Publication Date: 31-12-2011

European explorers of the Pacific in the 18th and early 19th centuries faced a problem - how to describe the people they met and report what they had seen and found. From Cook onwards, a serious expedition included artists and scientists in its ship's company. An ambitious journey of the 19th century was the third voyage of the French explorer Dumont d'Urville, from 1837 to 1840. It was just before the invention of photography, when phrenology, the study of people's skulls, was the latest thing. D'Urville chose to take on the voyage an eminent phrenologist, Pierre-Marie Dumoutier, to preserve likenesses of people by making life casts. When the expedition returned to France, the casts were displayed, and later stored in the Musée de l'Homme in Paris, to be joined eventually by other casts from Dumoutier's collection, including those of the d'Urville and Dumoutier families. All were overtaken by photography and history. Fiona Pardington first learnt of the life casts in 2007, when a chance conversation initiated a four-year project. It took her from Auckland to the Musée de l'Homme, as she researched and photographed some of more than fifty casts of Maori, Pacific and European heads, including casts of her Ngai Tahu ancestors. This book publishes these photographs and coincides with the opening of a major travelling exhibition. The photographs are extraordinarily beautiful, evocative and spiritually powerful images. They recover likenesses and revive the life force of Dumoutier's subjects, eliciting our empathy and fascination with a world we can never really know. This is a rich and engaging book. With essays by leading scholars in Pacific history, art and photography, on subjects as diverse as phrenology and cast-making, the voyage, and the identity of the Maori casts, it will appeal to anyone interested in nineteenth-century encounters between voyagers and the peoples of the Pacific, or contemporary art and photography.