Two with one shot considers the impact of colonisation on the extinction of the Huia bird in Aotearoa. Walter Buller, NZ lawyer and naturalist (1838-1906) referenced shooting a pair of these birds in a Rimutaka Range hunting party in1883: “….. as they were caressing each other with their beautiful bills, a charge of No.6 [shot] brought both to the ground
together…”
While Huia lost habitat spaces when forests were burned off, and introduced pests devastated populations further, a key factor in their ultimate extinction was the demand in Victorian Europe for both exotic museum exhibits (taxidermied birds) and jewellery made of parts of animals and birds.

An example of this, the Huia-beak Brooch made circa1900, can be seen at Te Papa Museum, Wellington. This sculpture references that piece of jewellery, and attempts to remember the Huia which was harvested mercilessly, during colonisation, for the European trade and fashions. The implication in this work is that we should never repeat these kinds of actions which caused a species to be lost forever.

Made of exterior-grade fibreglass, reinforced with 18mm marine ply, and professionally coated using automotive paints, the female Huia beak form glistens in the sun, hinting at the carefree existence of these birds that would have foraged in and out of the forest shadows and dappled sunlight. Their lack of fear of humans meant they could by caught very easily. 

The brass pin and chain mimic the gold detailing of the Te Papa original, where it was used to secure organic parts into a decorative assemblage. These brass elements have been treated with an industrial protective coating for outdoor situations.
Graphic decals embedded under gloss coats of automotive paint make reference to the
harvesting with muskets, Huia pelts, and prized Huia tail feathers.

Urban living can desensitise us to the patterns, subtleties, dynamics and nuances of nature. Scientific thinking has categorised, analysed, discovered and counted creatures, reinforcing the sense of them as ‘other’. Our perceptions tend to be skewed towards this analytic mode, losing the profundity of being aware of our place, in their world.

Greg’s work challenges perceptions that the ‘wild’ world is separate from us, and for our
material use. Political decisions to use ‘natural resources’ today in Aotearoa has privileged
industry over habitats. This is being done even though non-invasive and renewable options for power and water resources are available.