Stuart Robertson (photographer)

Stuart Robertson (born 10 November 1969), is a New Zealand entrepreneur, designer, and photographer. He is known for taking portraits of the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. He has also founded creative focused companies in New Zealand and California.[1]

Stuart Robertson
Born (1969-11-10) November 10, 1969 (age 55)
Auckland, New Zealand
NationalityNew Zealand
EducationAuckland University of Technology
Occupation(s)Photographer, entrepreneur
Known forPortraits and artwork
Notable workPeace in 10,000 Hands
Website

Early years

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Robertson started his career as an entertainer on TVNZ and stage as a pickpocket, magician, comedian, presenter and emcee. Television shows were prank based shows including the Great Kiwi Video Show and Just Kidding, where he performed all of the pranks.

Peace in 10,000 Hands

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Robertson defined the project as:

"An evocative and unstoppable global art project creating a visual provocation to challenge and reinvigorate the conversation for peace. Contemporary artworks that speak profoundly to our similarities in the human condition"

Peace in 10,000 Hands has received global media attention and coverage.[2][3][4][5]


Artist

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Robertson is a contemporary artist, adventurer and humanitarian who often works with photography, sculpture, film, symbolism, and social media with cast glass, gold leafs, neon, and lightboxes. His goal is to capture profound images of an ancient and timeless symbol for "Peace", a single white rose.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

Films

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Robertson was commissioned by the Auckland War Memorial Museum to create a film for International Day of Peace.[14] The film was[15][16] projected onto the front of the Museum.

Robertson produced "The Exquisite Clarity of Standing Together", a collaboration with Tiki Taane for his exhibition at Pataka Art + Museum.[17] The collaboration utilized Robertson's images with a specially written original piece of music.

Antarctic Campaigns

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Invited by Antarctica New Zealand[18] as part of the Community Engagement Programme for the 2014 / 2015 and the 2017 / 18 seasons, Robertson stayed at Scott Base on both trips and visited McMurdo Station as part of his Peace in 10,000 Hands Project[19][20][21] to raise the importance of Antarctica in his "global context of Peace".[22] as mentioned in the articles 1, 2 and 3 of the Antarctic Treaty[23]

The Antarctic Treaty was signed in the late 1950's, initially by 12 nations and now includes 50 nations representing about two thirds of the world’s population. The Treaty was signed for "Peace and Scientific Endeavor". Most notably Peace being first and this is what drove Robertson’s invitation as an artist.

Robertson visited and photographed the Hillary's Hut as well as Robert Falcon Scott historic hut at Scott's Hut and Captain Shackleton's hut at Cape Royds, and Discovery Hut on Ross Island.

As part of his trip, Robertson camped in the McMurdo Dry Valleys to document the driest and harshest conditions on Earth considered by many as the quietest place in the world.[24]

It is the first and only time Robertson has photographed the rose not being in the hands of a person. The huts are in pristine condition and maintained by Antarctica Heritage Trust. Antarctica was a significant milestone in the project and Robertson's career, resulting in planned exhibitions, a film, and a book.[25][26]


Other travels

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As part of "Peace in 10,000 Hands", Robertson has traveled to seven continents and takes the rose on road with him as he travels and photographs it in the hands of people in many countries around the world.[27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41]

Authorship

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In 2015, Robertson published a coffee table book featuring collection of images and stories from the first five years of the project.[42]

Galleries

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Robertson has two permanent galleries in Queenstown, New Zealand for Peace in 10,000 Hands.[43] and Auckland – Gallery 33

References

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  1. ^ "PEACE IN 10,000 HANDS - Photographic artist Stu Robertson". Her & Her Dogs. 2016-02-23. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  2. ^ "Verve March 2016. Issue 120". Issuu. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  3. ^ "Peace in 10,000 Hands - Stuart Robertson - Capture magazine". www.capturemag.com.au. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  4. ^ "How One Idea Can Change The World". Collective Hub. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  5. ^ "Local Photographer Changing the World". Scene.
  6. ^ "Peace in 10,000 hands". pataka.org.nz. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  7. ^ "PEACE IN 10,000 HANDS - Photographic artist Stu Robertson". Her & Her Dogs. 2016-02-23. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  8. ^ "Dominion Post". Dominion Post. 2022-11-17. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  9. ^ "Verve". Issu. 2022-11-17. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  10. ^ "F11 Mag" (PDF). F11. 2022-11-17. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  11. ^ "Leica Mag". Leica. 2022-11-17. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  12. ^ "Leica Akademie". Leica. 2022-11-17. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  13. ^ "Leica Interview". Facebook. 2022-11-17. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  14. ^ [1] Auckland War Museum Program
  15. ^ "What's on - 1. Find world peace". New Zealand Herald. NZ Herald. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  16. ^ "Illuminate". Concrete Playground. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  17. ^ "Peace in 10,000 Hands - The Pataka ART Museum Collection - Stu Robertson". Issuu. p. 44. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  18. ^ "Stuart (Stu) Robertson". Antarctica NZ. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  19. ^ "Kiwi's Peace in 10,000 Hands art project captures Antarctica". Newshub. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  20. ^ "Global art project working towards peace". Radio Live.
  21. ^ "Untold stories of Kiwi's using the art of photography". Magic. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
  22. ^ "My search results from Antarctica NZ". Antarctica NZ. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  23. ^ "The Antarctic Treaty | NSF - National Science Foundation". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  24. ^ "Quietest Places in the World". American Scientist. 2017-02-06. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  25. ^ "Antarctic NZ". Antarctic. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
  26. ^ "Antarctic Gov". Antarctic Gov. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  27. ^ "Ted". Stuff. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  28. ^ "NZ Herald". NZ Herald. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  29. ^ "NZ Herald World Photo". NZ World. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  30. ^ "Australia Photo". Australia Photo. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  31. ^ "Big Idea". Big Idea. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  32. ^ "Kotaku 100 Portraits". Kotaku 100 Portraits. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  33. ^ "Street Art News". Street Art News. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  34. ^ "Hatch – Art for Good". Hatch – Art for Good. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  35. ^ "Avenues". Avenues. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  36. ^ "NZ Herald". Impolitikal. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  37. ^ "NZ Herald". Impolitikal. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  38. ^ "Collective Hub". Collective Hub. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  39. ^ "Gizmodo". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  40. ^ "Happylibnet". Happylibnet. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  41. ^ "Concrete PlayGround". Concrete PlayGround. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  42. ^ Robertson, Stuart (2014). Peace in 10,000 Hands. ISBN 9780473309046.
  43. ^ "Queenstown man's flower power". Mountain Scene. 2013-09-20. Retrieved 2021-10-06.
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Peace In 10,000 Hands website Personal website