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The Passing of the Forest
Brief Description
'Although New Zealand was the last sizeable habitable landmass to be settled by humans... the impact on its native forest has been little short of dramatic.' Cultural and art historian Richard Wolfe profiles the devastation of native forests in a striking visual history through art, from...
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October 2026
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See more- highly illustrated artbook - profiles the devastation of New Zealand's original forest - beautiful colour reproductions draw on historical and recent art by Pakeha and Maori artists -
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Description
'Although New Zealand was the last sizeable habitable landmass to be settled by humans... the impact on its native forest has been little short of dramatic.'
Cultural and art historian Richard Wolfe profiles the devastation of native forests in a striking visual history through art, from the nineteenth century to today.
The Passing of the Forest explores how large areas of forests were burned by Māori, and then European settlers—lured to New Zealand by the promise of an inexhaustible supply of timber. It draws parallels with the colonisation of Australia, showing how deforestation has impacted on leading artists and thinkers, and explores ways forward to replace what has been lost.
Featuring more than 50 colour reproductions from New Zealand and Australian artists, this book is a timely exploration of environmental loss and the human impact on New Zealand's forests.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781991353054
Publisher: Oratia Media
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 08 October 2026
Country: New Zealand
Imprint: Oratia Books
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 210.0mm
Height: 280.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 220
About the Author
Richard Wolfe is a cultural historian and curator who has written or co-authored some 40 books on themes from the moa to New Zealand art, including Footprints on the Land, Hellhole of the Pacific, and New Zealand's Lost Heritage. He was a display artist at the Auckland and Canterbury museums, and co-curated the first major exhibition of Kiwiana (a term he helped invent). Richard lives with his artist wife Pamela in Auckland.
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