‘Max and Bella and friends’ is a ‘in process/progress’ new art installation by Donna Turtle Sarten & Bernie Harfleet. This work looks at mental health with particular focus on depression and anxiety disorders in New Zealand.

In the 2012/13 New Zealand Health Survey, one in six New Zealand adults (16%, or an estimated 582,000 adults) had been diagnosed with a common mental disorder at some time in their lives (including depression, bipolar disorder and/or anxiety disorder).

Six percent of New Zealand adults, or more than 200,000 adults, experienced psychological distress in the last four weeks. People experiencing psychological distress are highly likely to have an anxiety or depressive disorder.

Health and support agencies agree that talking about mental health and asking for, or offering help are positive ways forward. ‘Bella and Max and friends’ gives a visual experience to the viewer of a part of the community that is not talked about enough.

This work will be made up of 10,000 pinwheels, five percent of New Zealand adults that have experienced psychological distress in the last month.
The pinwheel/windmill has been used as it has a figurative quality. It has times of stillness and of kinetic movement serving as an analogy for the mind.

Donna and Bernie are planning to include the community in the making of the installation and are currently seeking funding to complete their vision.

Facebook page: Max and Bella and friends

National helplines

Lifeline – 0800 543 354 or (09) 5222 999 within Auckland

Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)

Healthline – 0800 611 116

Samaritans – 0800 726 666

Chinese Lifeline – 0800 888 880 (for people who speak Mandarin or Cantonese)

Depression-specific helplines

Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 (to talk to a trained counsellor about how you are feeling or to ask any questions)

www.depression.org.nz – includes The Journal online help service

SPARX.org.nz – online e-therapy tool provided by the University of Auckland that helps young people learn skills to deal with feeling down, depressed or stressed

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Feed the Kids Too (Capital) is a response to the 83,000 New Zealand children who go to school hungry each day. The work is an extension of Feed the Kids Too a sculptural installation of 6,000 lunch boxes that was part of NZ Sculpture OnShore 2014.

When this work came down the artists gave the 6,000 lunch boxes, along with lunch, to 6,000 low decile school students. Feed the Kids Too (Capital) utilises 1,500 lunch boxes which at the end of LUX will be, with the support of City Mission, gifted to 1,500 Wellington children.

Link: Wellington Lux 2015

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Splore Festival, 2012

Harbourview Sculpture Trail.

1344 RED kiwis represent the next generation of NZ children who are at risk of dying by the hands of their parents / caregivers between 2012 and 2112.

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Christchurch Stands Tall exhibition

A collaboration with Bernie Harfleet.

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Collaboration with Bernie Harfleet

Link: Facebook

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Raw War Exhibition

While in war torn parts of the world children are among the victims.

In New Zealand and other ‘civilised’ countries we continue to provide war toys, and some of our young dream of growing up to be soldiers.

Bang! Bang!

Mixed Media, wooden box, plastic army men.

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On average, 2,174 people die every day as a direct result of war. Nine out of ten of these are civilians. Half of these are children. 

 “Unknown Civilians Killed in War” commemorates those whose lives were lost, unrecorded, the collateral damage of military action.

Civilians die in action as surely and as finally as any soldier. They also die from the consequences of war: shattered infrastructures, poisoned water and land, abandoned ordinance. Civilians deserve to be remembered. By honoring slain civilians alongside our war dead, we understand and acknowledge the full gravity of war and the full extent of its cost.

651 Poppies

Mixed Media 303 bullet shells, material, paper.

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Raw War Exhibition

The Oil-for-Food Programme, established by the United Nations in 1995 (under UN Security Council Resolution 986)[1] and terminated in late 2003, was intended to allow Iraq to sell oil on the world market in exchange for food, medicine, and other humanitarian needs for ordinary Iraqi citizens without allowing Iraq to rebuild its military.

Under UN resolution 986 (1995) all Iraqi residents were entitled to receive the monthly ‘Oil-for-Food’ basket it was estimated that 60 per cent of the population were totally dependent on it. It did not include fruit, vegetables, or meat. The ration included 200 grams of tea, 250 grams of chick peas, 125 grams of beans, 125 grams of lentils, 1 kilogram of cooking oil, 2 kilograms of sugar, 3 kilograms of rice, 8 kilograms of flour, 125 grams of powdered milk (for adults), 100 grams of iodized salt, For families with infants and young children it also includes infant formula and weaning cereal

As the programme ended, there were revelations of corruption involving the funds.

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2004 Trust Waikato National Contemporary Art Awards

Joint Winner

In Memoriam Private Frank Hughes

In Memoriam Private J.J. Sweeney

In Memoriam Private John Braithwaite

In Memoriam Private John King

In Memoriam Private Victor Spencer

Five men executed, as cowards by NZ in World War One.

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‘Feed the kids’ is a Sculptural installation that consists of 83,000 white plastic spoons. Each spoon represents a child in New Zealand that goes to school with no food each day.

Link: Facebook

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