Anthony Byrt documents Shane Cotton's artistic journey through New Zealand history

Author Anthony Byrt and artist Shane Cotton explored the history and cultural identity of New Zealand's Far North in a new book titled Shane Cotton: Moerewa|Liquid Sleep.

The book follows Cotton's forty year career, tracing his evolution from magic realism in the 1990s to his current style of lush, evocative paintings. Byrt describes the work as a partnership that explores the collision of history, religion, and tribal identity in the Te Tai Tokerau region.

The narrative focuses on how Cotton incorporates visions from his Ngāpuhi dreamtime and the specific history of the North, including the 1845 Northern War and the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840. Byrt notes that Cotton's art provides a roadmap into the local deep state, blending personal family history with the collective memory of the land. The book examines specific influences on Cotton's work, such as the painted interior of a meeting house at Rongopai.

This site, created in 1887, features naturalistic images of horses and leaders in European dress, which Byrt says inspired Cotton to develop a unique visual language. The text also explores how Māori creativity and spirituality were accelerated by the introduction of Christianity in the 19th century.