''The work creates complex mass-space configurations which respond to the five axied site, and the mound the work stands on, while invoking the sky. Five pointed stars, pentagons and pentangles have symbolic meanings which include the Earth, Magic, the Devil, Hope, the Stars and Heavens. The work is entitled "ARFT" and depicts many faces (or facets) of humanity, past, present and future suspended on a platform by delicate strands of life blood from the supporting structure which simultaneously represent the Earth, Earth's fragile ecology, human technology and the cosmos' Artist's statement 1981

The overall work gives the impression of 'theatre' or 'carnival.' The large ferro-cement heads have a 'jester' quality to them. Humour is implicit in Graeme's work. Even the name ARFT has a humorous twist. It came from a story his brother told him of graffiti which read, "What do you get when you put the 'F' back in art?"

Around the time that Graeme produced ARFT for Forum North he was regularly exhibiting bronze and clay sculptures as well as working
locally as an architect. It was while completing his degree in architecture at Auckland University that Graeme visited Northland and met potter-teacher, Yvonne Rust who was then building a studio and home overlooking Parua Bay. Through his contact with this amazing woman Graeme became interested in potting and sculpture. For a time sculpture supplanted his interest in architecture "because it is a more immediate medium than house design and construction."

It is interesting, in the context of attitudes to public art generally that, although not referring to the ARFT project, Graeme is quoted in a Northern Advocate article, 1987: "It all comes down to that Kiwi attitude to the arts --ideas should be free."

Eventually Graeme turned his energies back to architecture, although now taking with him the insights and experiences that his excursion into sculpture had given. He is now a leading expert in earthen architecture.

Ferro-cement, as used in the large heads in the ARFT sculpture, also appears as a material in Graeme's architectural work during the 80's.
He developed a distinctive flowing roof concept where hessian is draped over beams (usually rugged timber pole beams) and then wire netting is placed and concrete is spread to form a 40mm thick roof. This idea came when he was sitting at a client's house site and had a vision of a 'floating roof.' An example of this system can be seen at the Northland Craft Trust Quarry.

Newspaper articles at the time of ARFT's erection ,1981, refer to it as a "huge sculpture that will certainly not go unnoticed." It is very large and really quite flamboyant yet it has worn well and blended in, now an integral part of our cityscape today.

Text by Desmond Ford

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