Story: Rural language

No. 8 wire sculpture

No. 8 wire sculpture

No. 8 wire, ordinarily used for fencing, has been adapted to many other practical purposes, and has become a symbol of the resourcefulness of New Zealanders. This sculpture by Patricia Took-Stevens, called ‘GE + No 8 + Sheep =?’, uses No. 8 wire in a playful reference to its original use. Sheep wool often gets caught on barbed-wire fences: the artwork suggests that genetically modified sheep would leave more than just wool.

Using this item

Private collection
Mixed media by Patricia Took-Stevens

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How to cite this page:

Dianne Bardsley, 'Rural language - The evolution of rural language', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/18585/no-8-wire-sculpture (accessed 19 March 2024)

Story by Dianne Bardsley, published 24 Nov 2008