Rites of passage: public response to Don Driver’s Ritual (1982) and its institutional history: Tuhinga 24

Tuhinga 24: 49-64

ABSTRACT:  For 30 years Don Driver’s artwork Ritual (1982), from Te Papa’s collection, has intrigued, angered and confused audiences. This text analyses documentation of the public response to the work and its institutional history from 1982 to 2012, and considers the impact of this chequered history upon Ritual’s iconic status within New Zealand art.

KEYWORDS: Don Driver, Ritual, sculpture, contemporary art, New Zealand, National Art Gallery, Te Papa, controversy.