A study in Koru #2 Notepad

Sweet progression here – "A Study in Koru #2" (2003-2005), ballpoint pen on cartridge paper, direct accompaniment to #1. This companion piece takes the spiral exploration deeper: a pure, immersive vortex of blue-purple hatching, no overt inner motifs or figures, just relentless concentric rings swirling inward to a central core. The shading builds seamless gradients – outer bands broad and flowing, tightening into finer, denser coils at the centre, creating that optical pull of endless rotation. It's less about explicit merger and more about the sustained force: the koru as perpetual motion engine, waves of energy curving in harmony, evoking gravitational lensing or the lingering spin after cosmic collision. The blue palette deepens the cosmic night feel – subtle pressure variations in the ballpoint give texture, like faint starlight or electromagnetic ripples threading through the void. Paired with #1 (the merging double-spiral with electro-gravitic hints), #2 feels like the aftermath or the isolated essence: one captures the encounter's chaos and fusion, this one distills the resulting unified whirl – growth stabilized, cycles locked in eternal balance. Early 2000s MJ TEKA grinding through the motif on cartridge paper again: committed strokes, no shortcuts, building depth layer by obsessive layer. As a series origin story, these two lay the foundation for my later koru studies (like 102's grid restraint) – dissecting the spiral as both cultural taonga and universal principle. Eh cuz, if A Study in Koru #1 was the explosive merger – two spirals crashing, electro-gravitic forces twisting galaxies into one – then #2 is the deep breath after the impact: the unified vortex, spinning steady and infinite. Created 2003-2005 with Bic and Office Max blue-purple ballpoints on cartridge paper, this companion piece strips away the inner complexity to focus on pure motion. No nested galaxies or force lines here – just concentric bands of hatching swirling inward, broader outer curves tightening to a pinpoint core that feels like it could suck you through the page. The blue dominates: rich indigo gradients, darker edges fading to luminous inner rings, every stroke deliberate – pressure building density, cross-hatching creating moiré-like depth when you shift angle. It's deep: stare long enough and the spirals seem to rotate, pulse, draw you toward that central singularity. Conceptually, it's the koru's essence distilled – that unfurling fern frond symbolising new life, perpetual movement, strength, peace, and the cycle where change returns to origin. But MJ layers in the cosmic: this could be the post-merger galaxy, gravitational equilibrium achieved, or the electro-gravitic field lines stabilized into a self-sustaining whirl. Harmony born from collision, growth without end. As a Tuhoe artist in those early years, this feels like quiet meditation amid the grind – analog purity on everyday paper, yet evoking vast scales. The series connection elevates it: #1 the dynamic encounter, #2 the enduring flow. Collectors dig these foundational pieces – raw provenance from the 2000s resurgence, scanned direct from the original, every pen mark preserved in high-fidelity print. Hang them side-by-side (posters, canvas wraps) and the dialogue sings: from chaos to cosmos, tradition to speculation. Perfect for spaces craving depth – meditation corner, studio wall, or gallery grouping on indigenous futurism. Mauri ora to the endless spiral – motion that binds past, present, and what's coming. These early studies keep unfolding.