Faye and Joe GOCK

Faye and Joe (Moo Lock, 武樂) GOCK came to New Zealand as refugee children at the start of Second World War. Throughout their career as market gardeners, they had introduced innovative ideas that pioneered some practices of the industry and they were acknowledged in 2013 and received the horticulture industry’s highest honour, the Bledisloe Cup. Consequently, Joe was awarded the QSM (Queen's Service Medal) in 2015.

In 1968, when Faye and Joe moved to their current home in Auckland, Fay’s parents gave them a mirror ornament with an imprint of a Chinese motto of ‘be happy and be satisfied with the daily living’ [兮樂且安]. Since then, the mirror has been hanging high on the wall in their lounge for half a century. For me, the mirror is a portrait of their parents and therefore I proposed to Faye and Joe to take it down for a ‘family’ photograph with their parents. In this photograph, I perceive a contemplating couple who tender for each other and are immersed in a state of ‘spiritual wandering’ [神游] with their parents, thanking them for their blessing that they find peace and are living a very ‘satisfied and humble’ life in the mundane and chaotic world.

Joe’s father GOCK Loy Fat[1] [郭來發] is a market gardener with an entrepreneurial mind. He scratched a Chinese auspicious blessing of ‘Kung hei fat choy’ [恭喜發財], which literally blesses someone to earn a fortune, on separate pumpkins to increase the sale during Chinese New Year. Customers would have to purchase the whole line of four pumpkins to make up the blessing. I am very much amazed by the marketing strategy and requested Joe to plant me some pumpkins in which I etched Joe’s belief in Chinese ‘Whatever you dream can become your reality’ [心想事成, Sum seng see sing], which has constantly motivated his innovative thoughts, alongside with his father’s sale pitch ‘Kung hei fat choy’ for a photograph to echo the ‘family’ portrait that I took of them.

[1] Refer to Lee, Lily and Ruth Lam. 2012. Sons of the Soil. New Zealand: Dominion Federation of New Zealand Chinese Commercial Grower Inc., 411-18.

King Tong HO

2016

郭武乐和 Faye GOCK

在第二次世界大战开始时, Faye和郭武乐以难民家属的身分, 来到纽西兰。他们以种植为业，并在农业生产上引进创新概念，因而在二零一三年获授农业最高荣誉Bedisloe Cup, 及在二零一五年获授女皇服务奖章。

一九六八年, Faye 和郭武乐搬到奥克兰现在的住处时, Faye的父母送给他们一面镜子, 上面饰有中文座右铭“兮乐且安”, 即知足常乐。自那时起, 这面镜子高挂在他们客厅的墙上已达半个世纪。在我来看, 这面镜子就是他们父母的肖像。所以, 我提议Faye 和郭武乐将镜子拿下来, 与他们一起拍一张‘全家福'。在照片中, 我感觉到这对恩爱夫妻沉湎于与父母的精神交流 [神游]中, 感谢父母对他们的祝福, 使他们在平凡纷扰的现实世界中找到了一份宁静平和, 过着满足而低调的生活。

郭武乐的父亲郭来发[1]是一个有生意头脑的园艺师。春节期间他出售一种特殊的南瓜, 以增加销量。他在每个南瓜上刻上祝福语“恭喜发财”四个字中的一个字。这祝福语的意思是祝福获得好运。因此顾客必须买下四个南瓜, 才能凑成一句祝福语。这种行销手法我感到很有趣。我要求郭武乐种植一些南瓜, 而我在这些南瓜上刻上他父亲营销南瓜的祝福语 “恭喜发财”和不断启发郭武乐创意思维的信条“心想事成”来拍照, 以回应我为他们拍的“家庭照”。

[1] 參照 Lily and Ruth Lam. 2012. 黃土子嗣. New Zealand: Dominion Federation of New Zealand Chinese Commercial Grower Inc., 411-18. 

何经棠

2016

郭武樂和 Faye GOCK

在第二次世界大戰開始時, Faye和郭武樂以難民家屬的身分, 來到紐西蘭。他們以種植為業，並在農業生產上引進創新概念，因而在二零一三年獲授農業最高榮譽Bedisloe Cup，及在二零一五年獲授女皇服務獎章。

一九六八年, Faye 和郭武樂搬到奧克蘭現在的住處時, Faye的父母送給他們一面鏡子，上面飾有中文座右銘“兮樂且安”, 即知足常樂。自那時起, 這面鏡子高掛在他們客廳的墻上已達半個世紀。在我來看, 這面鏡子就是他們父母的肖像。所以, 我提議Faye 和郭武樂 將鏡子拿下來, 與他們一起拍一張'全家福'。在照片中, 我感覺到這對恩愛夫妻沈湎於與父母的精神交流 [神游]中, 感謝父母對他們的祝福, 使他們在平凡紛擾的現實世界中找到了一份寧靜平和，過著滿足而低調的生活。

郭武樂的父親郭來發[1]是一個有生意頭腦的園藝師。春節期間他出售一種特殊的南瓜，以增加銷量。他在每個南瓜上刻上祝福語“恭喜發財”四個字中的一個字。這祝福語的意思是祝福獲得好運。因此顧客必須買下四個南瓜, 才能湊成一句祝福語。這種行銷手法我感到很有趣。我要求郭武樂種植一些南瓜, 而我在這些南瓜上刻上他父親營銷南瓜的祝福語“恭喜發財”和不斷啟發郭武樂創意思維的信條“心想事成”來拍照, 以回應我為他們拍的「家庭照」。

[1] 參照 Lily and Ruth Lam. 2012. 黃土子嗣. New Zealand: Dominion Federation of New Zealand Chinese Commercial Grower Inc., 411-18.

何經棠

2016