I peitatia te mahi toi nei e Ralph Hōtere ki runga papamārō e noho mai ana ki te anga matapihi i kitea e ia i te tau 1981, i te wā e māharahara ana te hapori, otirā a Hōtere tonu, ki te whakaaro kua takoto mō te hanga whare waihanga konumohe ki Aramoana, pātata ki te wahapū o te Whanga o Ōtākou. He pango te matapihi, he tae e rite tonu ana te kitea i ngā mahi toi a Hōtere, ka mutu, i te pihanga o runga ki te taha mauī ka kitea te ata o te pū me te kupu. E tohu ana te rīpeka mā māmā mō te hononga ki te wairua. E whakaata ana te mahi i ētahi āhua o te mahi peita a Hōtere: ka kitea te rawe o ana hoahoa waitara, engari kei reira anō ōna māharahara pāpori. I tana whakamahi i te pango me te mā, e whakamihi ana a Hōtere i tana Māoritanga me ngā mahi peita anō a Colin McCahon.