A new exhibition celebrating birds in art through a diverse line-up of Australian artists opens at Maitland Regional Art Gallery this weekend.
It's called Twitcher, and it coincides with National Bird Week and the Aussie Bird Count 2024.
The pleasure of birdwatching has captivated enthusiasts and artists alike for centuries. While modern technology has made it easier to access images and videos of birds, the intersection of birdwatching and art history spans centuries, reflecting both the scientific curiosity and artistic appreciation of local bird life.
Long before high-definition documentaries and live bird cams, artists played a pivotal role in bringing the natural world closer to human understanding. From as early as the late 14th century, artists have dedicated themselves to capturing the intricate details of birds through drawings, prints, and paintings.
Their work not only documented avian diversity but also contributed to scientific knowledge and the appreciation of nature's beauty across different continents.
Twitcher brings together artists from across Australia in a celebration of birdlife inspired by the beauty, mystery and diversity of all things that sing, fly, glide and swoop.
"Twitcher will delight all visitors as we pop on our binoculars and go all in for a summer season of creative birdwatching, exploring the relationship between birds, the natural world, art and society," gallery director Dr Gerry Bobsien says.
Ben Quilty will put the humble budgie on show in his looming, larger than life work Poly, while life-sized brolgas, made delicately from cotton paper and brass, will be suspended like marionettes in Anna-Wili Highfield's Mating Dance.
Twitcher will feature significant works from the MRAG Collection, including the painted wooden sculpture Cassowary by late Hunter-based artist Peter Speight, and hand-drawn animation Icarus on the Hill by Todd Fuller. A commentary on the impact of human activity on native wildlife, the work recounts a moment when an owl flew into Fuller's car windscreen while he was driving to Hill End.
A key work in this exhibition is Temple by acclaimed photographic and video artist Leila Jeffreys and filmmaker Melvin J. Montalban, an immersive audiovisual installation that pays homage to the Australian cockatoo.
"This work, Temple, is a collaboration and we worked with a whole crew of people, too. It was a big, big project," Jeffreys says.
"I am really fascinated with the human species as a whole; I think we're a really complex species and we get so caught up in our heads, and so busy, that we kind of forget to just exist and be. And I think what nature does is bring up the present moment.
"I hope the exhibition will give people a moment to get out of their heads and allow themselves to have that experience that nature can bring us, but in art form, and see what that does for them.
"For some of us it might be a sense of connection to something greater than themselves; for others it might be a feeling of groundedness and presence; it could be for others a way to understand how important our natural world is and it might inspire them to do something to help ... there's so many things.
"It's a very personal experience, but I like that about it, that people can take different thoughts away from it but ultimately they all connect to the power of nature.
"That's why we called it Temple. People go to temples to experience something greater than themselves, and we worked with the idea that nature can be a temple.
"Lots of people have a spiritual experience going to temples and I feel you can do the same with art that talks to nature."
There's also a more practical element to Twitcher, as Bobsien explains: "Twitcher not only captures the beauty of birds, a subject that has inspired artists for centuries, but highlights the fragility of this much-loved animal and our responsibility to safeguard their habitats and ensure their survival for future generations."
Since 2018, Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council has worked with government organisations, community groups, Taronga Zoo Sydney and Taronga Western Plains Zoo as part of a breeding and release program to help save the critically endangered regent honeyeater.
Showcasing the result of this work, Twitcher will display documentation of regent honeyeaters being released onto Wonnarua Lands, an urgent reminder of the importance of protecting native birds within our local community and the ongoing need to care for Country.
Coinciding with National Bird Week and the Aussie Bird Count 2024, the exhibition encourages audiences to step outside for 20 minutes to observe the birds that live around us and help BirdLife Australia develop a greater understanding of local birds.
Twitcher is now showing at Maitland Regional Art Gallery. For more information visit mrag.org.au.
