In many cultures, birds are messengers bringing good or bad omens from the spirit world, symbols of transcendence or freedom from earthly restraints. This series of oil paintings named BIRDCATCHER is inspired by personal memories from my childhood, expressed through a semi-abstract representation of the figure of a bird and a pair of hands. The hands may be releasing the crow or attempting to capture the crow. Either way, the paintings use personal associations while also being open to the deep-rooted symbolism of birds.
All of these paintings were produced during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown and pandemic in 2020 and 2021. I am sure that the memory of crows came back to me in my studio partly to express that need to escape from the confinement we all felt. The work is also influenced by a long study of Georges Braque’s bird paintings and the way in which recognizable objects and symbols are painted in a way that is alive to abstract organization and lively mark-making.
The series comprises oil paintings on canvas, ranging in size from 36 inches x 36 inches to 60 inches x 48 inches.
All of these paintings were produced during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown and pandemic in 2020 and 2021. I am sure that the memory of crows came back to me in my studio partly to express that need to escape from the confinement we all felt. The work is also influenced by a long study of Georges Braque’s bird paintings and the way in which recognizable objects and symbols are painted in a way that is alive to abstract organization and lively mark-making.
The series comprises oil paintings on canvas, ranging in size from 36 inches x 36 inches to 60 inches x 48 inches.
Bio Philip Hartigan was born in the UK and moved to the USA in 2002. His paintings and prints have been shown in more than twenty-five exhibitions in Europe and the United States. Until recently he lived in Chicago, where for seven years he wrote about the art scene for Hyperallergic. He now lives in Tucson, Arizona. Click here for full CV.
