My journey started in Avonmouth (a
sea port in the UK) in 1988 whilst researching the
relationship between wildlife and industry for a
commission. There I saw four cormorants sitting on a
rusted pier, drying their wings in the sun, a
functional gesture suggesting a paradoxical attitude
of submission and strength: triumph through
vulnerability.
These
birds were the focus of my 1989 exhibition ‘The
Plight of the Bird’, signifying the start of an
exploration centred on the development of a bird /
bird-woman / feather: icons adopted as facets of a
personal symbol. Certain monoprints from ‘The
Plight of the Bird’accentuated contradictions
inherent in their demeanour: pride, aggression,
pathos and dignity. These works formed the
introduction to a later exhibition shown at the Hot
Bath Gallery, Bath, during April 1996, - ‘The
Evolution of the Bird’.
This exhibition which developed
over the interim 7 years was split into three
sections:-
'The Last Birds’ - monoprint
silkscreens printed onto heavy paper, had much of the
detail screened separately on Japanese tissue which
was subsequently collaged onto the base print. This
change in surface texture and opportunity to
physically distort the images allowed a mode of
expression otherwise denied in conventional
silkscreen printing. Imagewise these last birds were
released from the recurring heraldic sequence which
was central to the birds in the former exhibition ;
they became skeletal as they disintegrated, falling
apart as they confronted a transfiguring force and
evolved into the Harpyia.
The
Harpyia, the bird-women, were the snatchers and
personifications of the storm-wind. In a moment of
truth and metamorphosis, the birds decomposed,
leaving a core of raw femininity wherein rests
potency - which is not always alluring or polite.
These works tended to be smaller, using a variety of
media including different forms of print, paper and
selected objects. Some follow the format of ‘The
Last Birds’, whilst the series ‘The Man Who
Set the Harpy Free, What Will Become of Him
Now?’ had a sculptural focus using heavily dyed
paper, photocopy, etching, feathers and string.
After the offer of the Hot Bath
show I decided to start work on the third section,
'The Meditation'. This included the 'Phoenix' work, a series of dyed constructed
paperworks which were intended to create a
conclusion, but instead I found myself with an
important starting point. The 'Phoenix' series of
paperworks used the neck feathers of a male pheasant,
which when tied into dark dyed creased paper had the
quality of flames. The work generated a feeling of
stillness, particularly when the feathers were used
in a formal manner, and from there I started
exploring different ways of transforming the feathers
within the context of various paper surfaces
eventually arriving at constructed paper/silkscreen
works, which is where I am at the moment.
Since the exhibition
I have continued work in the studio on the
development of the constructed paperworks, and am at
an exciting and important juncture - the point at
which I feel ready to start doing some major pieces.
It is my intention to embark upon a series of large
scale constructed paperworks developing 'The
Meditation' works into multiplesection silkscreened
pieces. One of the paperworks would be in the form of
an installation.
And so the exploration of the bird
continues ........
E-mail Anita Ford a.ford@netgates.co.uk
Indian Summer
Prints and paperworks by Anita Ford
http://www.netgates.co.uk/gallery/anitaford/
The information
resource for printmakers