There’s a ghostly quality to Fiona Paddington’s recent bird photos. Although they are real specimens, photographed in atmospheric light and displaying unique plumage and expression, there is something uncanny about them. Are they real? In a sense, yes, but they are no longer alive. Some don’t even exist anymore. For Paddington, who is of Maori and Scottish descent, the natural history specimens provide a unique and compelling look at nature. The photos seen here are part of her series Tahara Castle Skysideis expected to host an exhibition by the artist at the New Zealand Pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale.
Paddington’s bold, large-scale portraits of New Zealand’s native birds, known as Aotearoa in Maori, are included in natural history collections across New Zealand. These phantom-like depictions detail the unique beaks, colors and biological variations of Fiordland penguins, whose bright yellow crests look like striking eyebrows, the South Island taka penguin, which was once thought extinct before being rediscovered in 1948, and the Tui penguin, which has a tuft of white feathers at its throat.
Paddington’s series also unfolds through a literary lens, particularly in relation to the poetic works of Dante, who set Purgatory on an island mountain in the Southern Hemisphere. Divine Comedy. The concept of crossing from one realm to another is reflected in the uncanniness of well-preserved animals in glass cases, illustrating the diversity of life but no longer possessing it. “Some birds, such as gray owls and laughing owls, have long since become extinct; many others remain highly vulnerable,” a statement said.
Paddington’s photographs in the museum harken back to the early days of collecting, when egg hunters and birdwatchers would seek out rare specimens just to kill them and “preserve” them for future generations. The controversial practice occasionally occurs, such as when a researcher killed an elusive kingfisher in 2015 to “collect” it for further study.
“Birds can symbolize familial love, romantic attachment and ecological warning. They can allude to death, and in my work they can also represent individuals in my life. The ideas I come up with remind us of the overall meaning of life. Manu within Maori (The Māori world) served as a source of food and materials and as an intermediary between the human and sacred worlds,” Paddington said.
Many of the endemic species she highlights are rare, such as the Kakakula, which is a color morph of the more common Kakakula. In addition to their scientific significance, birds also play a sacred role to Maori, who refer to them as ” Manuthe messenger between this world and the next. “‘Captured’ birds also reveal how museums classify, describe, construct, celebrate or hide cultural narratives, impacting our understanding of the history and cultural heritage of Aboriginal communities,” a statement said.
look Tahara Castle Skyside The Venice Biennale runs from May 9 to November 22, more information can be found on Paddington’s Instagram.
