Tarred & Feathered Exhibition: Newcastle Artist Dips Into Taxidermy

by Helen Henry on July 19, 2011

The little birds in Newcastle artist Josh White’s latest exhibition garner mixed reactions, all of which are centred on a peaked curiosity - Where did they come from? How did they die? What does it all mean?

These (and more) questions can be asked and answered at the opening night of Josh’s upcoming exhibition Tarred & Feathered Again at Cooks Hill’s Forsight Gallery. Between 6 & 8pm on Friday, 29 July, Josh will share his latest works with the public alongside fellow Novocastrian artist David Kurzydlo.

Taxidermy isn’t something you come across every day, and I caught up with Josh to find out more about these unusual artworks…

Tell me why you decided to use taxidermy in this exhibition? How did you come across it in the first place?

I decided to use taxidermy because I don’t believe that any other medium would convey my idea with justice. Something dead speaks volumes about the living and I needed it to be real to engage the audience. I did an exhibition titled Human Contact and that was all about how humans interact with animals, especially regarding diet. So I painted chops, fish, milk cartons etc. After that body of work I started to become fascinated with birds so I would go to the pet store and do drawings of caged birds & also began to acquire their dead birds and paint them. Whilst I was in the pet store one day the owner came up to me (we had become friends by this stage) and said “I’m getting some birds taxidermied”. So that’s how it all started, the pet store owner introduced me to the taxidermist so I could draw some of her animals but instead we started to work together to create these bodies of work.

For both artists, their personal experiences guide their art. For Josh, art is his vehicle to communicate his findings, feelings or thoughts about these experiences.

“I believe that you cannot create a body of work without having a firsthand relationship with the subject matter or concept”, he said.

Similarly, David finds that painting & drawing are his most comfortable form of communication. Comfort is not necessarily simplicity, however, as David creates works to intrigue & confront, delving into the psychology of the subject and how it relates to himself, the world and each person viewing it.

“It feels as natural to me as eating and sleeping…all of my work is in some way deeply personal, as I strongly believe art-making to the be the rawest, most accurate form of self-expression”, he explained.

Josh will soon travel to Melbourne to show other works involving taxidermy at Brunswick Street Gallery, Fitzroy.

Support these local artists and indulge your curiosity by joining them for opening night at Forsight Gallery on the corner of Union & Bull Sts in Cooks Hill from 6 - 8pm on Friday, 29 July.

The exhibition will be on display until Sunday, 12 August.