Over the last few months I have been preparing for my forthcoming exhibition at Perth Museum. Perth Museum is a relatively new attraction here in Scotland, and I am extremely excited to be having the opportunity to have pieces of my work on display there! The pieces that I am creating are based on the museum collections. You can see above the two colour linocut I created based on the Great Egret which is stored in the vaults of Perth Museum and Art Gallery.
In my 20s, my first 'proper' job was working at Perth Museum and Art Gallery. It has a very distinctive smell in the basement, due to all the specimens which have been preserved through taxidermy. Although some people may find taxidermy upsetting, I can appreciate that the specimens served an important purpose. Many of the birds and animals preserved at Perth Museum and Art Gallery date from the Victorian era, and were a vital educational resource when people were unable to travel in the way they can now. They are still in use today, with many people using them as a reference source for lots of projects.
You can see above, I was searching for a bird with a dramatic beak. I considered a Scarlet Ibis, and then a glamorous Agami Heron. However, in the end, I decided to go with the Great Egret. Not only is it a stunning bird, with climate change, populations have become established in water courses across Scotland. Its elegance and structure fitted with an idea for wallpaper I had, which I will share as part of my exhibition later in the year.
