{"id":26998,"title":"Canary in a Coal Mine","description":"Reflecting on a 'Canary in a Coal Mine', it's origin, meaning symbolism and history.","content":"

\"otwyorbrquefo2jwssugy2qaw6rsxy9fgwxsta1xmdm1qpiq.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"The Canary, Clear Yellow (Fife) drawing and gentle reference.<\/em><\/p>

I first drew this canary a while ago, though my exploration of the bird was lost in the social media ether. Here I explore this bird and it\u2019s symbolism from a slightly different perspective, from poetry to activism. Named after the Canary Islands, the islands\u2019 name is derived from the Latin name Canariae Insulae - \u2018Islands of dogs\u2019, this apparently refers to the large dogs once kept by the inhabitants of the islands.\u00a0<\/p>

Canaries were first exported from the islands in the 1500\u2019s, over the next few hundred years they were bred into many varieties, their natural green and black plumage became the now famous \u2018canary yellow\u2019, the one depicted here is the Clear Yellow (Fife). It was during the Victorian era that the keeping of birds in cages became a trend, renowned for their cheerful song, it was thought that they sang for their keepers out of a sense of joy - clearly this was not the case. They continue to be bred for human amusement and have sometimes led to disturbing variations that I can barely look at. The Gibber Italicus Frill, is a cruelty of a bird and is one of the most disturbing, with an absurdly long neck and extended legs it has become an embodiment of our tendency to abuse our natural world, (I\u2019m not going to subject you, dear reader to this, Google it, if you dare). <\/p>

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There are some varieties that appear charming with wide colour variations, tufts and frills, though much like the domesticated dog they barely resemble the species that they originated from. Some of you may breed birds for competition and I\u2019m sure the individuals are happy enough. <\/p>

\"mtrfwwhon5rqhzbp7kkxa0iv0zq1ehxpe5tzijm4g73upqjy.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"Many children that kept birds in avaries grow up to become ornithologists, I remember a relation having a budgie that I was amazed at, though even then I wanted to set it free. Victorians believed that breeding and rearing birds was a Christian pursuit, here\u2019s this, from Birds and Us by Tim Birkhead.\u00a0\u201cWriting about the benefits of keeping canaries in the 1830\u2019s the Reverend Francis Smith said that children: \u2018may silently learn those invaluable lessons of kindness, and love and patience, which will fit them for the trials of after-life, and, it may be imprinted on their hearts forever.\u2019\u201d<\/p>

Maya Angelou, \u201clonged for still\u201d<\/h3>

\"t6uiul1eul33u9of4cp9qyqsoga2phbthxex1qxu9yrj66gg.jpg.jpg?w=1140&v=2\"Maya Angelou marching against Aparthied.<\/em><\/p>

When I first made this work I was thinking about Maya Angelou\u2019s amazing writing and the below poem \u2018I know why the caged bird sings\u2019 in particular, I can find only one example of her reading it herself online which seems to have some wonderful improvisation included, watch that here<\/u><\/a>. The below interview shows just how amazing Maya Angelou was especially when interviewed by a rather patronising man of the eighties. <\/p>