{"id":40989,"title":"In the Mourning","description":"\u2018Being Bird: A Queer History of Ornithology', was a solo exhibition at M2 Gallery in London. Especially for the show I illustrated and gently referenced the Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura).","content":"<p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/ypm2ius98rerpd4n5ubwdlfwxacmfwiksnh5lxxnea8grkr9.jpeg.jpeg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"oxwgrxsumgfw55noajirbl29ijyfdoeywpz8mslpxo4tbthy.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" \/>\u2018Being Bird: A Queer History of Ornithology\u2019, was an exhibition at <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/m2gallery.com\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>M2 Gallery <\/u><\/a>in London (July-August 2024) Especially for the show I illustrated and gently referenced the Mourning Dove (<em>Zenaida macroura) <\/em>, the work above was shown alongside a video I made creating the drawing and gentle reference. Below is a short video tour of the exhibition.<\/p><div data-youtube-video=\"\"><iframe class=\"youtube\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" allowfullscreen=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TsTNarQCACA\"><\/iframe><\/div><p style=\"text-align:center;\"><em>The following copy is taken from the handout written for the exhibition:<\/em><\/p><p>Paul Harfleet delves into his queerness and personal history to share his love of birds in an attempt to understand his own sense of camp and flamboyance and how it intersects with ornithology and its troubling cultural history.\u00a0<\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/y4lmmatd1tpeoriftbfkdettw3n3kvw29y5hadi7zgzrb2iz.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"y4lmmatd1tpeoriftbfkdettw3n3kvw29y5hadi7zgzrb2iz.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" \/>My lifelong interest in ornithology was encouraged by my family, especially my grandparents. For \u2018Being Bird\u2019 I bring together evidence of this by presenting the bird books gifted to me that I adored as a child, nestled amongst them is a snapshot by my Aunty June showing my mother and me using binoculars to gaze at the birds alongside some of my less interested siblings. In my new exploration of ornithology I have discovered what was previously hidden, the disturbing complexities of the subject; colonialism, slavery, land invasion and the eradication of \u2018traditional ecological knowledge\u2019 (TEK) are entwined into the Western scientific study and categorisation of birds. The process of deconstructing colonialism is under way and has resulted in conversations surrounding the naming of birds and the associations designed to protect them. Key protagonists in the brutal history of this subject are frequently celebrated with honorific names from Temminck, Mitchell and Audubon - to name just a few.<\/p><p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/rg8e7h2tkfgdzpglvjxze2h86egop8u626rxnhxwxjky64y0.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"rg8e7h2tkfgdzpglvjxze2h86egop8u626rxnhxwxjky64y0.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" \/><em>Views of the outer gallery and handout, more is shown in the video above.<\/em><\/p><p>The examples presented here are some of my favourite illustrations and are selected from the almost one hundred examples. Each piece here is accompanied by writing and research (linked below via QR code - available on the blog here). The playful nature of my creations have become a tool to seduce the viewer into exploring the often disturbing and complex history of ornithology.\u00a0<\/p><p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/00wdnzoguvlcvmvarin8e4atiehr8oiziovsup5sl5mxhukw.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"00wdnzoguvlcvmvarin8e4atiehr8oiziovsup5sl5mxhukw.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" \/><em>A collection of bird books gifted and collected over the years, shown here with an image of me bird watching with my family.<\/em><\/p><p>Many statistics that illustrate the decline of birds cite the year of my birth as a significant date: Since 1970 bird populations have reduced by an estimated 2.9 billion in North America and Canada alone. Climate change and bio-diversity loss are considered to be the main culprits. The duration of my life happens to coincide with this reality and was brought into sharp focus during the pandemic when I began to re-investigate my life-long love of birds. Their ability to escape the confines of the ground always appealed to my young queer self and became even more poignant in the midst of a pandemic.\u00a0<\/p><p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/hgtndyyfejbrntev9fkbmbc3aq04wlyybhn0tmdwb5apskjp.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"hgtndyyfejbrntev9fkbmbc3aq04wlyybhn0tmdwb5apskjp.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" \/><em>In the centre of the space I displayed a photograph of myself as a child and a copy of my book <\/em><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thepansyproject.com\/pansy-boy\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em><u>Pansy Boy.<\/u><\/em><\/a><\/p><p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/776j8koqw0q6pjuf2go37iygqlfusbxzo1piy1bpycjubvbw.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"776j8koqw0q6pjuf2go37iygqlfusbxzo1piy1bpycjubvbw.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" \/><em>A detail of the photograph, \u2018Artist as a Boy\u2019 . The framed photograph taken by my father has been amended with transparent vinyl lettering placed inside the glass and reads; \u201cFucking Faggot!\u201d, the copy shown in contrast with my vulnerability and precocious expression is a precursor to the homophobic bullying and abuse I\u2019d experience throughout my school career as described in Pansy Boy , here me read the book <\/em><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XC-_SdlFxF8\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em><u>here.<\/u><\/em><\/a><\/p><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/3oiaeu797cp7xmigjuuxg81hyy2c5gx3wwp2beanqkqnyrmt.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"3oiaeu797cp7xmigjuuxg81hyy2c5gx3wwp2beanqkqnyrmt.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" \/>The mourning dove gets one of its common names from their melancholic call and inspired an exploration of my own experience of mourning. In \u2018Being Bird\u2019, the accompanying video I captured the process of drawing and playing with the materials I used for the final look, the video also shares the amusing absurdity of attempting to embody the bird I drew - shown below.<\/p><div data-youtube-video=\"\"><iframe class=\"youtube\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" allowfullscreen=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RH-SUqOU8sA\"><\/iframe><\/div><p><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/fipyzm92ydt7frsscucmq4qsxxzq4dgoxraqlxl5sttknvyd.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"fipyzm92ydt7frsscucmq4qsxxzq4dgoxraqlxl5sttknvyd.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" \/>In the process of the \u2018gentle reference\u2019 I used my dead mother\u2019s lace, a tie worn at my granny\u2019s funeral and a hat constructed from cardboard and finished with a veil. This work also happened to coincide with the break-up of a relationship so the process of making it consoled me - described <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/birdscanflystore.com\/blog\/one-for-sorrow\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>here in \u2018One for Sorrow\u2019.<\/u><\/a> Private contemplations of life, death and relationships combined with a deep political sorrow. Alongside the image and video I presented sketches of the extinct passenger pigeon (<em>Ectopistes migratorius<\/em>) drawn from a taxidermy example at the Natural History Museum in Tring, adding to the sense of sadness this story of extinction summons.<\/p><p style=\"text-align:center;\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.teemill.com\/oxwgrxsumgfw55noajirbl29ijyfdoeywpz8mslpxo4tbthy.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" alt=\"oxwgrxsumgfw55noajirbl29ijyfdoeywpz8mslpxo4tbthy.jpg.jpg?w=1140&amp;v=2\" \/><em>Mourning Dove by JJ Audubon<\/em><\/p><p>The inclusion of the the Silky Camellia (<em>Stewartia malacodendron L<\/em>.) is a direct reference to the illustration of the mourning dove by JJ Audubon, made in 1827 (above). It occurred to me as I installed the exhibition that a table full of open bird books collected since I was a child represented the solace I found in the birds and their study. My love of nature connects with my own understanding of my sexuality and the judgement I felt even as a very young boy from those around me, from nursery school onwards I was aware that my effeminate nature was problematic. Even at such a young age I was aware that the birds (and nature) was not judgemental, it simply \u2018was\u2019. It was playing in nature where I felt most safe, this feeling is explored by a category of writing known as \u2018queer nature writing\u2019 and is reflected in so-called \u2018queer ecology\u2019.<\/p><p>In my young mind there was an expectation that I would have a connection with the artists that adored birds as I did (and do). To discover that many of these the key protagonists and creators of the subject of ornithology were to a lesser or greater degree brutal colonialists has been something to process and I continue to reflect upon. With this in mind the exhibition portrays a betrayal and solution. My own work hopes to contribute to the disentanglement of the overt masculinity of the ornithology and offer a queer reading and understanding of the many other artists exploring the issue.<\/p><p>As ever my research continues.<\/p><p><strong>Further reading:<\/strong><\/p><ul><li><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/longreads.com\/2023\/03\/21\/queer-ecology-nature-animals-vegetables-reading-list\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/longreads.com\/2023\/03\/21\/queer-ecology-nature-animals-vegetables-reading-list\/<\/a><\/p><\/li><li><p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sierraclub.org\/sierra\/books\/5-books-queer-nature\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.sierraclub.org\/sierra\/books\/5-books-queer-nature<\/a><\/p><p><\/p><\/li><\/ul>","urlTitle":"in-the-mourning","url":"\/blog\/in-the-mourning\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/in-the-mourning\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/birdscanflystore.com\/blog\/in-the-mourning\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1720866326,"updatedAt":1724411491,"publishedAt":1724411490,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":107566,"name":"Birds Can Fly"},"tags":[{"id":1114,"code":"art","name":"Art","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/art\/"},{"id":1115,"code":"birds","name":"Birds","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/birds\/"},{"id":1116,"code":"ornithology","name":"Ornithology","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/ornithology\/"},{"id":1368,"code":"fashion","name":"Fashion","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/fashion\/"},{"id":1369,"code":"illustration","name":"Illustration","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/illustration\/"},{"id":1756,"code":"j-j-audubon","name":"JJAudubon","url":"\/blog\/tagged\/j-j-audubon\/"}],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/pep78rkqkmigfjn4qu2kzozdydugl0aqegjf8pumsjwyjxnb.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/pep78rkqkmigfjn4qu2kzozdydugl0aqegjf8pumsjwyjxnb.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/pep78rkqkmigfjn4qu2kzozdydugl0aqegjf8pumsjwyjxnb.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","keyPhraseCampaignId":null,"series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":9889,"title":"LGBT History Month","url":"\/blog\/lgbt-history-month\/","urlTitle":"lgbt-history-month","division":107566,"description":"Paul Harfleet reflects on LGBT History Month 2021.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ekp1npewm3bbdgz5vh688egmi8wa75ayhuzytu5v3mmwofwu.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/ekp1npewm3bbdgz5vh688egmi8wa75ayhuzytu5v3mmwofwu.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":9902,"title":"Stories Behind the Designs","url":"\/blog\/the-story-of-birds-can-fly\/","urlTitle":"the-story-of-birds-can-fly","division":107566,"description":"The journey from drawing to garment.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/logdy9wz68ihyajfcrhjcrncc3nxc9tms1c6yx9jculeotz6.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/logdy9wz68ihyajfcrhjcrncc3nxc9tms1c6yx9jculeotz6.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":10431,"title":"Birds Can Fly: Hearing from the Winners","url":"\/blog\/reflecting-on-the-birds-can-fly-competition\/","urlTitle":"reflecting-on-the-birds-can-fly-competition","division":107566,"description":"Hearing from the winners of my Second Birds Can Fly Competition and reflecting on the impact of this new body of work.","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/4ssny9ukfh73kvpgeqxj8aclazu3iziv69lte62andyxlhqx.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/4ssny9ukfh73kvpgeqxj8aclazu3iziv69lte62andyxlhqx.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}