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PRESS RELEASE
Parrots to Take the
Art World by Storm
Parrots are set to ruffle a few feathers in the world of art in the new year with the opening of a groundbreaking exhibition here at the Barber.
‘The Parrot in Art: From Dürer to Elizabeth Butterworth’ runs from 26 January to 29 April 2007 at the University of Birmingham-based gallery, and is accompanied by a host of exciting events for adults and children.
The exhibition traces man’s special relationship with these colourful, exotic and intelligent birds, and explores how they have been represented in art over the centuries.
Famed for their flamboyance, playfulness and powers of mimicry, parrots have featured in art since they arrived on European shores during the time of Alexander the Great in the third or fourth century BC, and, since then, have appeared as religious symbols, domestic pets, surrogate people — or simply as themselves.
As well as paintings by artists as diverse as Tiepolo, Reynolds, Landseer and Nicholson, the exhibition will feature illustrations by Edward Lear and even Quentin Blake. It will culminate in a series of pictures by probably the greatest living parrot illustrator, Elizabeth Butterworth.
The show is to be curated by the Barber’s Director, Professor Richard Verdi, distinguished art historian, and keen parrot lover and owner, and will feature loans from public and private collections in Britain and abroad, including Tate, the National Gallery, the British Museum, the National History Museum, the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, and the Rijksmueum, Amsterdam.
This fascinating show will be of huge interest to parrot-lovers and art-lovers alike. As well as a beautiful colour catalogue, it will be accompanied by a series of lectures – both art historical and zoological — Art Alive! drama performances, practical workshops and other events — including Parrots Galore!, a special open day when the painted parrots will be brought to noisy life by a host of live parrots exhibits.
Keep an eye on this website for further information.| For further information, please contact Andrew Davies, Barber Press and Marketing Officer, on 0121 414 2946 or andrewdavies@barber.org.uk |