Bird After Bird, Gallery Steel Rooms

Being someone who is a naturalist and wildlife photographer, this exhibition is dear to my heart.  The aim of the exhibition is twofold: to acknowledge and celebrate the work that these artists have produced with birds as an inspiration and also to heighten awareness of birds and the dangers they experience in the world today.  This is where environmental art can be so important.  The collaboration between the artists and the exhibition they have produced came about through the concerns of Jayne Ivimey.  She was brought up in and is steeped in the landscapes of East Anglia, but recently has spent several years working alongside ornithologists in New Zealand.  During this period she witnessed the damage caused by the sinking of a large cargo ship, the Rena which caused destructive pollution from oil and toxic chemicals.  On her return to this country she was staggered to discover that 16 more birds had been added to the Red List of endangered species.  In response to this she made this installation which comprises 70 life-sized, bisque-fired models of the endangered birds using 'skins' or museum specimens of birds kept for reference.  Like the specimens themselves, they resemble fat cigars with only beaks and feet suggesting how they once lived.

Jayne then collaborated with six other artists to produce this exhibition.
Suky Best works on experiments with the movement of birds in early film to produce a fascinating installation.

Milo Newman  has spent many hours at dusk photographing pink-footed geese in flight.  His images are displayed as chlorobromide prints and are a warm very dark brown/black.  It is necessary to look very closely to see the skeins of geese in the photographs.  I was fascinated with how he produced this effect.

Duth artist Martin Brandsma's work is entirely based around a single bird - the great grey shrike. Below is a photograph of mine of a rare example in Lincolnshire taken in 2015. 

Shrikes are predators and known as 'The Butcher Bird' from their habit of hanging excess prey items on thorns for later consumption.  Brandsma's fascination with this led to a display to illustrate this.

He has also made minutely observed drawings of the birds to highlight their differences, both from a scientific standpoint and as unique, individual birds.

Sculptor Patrick Haines has used a range of materials and found objects to produce beautiful and intriguing works of art.  They not only portray birds as 3D artworks but include man-made objects like a wooden chair once used in a church and a bell jar.  There is a touch of Hitchcock's 'Birds' to the pieces.

The paintings of Nessie Stonebridge are inspired by her association with the Norfolk coast.  As one enters the gallery her large painting of swans which appear to be fighting each other are an impressive start to the exhibition.

Dutch artist Sabine Liedtke links her work to particular places and family ties.  It combines drawing, painting and photography.

The gallery also houses a tea shop/restaurant and quality art shop and has recently been altered and refurbished to allow the two flights of stairs up to the main gallery to form the Case Gallery.  Here was work by artists Jan Dowson and Julie Lee who, like myself, gain inspiration for their work by walking in their native Lincolnshire countryside and coast.  Jan works in textiles and has used often hand-dyed fabrics and threads to produce her beautiful birds.

Much like myself Julie is interested in land, place and memory - I am convinced that our landscape, especially footpaths hold memories.  Her work is based on the Lincolnshire countryside which, on the surface appears unremarkable, but like myself it provides endless inspiration.

Upstairs in the main gallery viewing was accompanied by sympathetic music composed by local composers William Meek and Dave Power.  The exhibition was officially opened by curator Linda Ingham and this was followed by a reading of poet Steve Meek's evocative bird poems:Kingfisher, Little Owl, Cat with Bird, Rook and Spring. I was particularly taken with Little Owl and Rook.  Little owls are favourite birds and in the wood where I have my winter feeding station rooks are nesting for the first time this year.  Bothers William and Steve Meek are not only fine artists, they are two of the areas most notable ornithologists so their involvement was particularly appropriate.

The Steel Rooms is itself well worth a visit.  Housed in an old canal-side warehouse it comprises a quality art shop with an excellent tea rooms and restaurant.  Upstairs are rooms for workshops, on the stairs the Case Gallery and on the top floor with wooden floor and attractively exposed beams and girders is Gallery Steel Rooms.