Feather Explosions by Kate MccGuire

Seven Halos | 03 April 2011 | art, Photos | art instillation, chicken, corvid, EVACUATE, feahter explosion, feahters, French partridge, goose, grouse, heave, kate Mccguire, magpie, Mallard, peacock, pheasant, pidgeoin, quail, sculpture, teal, turkey, warp, woodcock, woodpigeon | 1 Comment

CORVID, part of 'BOUND' exhibition (2011) © Kate MccGwire

Feathers. They stand for protection and shelter. they bring our minds to the thought of flight. They are connected to mythical, fairy tale creatures and symbolize power and the art of enchantment.

British artist Kate MccGwire shares a fascination for feathers that begun as an accident and grew into a long term love affair. Her latest works are made entirely by feathers and are a far cry from mere ornamentation. Kate uses them to create visually intriguing, almost haunting pieces. Her works form strange shapes that appear to be alive. as they come out of unexpected surfaces, invadeing space with surreal effects.

WARP, 2010 © Kate MccGwire Mixed media with magpie feathers

Corvid, Kate’s latest project, is “a serpentine formation made of crows’ feathers, a bird associated in folklore with thieving and deviant behaviour.” The crows’ feathers used in Corvid were sent to her by gamekeepers and farmers who shoot the birds to stop them damaging crops and fledgling birds. A part of this story is reflected in Corvid that with its repeating pattern transmits a wicked kind of beauty.

SLICK (2011) © Kate MccGwire Antique Fire basket, mixed-media with magpie and crow feathers.

One of Kate’s more celebrated works is called Slick (2010), an in situ installation in a fireplace. The gloriously coloured feathers come from the wings of magpies (just six on each magpie wing) The final result – is more than intriguing: on one hand you feel magnetized by the colors and three dimensional effect. On the other, invaded, even slightly frightened by this mass that comes out of the fireplace.

EVACUATE, 2010 © Kate MccGwire Site-specific installation Mixed media with feathers- Mallard, goose, peacock, pheasant, teal, woodcock, woodpigeon, quail, grouse, French partridge, turkey and chicken

HEAVE, 2008 © Kate MccGwire Pigeon flight-feathers, felt and wood installation

Certainly intriguing, Kate’s work hides a lot of surprises for the stranger.

: Sluice, 2009 © Kate MccGwire Site Specific installation Pigeon feathers, felt, glue and polystyrene

: SLICK (2011) © Kate MccGwire Antique Fire basket, mixed-media with magpie and crow feathers. Dimensions 250 x 280 x 60 cm

: Evacuate, 2010 © Kate MccGwire Site-specific installation Mixed media with feathers (Mallard, goose, peacock, pheasant, teal, woodcock, woodpigeon, quail, grouse, French partridge, turkey and chicken) 400 x 350 x 120 cm (approximately)

: Evacuate, 2010 © Kate MccGwire Site-specific installation Mixed media with feathers (Mallard, goose, peacock, pheasant, teal, woodcock, woodpigeon, quail, grouse, French partridge, turkey and chicken)

: Evacuate, 2010 © Kate MccGwire Site-specific installation Mixed media with feathers (Mallard, goose, peacock, pheasant, teal, woodcock, woodpigeon, quail, grouse, French partridge, turkey and chicken)