Twitcher: Birds in focus at Maitland Regional Art Gallery

Twitcher will soar into Maitland Regional Art Gallery this October, an exhibition dedicated to celebrating birds in art through a diverse lineup of Australian artists.

‘Twitcher will delight all visitors as we pop on our binoculars and go all in for a summer season of creative birdwatching, exploring the relationship between birds, the natural world, art and society,’ says Gallery Director Gerry Bobsien.

Ben Quilty will put the humble budgie on show in his looming, larger than life work ‘Poly’, while life sized brolgas, made delicately from cotton paper and brass, will be suspended like marionettes in Anna-Wili Highfield’s ‘Mating Dance’.

A key work in this exhibition is 'Temple’ by acclaimed photographic and video artist Leila Jeffreys and filmmaker Melvin J. Montalban, an immersive audiovisual installation that pays homage to the Australian cockatoo.

Twitcher will feature significant works from the MRAG Collection, including the painted wooden sculpture ‘Cassowary’ by late Hunter based artist Peter Speight and hand drawn animation ‘Icarus on the Hill’ by Todd Fuller. A commentary on the impact of human activity on native wildlife, the work recounts a moment when an owl flew into Fuller's car windscreen while driving toward Hill End.

‘Twitcher not only captures the beauty of birds, a subject that has inspired artists for centuries, but highlights the fragility of this much loved animal and our responsibility to safeguard their habitats and ensure their survival for future generations,’ says Ms Bobsien.

Since 2018, Mindaribba Local Aboriginal Land Council has worked with government organisations, community groups, Taronga Zoo Sydney and Taronga Western Plains Zoo as part of a breeding and release program to help save the critically endangered regent honeyeater.

Showcasing the result of this work, Twitcher will display documentation of regent honeyeaters being released onto Wonnarua Lands, an urgent reminder of the importance of protecting native birds within our local community and the ongoing need to care for Country.

Coinciding with National Bird Week and the Aussie Bird Count 2024, the exhibition will also encourage audiences to step outside for 20 minutes to observe the birds that live around us and help BirdLife Australia develop a greater understanding of local birds.

Twitcher is on show at Maitland Regional Art Gallery from 12 October 2024 to 16 February 2025. For more information about current and future exhibitions, visit mrag.org.au.