Chloe Bowman
The Avian Knot (Series)
DESCRIPTION
Chloe’s work examines the duality of our relationship with nature, in particular birds.
Using elements of contemporary taxidermy and Ikebana (Japanese floristry), birds are
suspended in ropes, with flowers delicately woven through.
The allure of the domesticated and captive animal is that there is beauty to be found in
its artificial environment, if you choose not to look too closely. The birds shown are all
in an intermediate stage of taxidermy; they hang in the balance of not quite being one
thing or another. Stunted in their movement they are like material, which can be
pushed and pulled at will. The questions raised in this series ask the viewer to think
critically about the authenticity of the relationships they have with animals.
The body of work shown in this series is a combination of bird species. The pairing of
these birds aims to highlight their unique beauty in a way that elevates all species to the
same aesthetic gaze. While some birds are considered vermin, others are exoticised, and
yet they are all simply birds.
AUTHOR
I have recently graduated from an MA in photography at the London College
of Communication, and I previously studied a BA (hons) in photography at the
London South Bank University,
Outside photography I have over four years experience as an exotic animal
technician, which involves the handling of snakes, tarantulas, lizards and
amphibians for a company that stocks the majority of the UK and Ireland’s pet
shops.
In my own practice I use still life and portraiture to examine the duality of our
relationship with nature, in particular birds. My most recent work, ‘The Avian
Knot’, is a series of still life images featuring contemporary taxidermy, Ikebana
(Japanese floristry) and knot craft. My background has had a dramatic impact on
my practice and the way I view animals. My work often addresses the death
involved in the mass production of animals, and our preference for animals that
look a certain way.
Recent achievements include, being selected to exhibit my series completed on
Masters degree at the Atkinson Gallery in Somerset.
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