Aviary

Details:

Watercolour, 28cm x 35cm each.
Date: 2011

‘Aviary’ was the first solo-exhibition where Luan dealt with the theme and subject of birds and birdlife.
James Tates poem ‘The Blue Booby’ provides an entry to this ongoing body of work. In it he uses the language and style of the wildlife narrator to talk about this bird of the Galapagos. Initially it seems to nothing more than data and observations on this bird. Towards the last stanza it however becomes apparent that he uses this ‘mask’ to talk about much larger issues than simply the bird. He deals with desire, posession and sublimation. In a similiar way Luan attempt to use his  ‘studies’ or ‘observations’ on birds and birdlife to speak about larger and sometimes deeply personal issues.

‘The Parrots’:

LUAN NEL_The Parrots
‘Reier’ (Whooping Crane):

LUAN NEL_The Wooping Crane
‘Perched’:

LUAN NEL_Perched
‘Neighbourhood’:

LUAN NEL_Neighbourhood
‘Flock’:

LUAN NEL_Flock
‘Stoutgat’ (naughty-ass):

blue budgie