Becoming Otherwise (2013)
4th July until 15 August, 2013
Saatchi & Saatchi Gallery, 123-125 The Strand, Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand
Gallery hours are Mon-Fri 10am to 5pm.
Special thanks to Whitehaven for sponsoring the wine for the opening reception
Strange and marvellous things, flushed beaks, flamboyant plumes and elaborate displays. Karley Feaver’s exhibition, Becoming Otherwise, transports you into a world of exotic creatures filled with odd familiarities and strangeness.
Through the ages people have made beautiful things for themselves and others by using materials from their nearby environment. Birds are known to do the same, especially when seeking to attract a mate. Feaver’s new works bring the image of beauty almost to the edge of absurdity, their appearance is both bizarre and extraordinary, unlike any other creature on earth.
While exploring the idea of transformation and adornment, Feaver’s current interests rest in nature’s ability to survive in different forms by adapting, adjusting and mutating into an increasingly man-made environment.
Human hair is a common feature in Feaver’s new works. For some, hair has no fixed meaning but for others it has powerful meanings and can retain the aura and energy of its owner. It also has great social significance, as does a birds plume or an animal’s coat. It is an indication of status and an artefact of the soul.
“I am interested in the scientific, intellectual and aesthetic reasons behind the re-creation of the animal. I am exploring how each one could exist in a domestic setting by adapting to their surroundings. Through this, my investigations of the animals have developed by morphing animals and other various objects into newly formed creations”.