Leila Jeffreys: The wound is the place where the light enters

“We can only mourn what we deeply love. This exhibition is a testament to this love.”


Leila Jeffreys is an artist known for her exquisite photographic portraits of Australian birds. In a studio setting, she captures the magnificent characteristics, behaviours, and personalities of these birds; as individuals, in pairs, and in flocks, resulting in large-scale photographs that amplify the beauty, colour, and patterning of her avian subjects.

“Seeing birds and observing them is a beautiful reminder of the natural world,” Jeffreys says.

For this exhibition, The wound is the place where the light enters; a title inspired by Persian poet Rumi, Jeffreys introduces birds with naturally occurring red markings as provocation to visualise a new mythology imagining that “living creatures develop wounds that appear as physical markings.” A concept the artist dreamt up in the summer of 2019 as fire spread across the east coast of New South Wales, devastating townships, the landscape, and wildlife.

Leila Jeffreys, Bleeding heart, 2022. Courtesy the artist and Olsen Gallery, Sydney

The chaos and uncertainty of that time “gave rise to a moment of profound personal grief. I found myself turning inward. I became more aware of my feelings, and the works in my new exhibition speak to the fact that pain can reveal what truly matters. We can only mourn what we deeply love. This exhibition is a testament to this love,” she says.

Jeffreys’ new series of photographs is the outcome of many years of research, consultation, and collaboration with conservationists, wildlife carers, and a world-class film crew. Various species of birds such as the Gouldian, St Helena, and Red-cheeked cordon-bleu finches appear wounded with scars of red, yet there is a spirit of vitality and resilience that exudes from individual birds, small flocks perched on branches and bonsai, and others displaying the extraordinary design of their pretty cape-like wings expanded in full flight. All delicate and beautiful in stark contrast to the parched and burnt remnants of the plant life they encounter.

Leila Jeffreys, Spotted Bowerbird Egg, 2022. Courtesy the artist and Olsen Gallery, Sydney

“Humans sometimes need reminding that we are not the only species on this planet; that it’s our responsibility to ensure that there are places for the other species we share the planet with to live and thrive. We tend to think that we’re helping them out via conservation work, but it’s really a balance. Humans can’t survive without all these other species that exist within our ecosystem; we’re part of this web, not separate from it. It’s our responsibility to leave the planet a better place than when we got here,” Jeffreys explains.

The success of her unique way of working with birds in a studio-style environment relies on patiently building trust and connection, and by creating a space for these delicate and curious creatures to feel comfortable in. “I travel to the birds. They never come to me. Allowing time to get to know the birds, and see which ones are more comfortable and more likely to bond with me is an important part of my process. As we build trust, they reveal their unique characters,” she shares.

Leila Jeffreys, Burnt branch No. 1, 2022. Courtesy the artist and Olsen Gallery, Sydney

“With my camera tethered to a laptop, and the backdrop, perch, and camera widely spaced, so the bird still feels at home, and the equipment is not an intrusion. I start by introducing the bird to the perch, which initially is completely foreign but soon becomes more familiar and eventually the bird is happy to rest there. Then I start to move behind the camera and work, gradually moving my camera in closer to capture more detail.”

“I live with the images for a very long time rather than make decisions instantly. It’s a very slow process! It’s about capturing something that grabs you by the heart.”

 

Kirsty Francis is a Sydney-based writer.

 

Olsen Gallery
12 to 29 October 2022
Sydney

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