Birds and Beasts: The Wild Escape
[ Exhibition )
Discover a wild array of prints and drawings of birds and beasts by artists including Elisabeth Frink, Graham Sutherland, Pablo Picasso and Enid Marx.
For centuries artists have been captivated by wildlife, creating timeless images of everything from falcons in flight and boxing hares to delicate dragonflies and ferocious stag beetles. This exhibition drew together depictions of birds and beasts from the Pallant House Gallery collection – including Elisabeth Frink’s swooping owl, Sarah Gillespie’s velvety moths against an inky dark sky and Pablo Picasso’s chattering goldfinches.
At a time when so much of our wildlife is under threat, this exhibition celebrated the many wonderful species that call this island home and the joy and inspiration they have given us. The exhibition was part of Art Fund’s Wild Escape initiative to engage children and young people in biodiversity.
The Wild Escape was made possible by lead support from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants, with additional support from Art Fund and a group of generous individuals and trusts.
The Wild Escape
It has never been more important to forge deep connections between people and nature. The natural world has always fuelled the curiosity of artists and writers and this exhibition drew from our permanent collection to present works inspired by an array of wonderful creatures. We invited viewers to celebrate with us the amazing nature on their doorstep and to consider questions of biodiversity and how each species exists as part of its own unique ecosystem and interrelated habitat.
The exhibition connected with Art Fund’s Wild Escape project with the aim to bring museums, schools, families and communities together to engage young people with the UK’s natural environment, drawing inspiration from the art and objects in our public collections and the creative and learning opportunities they can offer.
We worked with 100 pupils from three local primary schools to explore the biodiversity of our natural world through the exhibition and workshops on location in the South Downs. These were delivered in partnership with the South Downs National Park Authority and Goodwood Education Trust. Creative responses and Climate Protection Pledges made by the children were unveiled during a weekend of activities for all ages on Earth Day 2023, coinciding with our Open Weekend (22-23 April).
