Ma Waterprint
Oil, flashe, ink and water on canvas
47 x 47 in / 120 x 120 cm
In Ma Waterprint, artist Erin Bird delves into the deeply resonant themes of memory, heritage, and the metamorphic power of art. Starting from a black-and-white photograph sourced from her family archive—a striking image of her mother marked by a gaze of palpable anxiety—Bird reimagines this memory within a lush, monochromatic palette of golden orange. This hue, directly inspired by the Irish flag, does more than evoke nationality; it breathes resilience and warmth into a moment once marked by vulnerability.
Presented on a perfectly square canvas, Ma Waterprint is a contemporary nod to Frederic Leighton’s Flaming June. Just as Leighton’s masterpiece captured the essence of repose and inner light, Bird’s piece harnesses the power of a single, radiant tone to symbolize healing. Her innovative Waterprint technique transforms the archival photo into a lively floral abstraction, where soft, fluid shapes interact with hints of tension—a visual dialogue between fragility and strength.
As viewers engage with Ma Waterprint, they’re invited to traverse the boundaries between past and present, memory and reinvention. Bird’s work doesn’t just reinterpret an image; it reconstructs the emotional contours of a family narrative. This transformation from fear to strength encapsulates the artist's meditation on trauma, resilience, and the unexpected beauty of reinterpretation.
For curators and collectors, Ma Waterprint offers more than a visual experience; it is a piece that resonates on multiple dimensions—cultural, personal, and aesthetic. Bird’s technique and thematic exploration place her within an evolving contemporary dialogue, positioning her work as both timely and timeless in its exploration of identity and legacy.
Oil, flashe, ink and water on canvas
47 x 47 in / 120 x 120 cm
In Ma Waterprint, artist Erin Bird delves into the deeply resonant themes of memory, heritage, and the metamorphic power of art. Starting from a black-and-white photograph sourced from her family archive—a striking image of her mother marked by a gaze of palpable anxiety—Bird reimagines this memory within a lush, monochromatic palette of golden orange. This hue, directly inspired by the Irish flag, does more than evoke nationality; it breathes resilience and warmth into a moment once marked by vulnerability.
Presented on a perfectly square canvas, Ma Waterprint is a contemporary nod to Frederic Leighton’s Flaming June. Just as Leighton’s masterpiece captured the essence of repose and inner light, Bird’s piece harnesses the power of a single, radiant tone to symbolize healing. Her innovative Waterprint technique transforms the archival photo into a lively floral abstraction, where soft, fluid shapes interact with hints of tension—a visual dialogue between fragility and strength.
As viewers engage with Ma Waterprint, they’re invited to traverse the boundaries between past and present, memory and reinvention. Bird’s work doesn’t just reinterpret an image; it reconstructs the emotional contours of a family narrative. This transformation from fear to strength encapsulates the artist's meditation on trauma, resilience, and the unexpected beauty of reinterpretation.
For curators and collectors, Ma Waterprint offers more than a visual experience; it is a piece that resonates on multiple dimensions—cultural, personal, and aesthetic. Bird’s technique and thematic exploration place her within an evolving contemporary dialogue, positioning her work as both timely and timeless in its exploration of identity and legacy.
Oil, flashe, ink and water on canvas
47 x 47 in / 120 x 120 cm
In Ma Waterprint, artist Erin Bird delves into the deeply resonant themes of memory, heritage, and the metamorphic power of art. Starting from a black-and-white photograph sourced from her family archive—a striking image of her mother marked by a gaze of palpable anxiety—Bird reimagines this memory within a lush, monochromatic palette of golden orange. This hue, directly inspired by the Irish flag, does more than evoke nationality; it breathes resilience and warmth into a moment once marked by vulnerability.
Presented on a perfectly square canvas, Ma Waterprint is a contemporary nod to Frederic Leighton’s Flaming June. Just as Leighton’s masterpiece captured the essence of repose and inner light, Bird’s piece harnesses the power of a single, radiant tone to symbolize healing. Her innovative Waterprint technique transforms the archival photo into a lively floral abstraction, where soft, fluid shapes interact with hints of tension—a visual dialogue between fragility and strength.
As viewers engage with Ma Waterprint, they’re invited to traverse the boundaries between past and present, memory and reinvention. Bird’s work doesn’t just reinterpret an image; it reconstructs the emotional contours of a family narrative. This transformation from fear to strength encapsulates the artist's meditation on trauma, resilience, and the unexpected beauty of reinterpretation.
For curators and collectors, Ma Waterprint offers more than a visual experience; it is a piece that resonates on multiple dimensions—cultural, personal, and aesthetic. Bird’s technique and thematic exploration place her within an evolving contemporary dialogue, positioning her work as both timely and timeless in its exploration of identity and legacy.