Dominic Harris' Ruffled
His 2015 Ruffled series continue Dominic Harris’s fascination with personifying animals within an abstracted display. In the Ruffled artwork he turns his attention to the world of ornithology and creates living portrait studies of the birds he is most intrigued with. Through a curated selection of twenty birds, each is brought to life through a startlingly life-like virtual representation on screen. At first the birds appear to be merely posing for a still life, but when the viewer approaches the birds become alive, beckoning further interaction with the viewer as it displays its personal attributes. Each bird is initially presented as though it is ‘almost’ a still-life portrait. If observed closely one will see that the bird is actually moving gently, but in a passive state. One might see the breathing or an occasional twitching, but really the bird is trying to stand still as if for a photographic portrait. As the viewer approaches the artwork the bird begins to respond. Each specie of bird has its own unique characteristic and charm. While some birds immediately exhibit behaviors that are endearing and entertaining, there are other birds who at first appear more solemn and independent and will take their time to warm up to the viewer before performing their unique jumps, hops, and head bops. Some birds are clearly of a more nervous and twitchy disposition while others are self-confident performers. The twenty species of bird have been selected by the artist for their own unique combinations of beauty, scarcity, and specific characters and personalities. He anticipates that they be collected either individually or as part of a larger set, and the birds are exhibited on one of three size of artworks in reflection of their true scale.
Greater Flameback
Chrysocolaptes guttacristatus
#The Undulating Flyer
The Greater Flameback’s bill is used to probe out food from small holes in trees. Their long tongues can shoot forward to extract tree-living arthropods. This species have zygondactyl feet meaning that they have two toes which face forwards and two which face backwards. Signature: Signed certificate by artist.
Red Crested Turaco
Touraco erythrolophus
#The Unsociable
Popular for their bright colours and prominent crest, the Turaco gets its vibrancy from just two pigments. Both pigments contain copper, which is unique to the bird. The call of the bird sounds a little like a jungle monkey and has given it the nickname ‘the Go-Away Bird’, as it sounds very similar to ‘g’way’.
Red Crested Cardinal
Paroaria coronata
#Pedro from Rio
This species is quite unique, as both males and females have the same general markings and they both sing. Juvenile birds differ and have light brown heads. Unusually though, the juveniles tend to be around the same size as the adults.
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
#The Fastest Flyer
The Peregrine is bird of prey that is renowned for its speed during its high speed dive. Reaching speeds of over 322 km/h, it is the fastest member of the animal kingdom. Although the species is so widespread that it is found almost anywhere on earth, they are more commonly seen along mountain ranges, river valleys, coastlines and even cities. They are the most widespread of all the falcons.
King Penguin
Aptenodytes patagonicus
#The Swimmer
King penguins generally forage at depths of 150 – 300m, with 500m being the maximum depth recorded for this species. Deep dives are only made during the daytime, but King penguins can also feed at night by making shallow dives. Presumably they can still hunt by sight at night, because of the bioluminous light emitted from their prey.
Greater Flamingo
Phoenicopterus roses
#The Pink Wader
A sociable creature, these long- legged waders live in flocks with as many as 10,000 birds; spending their days feeding off the pink shrimp that colours their feathers. Flamingos are skittish and fly away if disturbed; often being mistaken for geese because of the loud honking noises they make. The Greater Flamingo is characterised by its long neck, long pink legs, and pink plumage with black and white tipped wings.
Keel Billed Toucan
Ramphastos Sulfuratus
#Rainbow Toucan
The Keel-Billed Toucan is also sometimes called the Rainbow-Billed Toucan, because of its rainbow-coloured beak. This beak can grow to nearly 20cm long, making it one third the length of the bird itself. Their way of conserving space whilst they sleep is to tuck their beaks under their bodies.
Crested Partridge
Rollulus rollout
#The Lazy One
This species can be found in large groups under canopies, but are often found on their own or in a pair when searching for food. Whilst walking around, the birds use their feet to probe the ground for food. Being quite a large bird with small wings, they are not good flyers. When threatened, they prefer to run, but they can fly short distances if necessary.
Blue and Yellow Macaw
Ara ararauna
#The Indiscreet One
Their faces are white and black and they have a large, powerful black beak. When they get excited, their white faces will sometimes appear pink. Macaws have extremely powerful beaks that are used to break open seeds and also as a third foot for climbing.
Bali Myna
Leucopsar rothschildi
#The Funny One
The Bali Myna, also known as the Bali Starling or Rothschild’s Mynah, can only be found in the wild, on the island of Bali in Indonesia. This Starling is listed as a Critically Endangered species due to its small range and population paired with illegal over-poaching.
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arctica
#Clown of the Sea
This species is well adapted for life at sea, with their short wings designed to swim underwater with a flying technique. Flying in the air is a bit harder, as the Puffin has to flap its wings rapidly to take off and normally fly close to the surface of the water. When they land, these birds are even clumsier, crashing or bellyflopping into waves.
