Last week I found myself in the city centre with the girlies. We'd been at the bank pretending to be grown ups. Instead of getting the train home we went for a walk and before long I found myself passing a gallery, not one of those family friendly ones with crayons and interactive displays, a trendy gallery. It was empty. Looking in the window I was immediately drawn in by the (frankly amazing) photography exhibition and when we were done with that we wondered next door into the connecting print studio. Looking through the racks of prints thinking maybe I would find one for our house (ha! Maybe if I sold a kidney. Or a baby.) I came across these prints by Helen Fay and I could not stop coming back to them. In theory you wouldn't think that prints of dogs and penguins shouldn't be much more than 'kind of cute' and then passed over for something a little grittier, but these penguins and dogs really grabbed me. There's something so moving about them, so soulful. There's nobility and strength and perseverance; solitude, struggle, dignity. For reals. The Glasgow Print Studio only had a couple of pictures but when I came home and looked up Helen Fay's website, her etchings of apes and monkeys quite literally made a lump rise in my throat. How can they be so emotive? I don't understand. All I know is that they might just be worth selling a kidney for. Any takers?
All images copyright of and reproduced with the permission of Helen Fay
No, but I'll take a baby. Either one. I'm not fussy ;) xx
ReplyDeleteP.S - love her work. Somehow strong and vulnerable at the same time. Love the ape.
ReplyDeleteYou had me at penguin
ReplyDeleteBeautiful.
I am not in the market for a baby.
but i like yours standing on the Amazon box.
I was offering a kidney actually, I kind of like the kids.
DeleteThe cows are wonderful. I love their long shaggy hair and the curved horns.
ReplyDeleteThese are so fantastic. The kiwi bird kind of slays me.
ReplyDeletewow. The landscapes are incredible too. Fantastic.
ReplyDeleteMini stories in one frame. Really beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLove it... thanks for sharing... this is probably my favourite "result/effect/bonus/gift" with regards to blogs, websites and the internet... the sharing of art... xx
ReplyDeleteOh the ape is amazing. (It reminds me – and this maybe too trivial a reference of the bit in the sequel to Babe (terrible movie but bare with me) when they (the baddies) come for the orangutan. it's the quiet, dignified acceptance of fate that I thought was way too dark for a kids' movie.)
ReplyDeleteThese are great, I'd love that penguin on my wall! Sadly a lot of Helen Fay's links didn't seem to work? (Biography, CV...). Can admire from afar, though...
ReplyDelete