The Pet Show #12 莱拉·杰弗里斯 Leila Jeffreys

莱拉·杰弗里斯

生于1972年，巴布亚新几内亚（澳大利亚）

莱拉·杰弗里斯以她的鸟类图像而闻名，这些图像探索并颠覆了传统肖像的形式。杰弗里斯作为一位艺术家创作的作品，越来越多地与她作为环保主义者的关注点密不可分。以艺术家-活动家的身份，她要与保护主义者、鸟类学家合作、挑选鸟类爱好者和世界各地的保护区，找到她的拍摄对象，然后与她拍摄的鸟类建立亲密关系。对于杰弗里斯来说，鸟类既是媒介也是信息，它们聚焦了那些短暂而珍贵的联系，将我们与自然世界紧密相连。

“这些艺术作品是五年多规划和坚持的结果;是对实现不可能的承诺。它始于我注意到一群澳大利亚本土的虎皮鹦鹉看起来像树上的叶子。仔细地观察，在它们中我也看到了个体、情侣和家庭。随着人类世界以疯狂的速度发展，以一个不断升级的速度展开，我发现观察鸟类有助于减缓我们的内在节奏，提醒我们深呼吸并活在当下。因为它们是非凡的生物，它们也带给我们平静和敬畏。正如中国哲学家老子在公元前6世纪所说，‘自然不急不躁，却无所不成’。”

推特，来自《高社会》系列，2019年 © 莱拉·杰弗里斯

克拉尔，来自《高社会》系列，2019年 © 莱拉·杰弗里斯

雨和六月，来自《高社会》系列，2019年 © 莱拉·杰弗里斯

自然非景观地，而是家园，2019年 © 莱拉·杰弗里斯, 视频，连续循环8分钟26秒

Leila Jeffreys

B.1972, Papua New Guinea (Australia)

Leila Jeffreys is best known for her images of birds that explore and subvert the traditions of portraiture. Increasingly, Jeffreys’ work as an artist is inextricable from her concerns as an environmentalist. Working in the tradition of artist-activists, the artist collaborates with conservationists, ornithologists, select bird enthusiasts and sanctuaries around the world to find her subjects before forging an intimate relationship with the birds that she photographs. For Jeffreys, birds are both medium and message, bringing into focus the fleeting and precious connections that bind us to the natural world.

“These artworks were the result of more than five years of planning and commitment; a pledge to making the impossible possible. It began when I noticed how a flock of native Australian budgerigars look like leaves on a tree. Looking closer I also saw individuals, couples, and families. As the human world unfolds at a frantic pace; a speed that is constantly escalating, I find that observing birds helps slow our internal rhythms and reminds us to take a breath and be present. They also deliver the gift of peace and awe because they are remarkable creatures. As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu put it in the 6th century BC, ‘Nature does not hurry and yet everything is accomplished’. ”