The Life of Birds
By Matthew Renew
These images are from my series: ‘The Life of Birds’. This project is about creating a connection between the viewer and the natural world through an understanding of both artistic tools as well as psychology.
The images tap into our inherent need to connect with nature and encourage the viewer to spend time exploring the beauty and character of the birds. My use of anthropomorphism in the apparent social structures of the birds forces the viewer’s mind to project its own opinion of what drama might be unfolding, making the image a very personal and unique experience.
The images are influenced by 19th-century natural history illustration and in particular a book called ‘The Life of Animals’ by Alfred Brehm. The etchings in this book immediately drew me in with a sense of wonder and curiosity, which is exactly what I want to create in my own work.
My work blends reality and fiction, it is not a clear account of events but rather a story that you might recount to your friend: full of emotion, exaggerations, and embellishments and all the more beautiful for it.
Each image is meticulously constructed using multiple elements that are individually photographed and carefully composed. This approach allows me to capture scenes and compositions that would otherwise be impossible to achieve in a single photograph.
Web: www.matthewrenew.com
Insta: @matthewrenew
