The care of small birds: Muriwai by Colin McCahon

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The care of small birds: Muriwai

The care of small birds: Muriwai

Artist

Colin McCahon
Production Date

1975
Medium

synthetic polymer paint on unstretched jute canvas
Size

1730 x 925 mm
Credit

Chartwell Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, 1985
Accession Number

C1994/1/146
Accession Date

Apr 1985
Department

New Zealand Art
Classification

Painting
Collection

Chartwell
Subjects

abstraction, rosaries, environmental protection, birds, beaches
Description

Gannets swarm above the pillar of rock that is Motutara Island, while two strings of rosary beads hang above a shifting horizon. Colin McCahon painted in series, building bodies of work around the big themes of life and death, time and loss, history
and place. The Care Of Small Birds: Muriwai, exhibited in Necessary Protection (1977), explores the young gannet’s leap of faith and first flight from the top of the Muriwai cliffs.