Kate MccGwire: Menagerie | Harewood House
Words by Catriona McAra, University Curator at Leeds Arts University
During an unprecedented historical moment when our sense of touch has become compromised, an exhibition that rejoices in tactility and aesthetic embrace feels like forbidden fruit. Yet, over the last few days, writing through the feathers of sculptor Kate MccGwire has bestowed a heightened sensitivity to seasonal continuity. Birds continue to nest.
Harewood House was recently scheduled to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Bird Garden, a sanctuary for rare and endangered species. Chiefly known for her intricate, labour-intensive feather sculptures, MccGwire is the apt contemporary curatorial choice for such an occasion.
Menagerie redefines notions of exquisite beauty through nine, carefully positioned, sculptural exhibits. ‘Cavort’ (2020) in The Yellow Drawing Room is surely the focal point or compass for this show, a newly commissioned ‘flying carpet’ responding to the sheer opulence of its setting: the acanthus leaf stucco ceiling, sumptuous Axminster furnishings and myriad bird motifs. Comprising meticulously arranged pheasant feathers, ‘Cavort’ plays with mirror reflections and symmetrical relationships through a cleverly fabricated, kaleidoscopic configuration that expands the imagery fourfold on either side. MccGwire conjures a mesmerising mosaic of concentric swirls and rhythmic flow, mimicking her interest in twilight murmurations. A kaleidoscope seems fitting, a glimpse into something marvellous.
REVISED OPENING DATES
MENAGERIE: KATE MccGWIRE
Harewood House, Yorkshire | UK
20 July – 25 October 2020