Omen Bird 1972

Editor: This is Lawrence Daws' "Omen Bird" from the Tate Collections. The dark landscape with a lone bird flying above creates a very ominous mood. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a potent symbol of environmental precarity. How does the bird, a traditional symbol of freedom, become an "omen" in this context? Is it a harbinger of ecological disaster, or a warning against societal complacency in the face of environmental destruction? Editor: I hadn’t considered the environmental aspect, that's a really interesting point. Curator: Consider also the colonial history embedded in landscape painting. Daws, an Australian artist, is depicting a scene fraught with complex histories of land use and ownership. How might this inform our reading of the "omen"? Editor: This gives me a lot to think about, thank you. Curator: It encourages us to consider art's potential to highlight these important issues.