Behind the Scenes: Derek Robertson's Migration Paintings
/ Society of Wildlife Artists
In this year’s 55th Annual Exhibition by the Society of Wildlife Artists, The Natural Eye 2018, artist Derek Robertson is exhibiting five works painted on site in the Jordanian desert, among the graveyards of refugee boats in Sicily, and in the Jungle Camp in Calais. They are, in Derek’s words: "a field study of adversity: a nature expedition through dystopia”.
Bird Studies in Dystopia by Derek Robertson: Watercolour, 45 x 55 cm - £1,250
The works are part of a larger project by Derek, titled Migrations, about which he says: 'I am privileged to spend my days in wild and beautiful places painting birds. I am fascinated by them; by their abstract shapes, their song, their behaviour, their migrations. I have sketched them, and helped in scientific studies of their migratory journeys from the Arctic right down into Africa. Four years ago I watched as 'The Summer of Boats' unfolded into a refugee crisis, and I saw newscasters reporting from beaches on Mediterranean islands as desperate people came ashore. I recognised these islands as the same places I had travelled to watch and sketch migratory birds and now here were people in a similar state of immediate survival, taking the same lines of flight as the birds I portray.'
Graveyard of refugee boats, Sicily by Derek Robertson: Watercolour, 45 x 55 cm - £1,250
'Through the course of a year, I travelled through the UK and Europe, through the Mediterranean to the Middle East. On my travels I spoke to refugees, locals and volunteers, and I sketched what I saw; the people, the places, and the birds. One of the interests that ecologists have in birds is that they are important environmental indicators; if the populations or migration of the birds change, this points to change in the environment that could be of grave concern. The issues are complex, but academic studies draw a link between climate change, conflict and refugee crises, which all cause further social and environmental stress. In these complex systems, ecologists look to the birds to indicate what might be happening to our world. They are telling us something we can now recognise for ourselves, and how we address the intertwined issues of climate change and refugee crises will define who we are and what societies we live in for generations to come.'
The Desert is Full of Promises by Derek Robertson: Watercolour, 45 x 55 cm - £1,250
'I documented what I saw on my travels and expressed these interwoven topics through a series of paintings back in the studio, but often the stories I heard and the things I saw were difficult to express and too hard to portray. I often concentrated my attention on the details and the surface texture – the ephemera of the boats and camps and studies of the birds that I found there. The project challenged me artistically and personally, and I often found myself very far outside my comfort zone. I taught art classes in refugee schools and organised art activities for unaccompanied children in some of the camps. I was mugged in Sicily, caught in a riot in Calais, and escorted off sites by armed police and soldiers, but my experiences were matched by the inspirational humanity of the many refugees and volunteers that I met.'
We Used the Apps to Guide Us by Derek Robertson: Watercolour, 26 x 26 cm - £500
Derek's works are on display in The Natural Eye 2018 from 25 October to 4 November 2018. You can find out more about the exhibition and browse the catalogue online here. If you would like to purchase one of Derek's paintings, please call 020 7930 6844 or email info@mallgalleries.com. You can also find out more about Derek's project Migrations here.
We Followed the Phone by Derek Robertson: Watercolour, 26 x 26 cm - £500
Browse the Exhibition Catalogue