Silently Stirring

21 March – 8 June 2009  | Children’s Gallery

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What stirs?

Animals and magical beings are favourite subjects for many artists because they provide endless inspiration for the imagination.

Can you find the cat in Lionel Lindsay’s Siesta twitch its ear and restlessly wave its tail? One of Timothy Akis’s birds stretches its wings in flight, while the other creeps along the ground. Have you noticed the piercing eyes of Lesbia Thorpe’s Barn owls? Don’t look now but they are watching you as you read this text.

Just around the corner, a koala blinks, budgerigars are unpeeling, a wooden figure stands small but tall, and a giant rabbit’s nose twitches and sniffs. Find out all that stirs but remember, they may seem playful and even cute but an artist has carefully created them with meaning and purpose so things may be different than they first appear.

Choose an artwork from below and click through to find a fun activity.