John Lee Bird is a British multi-disciplinary artist whose work incorporates large-scale paintings, mixed-media collages and drawings, sound and video work, children’s books, and textiles. His work is defined by his distinctive use of line.
His latest project DOLLS resulted in an extraordinary exhibition that justb enjoyed a 5 day run at UGLY DUCK in Tanner Street London. It included collected work from 23 years of his art practice. Mainly focussing on his most recent 3-year project of Doll making, but also reflecting on how the subjects of these dolls have influenced his other work throughout the years.
Spread over 3 floors of the Ugly Duck premises there were 800+ dolls and large-scale paintings, collages and drawings, linocuts, sculptures, sound installations and artists’ books. His whole life and work practice was laid bare in a celebration of how influence shapes and changes our lives and how obsessions can continue to run and shape work into different forms.
In a statement, Lee Bird wrote “The DOLLS project began at the beginning of lockdown with a crippling spinal condition. I felt the urge to return to working with fabric and textiles, the way I’d begun my art degree in 1997 I found a box of felt in my studio and decided on a whim to make a David Bowie doll… just over 3 months later I’d made 69 Bowie dolls; one to mark each year that “The Man Who Fell To Earth” graced us with his existence. Covering every stage of his career. Celebrating the life of my idol and all the costume collaborators that brought his creativity to our eyes, an obsessive tribute. My library of Bowie’s music as the soundtrack to my endless stitching. The project spiralled, I wanted to make more, looking at my vast music collection I decided to dive in and bring everyone to life in felt form. Immersing myself in their sounds as I stitched. Making one a day became an obsession and driving force…and my daily entertainment. Then it continued, I started to look at my favourite films and tv moments, ALIEN, The Exorcist, Twin Peaks, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and many more. Finally deciding to stop stitching after 3 whole years in March 2023…nearly 800 dolls later.
You can find out more about John Lee Bird's work and also follow him http://johnleebird.com/ 