At Home Everywhere
At Home Everywhere
Joy Parker
Mosaic
It is not the first time Joy has used pigeons in her artwork, and birds in general have always been used as symbols. What she’s enjoyed here, is the use of gold elevating the humble pigeon to that of a goddess, celebrating the story of how pigeons brought wealth to the people and town of Cheltenham by drinking its spring water. Here it is a symbol of purity, radiance and aspiration.
The different shades of gold, ranging from white gold to antique gold, highlight the pigeon’s details. By using gold smalti, normally reserved for religious art, Joy hopes the viewer will think twice about how we form our prejudices and judgments and to see the pigeon differently, as a bird of value. She has placed her on top of the world and called the piece "At Home Everywhere", which, it seems, is the bird’s virtue. May we all feel at home wherever we land on this earth!
Visit Joy Parker's website
Find this pigeon in Cheltenham town centre using the map below.