How artists represent creatures great and small.

Throughout history, the significant connections that animals have with humans is one that cannot be understated. Whether worshipped as religious deities or seen to have humanistic qualities, animals have long held a permanent place in the collective human subconscious. For artists, this manifests profoundly, with artworks inviting viewers to look critically and explore what is really being represented.

Reg Mombassa - 'Nellie'

Pia Murphy - 'The Lion Tamer'

Prolific throughout family portraits and depictions of nobility, the humble family hound has long been thought of as a symbol of fidelity. Pictured here in Murphy’s playfully titled ‘The Lion Tamer’, the family dog is loyalty manifest. Always on guard to protect his owner, Murphy’s depiction of her pet is imbued with deep knowledge of his almost human personality.

Michael Leunig - 'Killer Cat'

Deified within Ancient Egyptian mythology, the motif of the cat in Western art has been transformed into something more nuanced. Pictured either languishing lazily in the sun, or poised ready to strike, felines are often represented in art as unpredictably natured - cute and cuddly, but cold-blooded killers.

Martin King - 'the birds arrive and are greeted by a herald vo. 1'

Mirka Mora - 'Girl and Bird'

Auguste Blackman - 'Birds with Teapot'

In art, the bird is somewhat universally recognised as a symbol of freedom - aided by wings, the bird is able to take flight at any given moment. In Mirka Mora’s ‘Girl and Bird’, the bird is, however, grounded. In itself, this is subtly significant of innocence and obedience - despite a horizon of possibilities, this bird is content to remain somewhere where it is safe and sheltered.

Reg Mombassa - 'Flaming hole with serpents, Tarkine Rainforest'

The artistic symbolism of the snake is varied and complex. Classically, the snake is a symbol of wisdom and renewal - ever-shedding its skin, the snake remains in a permanent state of transformation. In religious iconography, however, the snake recalls the devil in the Garden of Eden - a motif for the temptation of man. We see this in Mombassa’s artwork, with the Tarkine Rainforest a haven that has been nefariously infiltrated.

Adam Cullen - 'Dog'

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