$3,400.00
Solitude Gang Gang Original Acrylic on Linen 50cm x 60cm
Stephen’s Inspiration: “In the vibrant study captured, a solitary male Gang-gang Cockatoo holds court among the slender, olive-green leaves of a towering eucalyptus. He is a subject of spectacular contrast, nature’s own deliberate brushstrokes painting a quiet rebel against the canopy. His body is a masterclass in subtlety, draped in soft, slate-grey plumage where every feather is finely edged in white, giving him the appearance of being delicately dusted with alpine frost. Yet, this muted, scalloped body serves only to visually anchor the explosive, fiery crimson of his head and his signature, wispy, forward-curling crest. This solitary figure is perfectly evolved for the cool, damp montane forests and sub-alpine woodlands of south-eastern Australia. Within this eucalyptus frame, his character reveals itself through an extraordinary, almost meditative calm. He is a far cry from the raucous, chaotic energy of other cockatoo species that loudly dominate the skies.
When the locates a cluster of hard eucalyptus gumnuts or native hawthorn berries, he enters a state of absolute, trance-like focus. With a beak engineered like a heavy-duty nutcracker, he methodically splinters the tough woody capsules to extract the tiny, nutritious seeds hidden inside. If this artwork were accompanied by a soundtrack, it would not shatter the morning with a deafening screech. Instead, it would resonate with the Gang-gang’s unmistakable call—a raspy, rhythmic wheeze that sounds exactly like a heavy, rusty gate swinging slowly on old hinges. Seeking solitude in the clear light of the afternoon, the crimson-crowned “Gang Gang” remains an enduring symbol of the high country, a living sculpture of fire and ash breathing quietly amongst the canopy”
The Gang-gang is notoriously gentle and unobtrusive, acting as a quiet artisan of the canopy found across south-eastern Australia in the cooler, mountainous parts of New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory.
Original painting by Stephen Bennett
In stock
