Peckham Pigeons

Oil on canvas, 6 x 6 inch

This work is of two pigeons I saw fighting over food scraps in Peckham Rye overground station. It was such a fascinating interaction that I felt the urge to document it. Despite once being bred by people as pets and working animals, pigeons are often seen as vermin and were ostracised once deemed unuseful. The colour palette was inspired by the bird’s feathers, accompanied by the light airy brushstrokes.
Contrasting the background, the etched outlines of the two birds was quick and careless, attempting to further accentuate how fast humanity was able to cast them aside. Using a really small canvas,  comparatively  to the work I usually create, was an attempt to show how insignificant and overlooked these creatures are as a whole, and I feel the piece manages to successfully convey this.