Wyrd but wonderful

Asked to create a site specific show for Jupiter Artland, the art park-cum-gallery nestled in rolling countryside near Edinburgh, Jonathan Baldock has dreamed up just the thing – a bestiary of fabulous hybrid animals for the venue’s equally fabulous Ballroom Gallery.

There is a serious intent, though. His is a body of work whose aim is to challenge the idea that queerness is unnatural, and is inspired in part by the story of ‘gay’ penguins at Edinburgh Zoo. Those penguins aren’t alone in forming single sex bonds. Crabs do it. Giraffes do it. Even elephants do it.

“These animals have all been identified scientifically as having same sex pairings, whether it’s penguins or cats,” Mr Baldock explains to your correspondent on a walk round the show ahead of its official opening. “I’ve made them as animals with a slightly mythological or folkloric element.”

Mr Baldock has titled the exhibition Wyrd. It’s an old word and therefore a nod to the show’s folkloric roots, hybrid animals being a staple of myths and legends the world over. But it also suits the show’s author.

Jonathan Baldock working on a piece from Warm Inside (Image: Leon Foggitt) “Weird is a word which has been used to describe me,” he laughs, standing surrounded by his works. “So I liked reclaiming it and giving it power. I thought that was very beautiful.”

There’s more to it than just that though. “From a queer perspective we identify with the monsters,” he adds. “They’re creatures which are often outside the laws of society and they’re rule breakers, so I have imbued these animals with these powers.”

Among the cast of animals populating the space are unicorns, a double-headed giraffe, two roosters and a pair of snails. Other creatures are of more........

© Herald Scotland