In 1990 after my first solo exhibition in which a series of etchings titled 'silent parrot' appeared I named myself 'silent parrot press'...it would be 10 years before I was able to afford a second hand press but in those first 10 years I found ways of making prints in more resourceful ways...the most interesting was the heavy one person push roller used to flatten the clay tennis courts behind the house where I grew up...mostly wood block and lino relief...later I was given access to the art room at my old high school...they had a small intaglio press that reignited my love of etching...the name 'silent parrot' came after I had completed a series of etchings that used harpie like human/parrot figures floating above landscapes that I felt a certain affinity for...for days I searched for a title...then when I was painting a sign at a second hand shop in Townsville I could see a 1960's 'boys own journal' style of book amongst the second hand books...on the cover was a scene from a pirate story...reminding me of Treasure Island...the title read 'the silent parrot'...sp
great tale! serendipity meets need.
ReplyDeletemy mill name 'wake robin' is a native flower, but another of it's common names is stinkin' willie. stinkin' willie sounded great...for a bar.
Hmmm....... very interesting to get a little history of your story. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! I, too, like the story behind the name, and I can relate to the search for ways to print without a press.
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