Oriental Fowl - Allison Reed - Spring 2007
These are no ordinary barnyard roosters.
| Have you ever thought about the possibility of a rooster having a 45 foot long tail? Or a rooster who can crow for 25 seconds straight? How about rooster who stands over three feet tall? They exist, and they happen to be one of my favorite subjects to paint. Over the last few years I have been exploring the world of oriental fowl and the virtually unknown subculture which surrounds them, whether they be perfectly conditioned exhibition birds, or brutally powerful gamecocks in Pakistan. The history of these beautiful breeds spans back thousands of years. A few have had close relationships with Japanese royalty and are now under the protection of the Japanese government. Some strains were bred over centuries for the purpose of sportsmanship, until cockfighting was recently banned in most countries. This has made these birds harder to come by, but that hasn't stopped enthusiasts and fanciers from saving these breeds from fading away completely. By promoting breeds through exhibition competitions, they have generated worldwide interest and saved these beautiful animals from extinction. My interest in oriental began at a poultry show over six years ago, when a good friend of mine gave me a young Aseel cockerel. Aseels are notorious for their aggression as they were traditionally bred for fighting, and that’s just what this little cockerel had started doing at a few weeks of age. He was rather pitiful looking, but he grew up to be one of the most magnificent and charming birds I had ever raised. His exuberance lead me to fall in love with the breed, and it didn't take long before I was raising his offspring, and recently bantam Shamos and American-bred Phoenix. Oriental fowl are amazing birds, dynamic both in character and spirit - yet most of the hundreds of varieties are familiar only to those who devote their lives to their preservation. My hope is to change that through the exposure my paintings give to these birds' striking appearances and histories. For instance, pure Onagadoris never molt their tail feathers, which can grow to nearly 45 feet in length over a 10 year life span, given proper care. They are a protected living monument in Japan. Aseels, another oriental breed, arose in India for the express purpose of combat over 30 centuries before the dawn of the Christian era. They're the oldest chickens known to man. Finally, the massive O-Shamo was developed in Japan for fighting purposes with birds imported from Thailand. They are enormous creatures: the largest have been recorded to be over three feet tall and can weigh 13 pounds or more. Few casual observers are given the opportunity to appreciate these rare, exotic birds. Most aren't even aware that they exist. Hopefully, my paintings can communicate the enigmatic beauty of these animals, as well as the passion with which their keepers raise them - to those who might never have imagined. Allison Reed is a 22 year old resident of Arcata, California. She currently paints full time and lives with her dog and a large flock of poultry. She raises a few breeds of exhibition fowl as a hobby and shows them around the state. Allison has been painting since 2001 and she started showing her work locally in April of 2005. She is a member of the Accident Gallery in Eureka at 210 C Street. In January 2006, her show Incidental Vagabonds raised over $700 for Friends For Life Animal Rescue. Allison showed her rooster paintings at the Playspace Gallery at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco in November 2006. |