THE WORK of the legendary David Attenborough has inspired a new visual art exhibition that will open in Kinvara on Friday, September 2 at the Courthouse. 

Entitled, ‘In the Beginning’, the show is a selection of artwork by former Chairperson of Kinvara Area Visual Arts (KAVA), Pam Fleming. The colourful exhibition is accompanied by a collection of poetry by local authors.

“The inspiration for this show owes gratitude to that champion of the natural world, Sir David Attenborough,” Pam said. “Watching his very early TV shows, set in Madagascar, as a child instilled an appreciation of the animal kingdom in me and many others who watched spellbound. The title of the exhibition ‘In the Beginning’ refers to the bible and the giving therein to humankind, domination over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air and over all the wild animals on the earth.”

Pam added that she has been very conscious of the biodiversity crisis in producing the exhibition. 

“The relationship we have in today’s world with the animal kingdom is of course one of major concern, with many species on the brink of extinction,” she said. “The theme of this show however, is concerned with how we relate on a day-to-day basis with the wildlife we draw close to in our lives. The more I looked and thought about the everyday interactions, the more it seemed to me that our power or dominion has led us to treat the animals entrusted to us as mere commodities. In some instances, this has proved to be both cruel and painful, and yet in other ways we love and value our animal friends. We include their names in our favourite sayings, and who can deny the value of a guide dog or the affection we give to our pet cat or dog? Exhibited alongside the paintings, are poems by local writers that explore the theme of this exhibition. We hope you come along and enjoy both paintings and poems. There will be an opportunity to listen and enjoy an evening of the poetry to be scheduled during the exhibition, please watch out for details on Kava’s Facebook page for details.”

‘In the Beginning’ will be open daily at the Courthouse from 11am to 4pm, and will run until September 11.