images of swans

Over the last months I have started collecting a series of images as part of my research... which I feel I would like to have in my film in some form. Early on I noticed swans on the loch at the University in Stirling. There were swans again on the loch I learned to skate on. I went back to visit after reading about Norman skating.
I took some images myself of a mating reunion...typical I have learned of the annual renewal of swan lifetime partnerships!

There is also something for me about swans which is symbolic of the artist's quest. The ungly duckling story is one which I am sure amny artists will identify with. Growing uo with that sense of not quite fitting in with a crowd. And of knowing you are in the right place among other artists.I wonder if McLaren felt that. My time at Stirling uni would certainly seem to have unearthed this suggestion.( although in his case he also did not quite fit the artist stereotype...if there is such a thing) He was not happy with the still image produced by painting and this led him to moving image. Watching swans you become aware of a creature not happy on land...awkward...heavy while walking...but in water smooth and gliding. under the water is another story of course!! great effort is going on unseen to move this whit body across the water.

And then the swan takes off into the air. Again the transition is awkward..a great flapping of wings..incredible noise and looking on you cannot quite imagine how this huge bird will make it into the sky!! but it does and that noise of wings is what gave the swan its name...swan means noise...for it seems that most swans are mute and make very little noise. This transition from great effort to seemingly effortless grace is that of many art forms. dance, painting film making all look easy but we know they take huge effort and time.And so it is with swans... it is quite hard to catch a swan taking off...they do not do it with frequency anytime I have watched. I saw one the first time I met up with Emily the dancer..taking off on the loch at Stirling..but I did not have my camera to hand.

I looked instead for images of swans wings and feathers and even found one from Black Swan the film...

the one on the top left here is from a painting and it is clear the artist caught the moment perfectly when you see it beside the photo top right!!
So the swan has become a metaphor for me about accomplishing your goals...about the effort required to get there and also about the grace of producing that work and reflecting back..... so there will be swan in my McLaren film...he will fly too.....