Erin Newell Bird

Erin Newell Bird is an internationally exhibited artist living in Surrey Hills, United Kingdom. Her work explores the interplay between photography and painting and signals a transgression of borders between rationality and the spiritual unconscious.

Combining family archives to create digital montages that reflect individual and intergenerational transformation, she transforms these images in unpredictable ways by submerging them in water. Once altered, the artist carefully paints layers of color until the former image is entirely abstracted. What remains is a vibrant form that conveys a sense of movement and freedom. The artist explains, “Water is the perfect medium to transform my imagery. It leads us back to the places we come from and anchors us to a wider ‘body politic.’ We’re all made of water, and we’re all made of composite experiences.”