Chris Bourke
'Eagle and Heart – Hand ColouRed'

Chris Bourke’s work is characterised by the use of strong text-based messages, often referring to the artist’s political opinions, issues of public morality and universal truths. Bourke formerly trained as a silversmith and less formerly as a tattoo artist whilst running his own skateboard shop ‘Spine’ for eleven years. He now works full time as an artist but remains greatly influenced by the motifs and symbology of tattoo culture, as well as ‘religious iconography, music, nature, the struggle and little birdies.’

‘Eagle and Heart’ displays all the crisply rendered vigour of the artist’s beautiful hand carved lino cuts, but with less of the words!

Bourke references a pantheon of classical signs and symbols set alongside his strongly tattoo influenced aesthetic, and indeed this striking image could be interpreted in a number of ways. Equipped with beautifully rendered plumage and framed with crisply hand-cut striations, has this powerful bird plucked a heart from the chest of a poor unsuspecting soul, or is the animal a messenger dutifully returning a beloved’s heart to its rightful owner?

Whatever the case, sit back and enjoy the endless beauty and symbolic possibilities of this striking piece- whilst keeping an eye out for low flying birds of prey..