Birdland, by Jim Moir

‘Birdland’ is an exclusive collection featuring 50 new paintings celebrating the artist’s favourite - and most recognisable subject.

Moir: “I’m a big wildlife fan. When I started birding, I was very young, I remember all I had was natural history books. I’d just look at them on me bed, all day, all night and then if it wasn’t that, I’d be looking at birds. I loved bird watching as a kid and I could probably tell you what any bird was, to this day. It’s really important.”

The exhibition marks a return to Harrogate for Moir, who first exhibited at RedHouse in 2022 with ‘Yorkshire Rocks & Dinghy Fights’. The collection was a runaway success, captivating visitors and featuring in the first season of Sky Arts’ ‘Painting Birds with Jim & Nancy Moir’.

Described as “The Warhol of bird painting” by Jonathan Jones of The Guardian, Moir was born in Leeds in 1959 and first came to prominence as a comedian, actor and musician - now celebrated as a national treasure. However, long before the character of ‘Vic Reeves’ brought success, Moir was a practising artist and enthusiastic birdwatcher: “People think that I am a comedian, but art comes first”.