The Tarot Of British Birds

The kernel of the idea to create my own tarot deck developed in the summer of 2024. I had been to see an enthralling exhibition of the work of Leonora Carrington, the British/Mexican surrealist artist, at the beautiful Newlands House Gallery in Sussex.

I remembered on returning that around the time of the pandemic Carrington’s version of the tarot had been discovered in her archive and was being shown for the first time in the US. The surrealists seemed interested in the symbolism of the tarot and quite a few artists designed their own versions, most notably Salvador Dali. I have always felt a kinship with surrealism, most explicitly the merging of real and dreamlike scenarios.

Tarot, or Trionfi, cards are said to have originated in 14th Century Italy. The name tarot originates from the Italian word for foolishness Taroch. They were designed as a set of archetypes for divination and future telling, but also as playing cards for games like Tarocchini. The popularity of the cards spread throughout Europe and developed into various but essentially similar forms whilst still keeping their symbolic identities.

The earliest cards were hand painted, so only a very small amount existed until the invention of the printing press. In the occult tradition the picture cards of which there are 22 are called the Major Arcana (greater secrets), whist the suit playing cards are called Minor Arcana (lesser secrets).

My process for creating my deck of 22 cards began by splitting it in half, which felt more manageable. The first half to be shown at Rowley Gallery in June – July 2025 and the last 11 to be shown in early 2026.

I made a list of many British birds I wished to include in the deck and as I began to research the individual characteristics of each card the bird would most often introduce itself, and take shape on my paper. Sometimes many birds hopped around until one became the perfect fit. In my mind however the glorious golden eagle was perfect for the strength card as it had to mutate into a lion and become a griffin.

It was important to me to include birds I have very strong personal connections with, from the barn owls I grew up in the countryside with to the sparrows and tits who visit my garden every day to feed. Every two weeks I walk on Hampstead Heath with my great friend and fellow artist Kate. We bring various nuts and visit our crow and magpie family we have known for many years, the joy of experiencing up close this host of magnificent corvids is always the highlight of my week. I want to honour them because they have taught me so much. Our walks also include often meeting majestic herons, flocks of long tailed tits and our largest British bird, the mute swan. I was in no doubt that this project would celebrate and elevate each bird if it was at all possible.

The borders of the card often hint at the more prosaic reading of the card and the back of the card is painted with a vignette again hinting at the classical references associated with the card or the inverted meaning of the card as they can be read both upside down and right way up.

I enjoyed weaving all the various strands together into something which stood on its own but was also multi-layered and playful. Again my passion for Renaissance and medieval art is no doubt in evidence.

Above all else I wanted to celebrate these dazzling and sadly in some cases endangered birds. Without them my life would, in some way, be bereft of meaning .

David Hollington
London 2025

※

David Hollington / The Rowley Gallery