7pm - 9pm
Elected as a Royal Academician in 2004, Humphrey is famously quoted as saying: 'In 1993 I saw a puffin and that was it' and his compendium ‘A Book of Birds’ only goes to further illustrate his love of birds, which he continues to paint both here in the UK and in Africa.
Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? is the inspiring story of how Guardian Country Diary columnist Lev returned to birdwatching after an absence of 30 years. Lev's sixth book, Taking Flight, about flight in the animal kingdom, was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize 2023.
Join us for what promises to be a sparkling evening of wit and conversation which will focus on birds and birding, but will undoubtedly also include art and music and how important all of these subjects are to life itself.
Click on the headline for more info and booking link
This is a free event, but booking is essential due to limited places. Book your place here
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Humphrey Ocean
Humphrey Ocean, born in Sussex in 1951, went to art schools in Tunbridge Wells, Brighton and Canterbury. From 1971 to 1973 he was bass player with Kilburn and the Highroads and in 2004 was elected a Royal Academician. In 1984 he painted a portrait of Philip Larkin for the NPG.
In 1988 he went to Northern Brazil with the anthropologist Stephen Nugent. Their book Big Mouth: The Amazon Speaks was published by Fourth Estate.
Projects include Life Class with Artangel, Art Everywhere with the Art Fund, advising on Mike Leigh’s film Mr Turner. At Christine König Galerie, Vienna he exhibited in books + papers 2015, Wahren Flusse und Meere Tinte 2017, books + papers II 2019, Me, Myself and I, 2020. In 2018 he exhibited in Drawing Together at The Courtauld Gallery, From Life at Royal Academy of Arts.
In 2016 he wrote and presented The Essay for BBC Radio 3 about Impington College, the only Gropius building in Britain. In 2018 he talked with artist Mark Alexander in Only Artists on BBC Radio 4. In 2019 he was a guest on BBC Radio 4 Start the Week: Hogarth, Freud and Ocean. In 2012 he was made Honorary Doctor by Canterbury Christ Church University and in 2015, Honorary Doctor by University of Kent. Humphrey Ocean was Royal Academy Professor of Perspective 2012-2020.
Exhibitions include Double-Portrait, Tate Liverpool 1992; urbasuburba, The Whitworth, University of Manchester 1997; The Painter's Eye, National Portrait Gallery, London 1999; how's my driving, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London 2003; Perfectly Ordinary, Sidney Cooper Gallery, Canterbury Christ Church University 2009; Here and There, Jesus College, Cambridge 2011; A handbook of modern life, National Portrait Gallery, London 2013; I've No Idea Either, Sims Reed Gallery, London 2018; Birds, Cars and Chairs, Royal Academy of Arts 2019; Fresh as Paint, Eton College 2022; That was close at DKUK, Peckham, London 2024
In 2019 a major new monograph, Humphrey Ocean by Ben Thomas and A Book of Birds by Humphrey Ocean were both published by RA Publications.
His work is in the collections of British Museum, British Council, The Whitworth: University of Manchester, Imperial War Museum, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, National Maritime Museum, National Galleries Scotland: Portrait, Victoria and Albert Museum, Government Art Collection.
He lives and works in London.
Website: www.humphreyocean.com
Birds: Birds → Humphrey Ocean
Links: Links → Humphrey Ocean
A Book of Birds: shop.royalacademy.org.uk/a-book-of-birds
Lev Parikian
Lev Parikian is a writer and conductor living in London.
His six books cover a range of subjects: Why Do Birds Suddenly Disappear? is the story of his return to birdwatching after an absence of 30 years; Into The Tangled Bank explores our relationship with the natural world; Light Rains Sometimes Fall is a year of nature on his local patch; Music To Eat Cake By is a collection of essays on subjects given to him by readers; and Waving, Not Drowning is a lighthearted look at the mysterious world of orchestral conducting. Into The Tangled Bank was longlisted for the 2021 Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing.
Lev's sixth book, Taking Flight, about flight in the animal kingdom, was published in May 2023 and was shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book Prize 2023.
Lev also writes a regular column for The Guardian’s Country Diary, has reviewed for the Times Literary Supplement and features for Bird Watching magazine.
As a conductor, Lev is devoted to the rich world of amateur music-making, and works with several London-based orchestras. He has also produced two CDs, with the BBC Concert Orchestra and the City of Oxford Orchestra, of music by Stuart Hancock and Roland Roberts. A particular highlight was conducting the theme tune for The Missing Hancocks for BBC Radio 4 with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
Lev was also the instigator of the popular ‘Twitter Birdsong Project’, day-by day guide designed to help beginners unravel the mysteries of British birdsong.
Website: https://levparikian.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LevParikian
