Gowk

A variable edition collagraph by Hester Cox. VE 1/15, paper size 13 ½” x 10 ¼”. Also available framed for £195 (pick up only).

So much folklore and superstition surround the cuckoo and countless plants are named after them. Gowk explores the association of Cuckoos with male fertility. The plant is arum maculatum also known as cuckoo pint. This name was found in Culpeper’s Herbal and refers to the shape of the spadix with ‘pint’ being a shortened version of pintle, the Old English slang for penis. The pottery sherd has a section of a cradle which formed part of the design depicted on Dutch delftware ‘birth plates’. The cuckoo is a migratory bird that arrives in the UK in mid-April. Cuckoo fairs and festivals all over England took place to celebrate its arrival and the start of summer.