The Magic Voice
An illustration commissioned by the School of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester as part of the Museum Metamorphosis project.
For this project, artist Lucy Stevens selected a lyrebird from the taxidermy collection at New Walk Museum as the subject for an exploration of the bird’s remarkable courtship display, 2013 - 2014.
Inspired by Dr Anastasia Dalziell’s research into lyrebirds in the Dandenong Ranges of Australia, the illustration interprets the bird’s complex, four-part coordinated song-and-dance routine, revealing the intricate relationship between sound, movement and courtship.
Combining drawing, scanned objects and watercolour, Stevens creates a layered visual interpretation of the lyrebird’s extraordinary vocal repertoire, highlighting its ability to mimic an astonishing range of sounds, including those produced by human activity and industrial environments.