Fergus Thomas – Bird of Dreams

  • A pigeon takes a short flight inside an aviary, watched by the other birds.
  • A moody, darkly lit portrait of a man in a tracksuit sat in a car.
  • A man in a tracksuit with a broken arm and a black eye avoids the gaze of the camera.
  • A man hold his hands out as a pigeon alights from them, caught in the flash of the camera.
  • A man leads a snake down the middle of the road.
  • A van carrying cages sits in the middle of a car park. The cages are opened and a cloud of pigeons flies out.
  • At home, a parrot perches on an eclectic stand.
  • At night, a fire rages in the scrappy yard of a house.
  • By day, a washing line hangs between the garden shed and a concrete post.

Bird of Dreams is a look at Newport, a city in South Wales, through the prism of breeding and racing pigeons. Mesmerised by the birds, and by the close emotional bond between man and bird, I began to see flying and keeping pigeons as symbolic, as a way into a remote, transcendental world no longer defined by gravity. Once the birds are released and fly out of sight, the fancier, who can’t physically follow the bird, enters an imaginary world. A part of himself escapes up into the air. I saw this act of escapism mirrored throughout the city. This project explores flight – whatever and wherever it may be.

Fergus Thomas is a documentary photographer based in London. He has a BA in documentary photography from the University of Newport, and divides his time between personal projects and commissions. Recent clients include The Wall Street Journal, Telegraph Magazine, and Four Paws International.

Fergus’ work is about telling stories, and he believes that great photographs are the result of time and trust. He values working closely with his subjects and sometimes even lives with them to create projects that reflect what it means to be alive today.