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Mary Poppins was a much loved Christmas film. I was happiest as a child immersed in a fantasy world; magical beings felt very real to me and part of a world I longed to belong to. I remember drawing chalk paintings on the pavement by my house and jumping into them, hoping I would be transported into them just as the children had been with Poppins"
Kerry Darlington
"Until the Wind Changes"
“The art of storytelling” is a phrase synonymous with Kerry Darlington. Having presented her interpretations of Alice in Wonderlandand Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Until the Wind Changeslooks set to join the ranks of one of the artists most iconic works ever presented. Inspired by the series of short books dating from 1934 following the adventures of Mary Poppins; her character needs little introduction so iconic are her umbrella and flower decorated hat.
Darlington has long held a flair for selecting stories which immediately conjure recollections of shared young memories. These books are the kind that inspired children to stay up long after official bedtime, reading by torchlight under the covers; they are the tales translated to film, watched as a family on a lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon.
They are family times, shared across generations. The artist re-imagines this nostalgia into fine art, weaving her love of illustration into exceptionally accomplished paintings. Until the Wind Changeswill place Mary Poppins back at the very heart of the family home and become part of the fabric of everyday life once again.
Kerry Darlington editions in collectors homes
"If you want to find Cherry Tree Lane all you have to do is ask the policeman at the cross-roads."
Only the third time in her career that Darlington has used her paint brush to conjure the smoke and spires of London, St Pauls stands tall amongst the chimneys and softly lit windows. This is the city as seen by the magic-tinted glasses of an artist whose incredible talent transforms brickwork and slate roofs into rainbow tiled homes of dreams. Drenched in moonlight, the silhouette of Mary Poppins soars above the skyline carefully watched from their window at 17 Cherry Tree Lane by young siblings Jane and Michael Banks. As to whether Mary Poppins is on her way towards the children for their next adventure, or on her way to a new family is open to interpretation. Part of the everlasting mystique of the character; nobody knows when she will arrive, how long she will stay, or when she will return.
Once these conditions are met: the works are painstakingly recorded in our state-of-the-art database system (including advanced location tracking) and extensively photographed by Lucy and the image processing team. With extensive ‘macro’ detail shots utilising the Canon EOS 5DS camera: these shots not only form the basis for internet and print promotions: but form a visual record of the work at ultra-high resolution.
Finally; the works that aren’t immediately selected for the gallery walls (or better still, immediately dispatched to a lucky collector) are archived in our temperature controlled ‘vault’. Stored upright, fully surrounded in custom high-impact expanded rubber: the securely stored paintings are routinely checked and rotated onto gallery displays to ensure they remain in mint condition.
“There they were, all together, up in the air”
The composition will feel in some ways familiar to devoted Darlington collectors. Those who have followed the incredible progression of her artistic career, will note the references to legendary title Come Away, Come Away. The first work in Darlington’s Peter Pan series, Wendy, John and Michael soar above the same recognisable cathedral on their way to Neverland. Each fiction narrates tales of adventures to magical worlds, be that by following a star or jumping into a chalk drawing. The most brilliant escapism, Darlington immerses appreciators of her work in fantasies in which adult rules need not matter. As the author of Mary Poppins P.L. Travers mused, “Don’t you know everyone has got a fairyland of their own?”..all you need is a little imagination.
Come Away Come Away has become of the most sought-after editions the artist has ever produced and incredibly difficult to locate on the secondary market, Until the Wind Changes appears to be following in these mighty footsteps. With the ghosts of artworks missed out upon playing on collectors’ minds, at the time of writing pre-orders are soaring to unprecedented levels. At an international edition size of just 195 pieces, this new storytelling artwork looks sets to joins the ranks of one of the greatest works created by Kerry Darlington of all time.
The full image was revealed on November 9th at our annual 'By the Light of the Moon' Kerry Darlington event.
