Alastair Mooney

Artist: Alastair Mooney

Exhibition Title: Funerea Procession

Artist Statement:  I remember as a child being told that if you saw a group of Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoos flying East it meant it was going to rain, and the number of birds you counted denoted how many days it would rain for. It was beautiful and simple. As I grew and garnered more knowledge of the world that myth was dispelled; a young adult can feel they know everything about the world and the literal belief in this folkloric tale was absurd. But I continued to grow and learn. I discovered that versions of this story have been told for millennia, that this bird holds great cultural significance for many of the First Nations peoples of this land. Its distinct call signals important shifts in the environment and weather. It is a messenger who can bring guidance and help in difficult times, or appear as a warning. It is a symbol of change; and my changing understanding of it is an allegory for understanding the change in myself.  

Presenting these cockatoos as a child’s mobile evokes a strong sense of nostalgia; a fascinating phenomenon. As the world becomes less simple it’s easy to see why yearning for the past with a rosy retrospection is so popular. Nostalgia is an emotional safety blanket used to cope with the bleakness of the present, but it’s not a yearning for a simpler time as is commonly perceived, it’s a yearning for a simpler version of yourself. This again illustrates change in one’s self, but it also highlights a dark element of nostalgic thinking in response to a disenchanting present: for as ignorance as a child is bliss, a wish to relinquish one’s responsibilities and choose ignorance as an adult is dangerous.

The title Funerea Procession is a play on words. The binomial name of the yellow-tailed black cockatoo is Zanda funerea, as described by English naturalist George Shaw in 1794, with the specific name funerea referring to its dark and sombre plumage, as if dressed for a funeral. Juxtaposing this morbid imagery against the fun and innocent aesthetic of the child’s mobile calls to question what type of change this flock is symbolising. Will it be a change in the present for a brighter future? Or 50 days of rain.

Jim Mooney Gallery, Macquarie Street, George Town

Opening Event: Saturday, 30 May 2026 | 11am

Exhibition Start: Monday, 1 June 2026
Exhibition End: Saturday, 11 July 2026

Opening Hours

Monday: Closed
Tuesday - Friday: 10:00am - 3:00pm
Saturday: 11:00am - 2:00pm
Sunday + Public Holidays: Closed