My Story
Artwork
As an emerging, interdisciplinary artist exploring the complexity of nest forms, my sculptures honour birds as artist and architect.
My work intersects visual art, environmental philosophy, avian science and natural history.
The legacy and trajectory of loss – of habitat, ecosystems and ultimately species is my driving force to document, create and communicate. The focus of my art is to awaken an understanding that every bird species is worthy of our wonder, awe and most importantly our protection.
You can discover more about my journey in my artist bio and curriculum vitae or scroll down for insights into my process, materials and research.
Process
Birds weave, felt, stitch and sculpt using only beak and breast. From splitting, stripping and shaping, to coiling and random weave, these textile processes and techniques demonstrated by birds are all echoed in human crafting tradition.
Suspending a bridge between our species, with a needle as beak, curled fingers and cupped hand as breast, I explore the tenacity, determination, skill and ingenuity that is demonstrated by birds to craft and curate their nests.
Materials
The precursor of today’s textiles includes leaves, bark, fur, and felted fibre, all of which are elements of nest construction.
Archival nest specimens demonstrate that the material choices of birds mirror those used by humans spanning cultures and centuries. From these early precursors of textiles to modern examples such as plastics today, my chosen materials are informed by avian methodology.
My materials are sourced locally and ethically from flora, fauna and found objects. This is a conscious choice, as an antithesis to society’s apathy to the environment, in hopes of countering our obsession with consumption.
Research
Benefitting from advances in the digitisation of natural history archives, I have been able to engage with museum collections and curators worldwide to source images and collection notes as the basis for research and inspiration for current and future works. The use of natural history collections plays a key role in artistic enquiry to reveal the selective use of construction material for specific functions.
My artwork is also informed by intimate encounters and detailed observations of the 35 species of birds that live and nest within close proximity to my studio in the Upper Yarra Valley.
