| Description |
Philosopher Gaston Bachelard celebrates the "naive wonder we used to feel when we found a nest. This wonder is lasting, and today when we discover a nest, it takes us back to our childhood or, rather, to a childhood; to the childhoods we should have had." I use the nest as a metaphor in my art with the hope of evoking some of that wonder. Birds have their own distinctive styles of nests. Some species build their nests in tress, some on the ground, others will move into a prefabricated location, and some live communally. Birds gather materials from their environment and piece together their nests. One of the most intriguing builders is the bowerbird. The male will collect sticks and assemble a "maypole." Some will build more than one maypole and others will build a "hut" over their maypole. The bowerbird will then decorate the are that surrounds the structure with piles of various found objects, such as lichen, flower petals, discarded toys, shells and bones. gather-piece-stitich: The Art of Place pieces together community voices with elements of our natural surroundings to create a sense of place. |
