HOMETOWN PARADE
Material: bronze, fabric
Size: variable
Part of the "BIRDBRAINS" series opening at the Rourke Art Museum in Moorhead, Minnesota on May 16, 2008 and running through September 14.
Some believe that art has the power to effect social change, others refute that assertion. I don't know if anyone's beliefs are altered by an art exhibit, but I know that I cannot make art that does not reflect the world around me. It seeps in any chance it gets.
When I first thought about this exhibition, I was considering creating a "garden" filled with bronze birds in the courtyard. However, once the birds were cast and in my studio, they fell strangely silent. It wasn't until I began arranging them (in nests, marching in groups, and seated on dowel rods, chattering), that they came alive. I merely paid attention to their demands.
My work can be described as socially conscious and informed by current events. Rather than offering answers, I reflect back situations to provoke questions. The bright patinas seen on many of the birds reflect our society's sunny optimism, more than occasional superficiality and willingness to avoid the sometimes painful realities of our present world.