New Work

Eternal Vigilance

My newest sculptures draw on the imagery of a cage. A black steel structure, both safe haven and confining enclosure, sets the stage. Cold sharp lines of metal tracery evoke an elegant fence and the menacing angled walls of a prison.

The story develops through a sequece of sculptures. As the metal barrier changes, its beauty gives way to a more ominous structure. Fanciful birds trapped behind beautiful metal tracery discover their safe haven is a prison and muster the courage to break free, while doubts and confusion continue to confine them.

fanciful sculpture of blue, orange, grey bird breaking through wires of black metal enclosure

We didn’t recognize the danger

small grey knitted birds huddled in corner of black wire structure with dark shadow of hawk

Size: 15 x 24 x 16 inches

Materials: wire, metal frame, wool, rigid foam, felt, cloth tape, rattan

At first the beautiful metal tracery of the black metal enclosure is enchanting with its avian figures. The strong black lines are both beautiful and cold. The structure can be perceived as a cage, but is it really impenetrable? The threatening angled walls close in on the little birds, but how much of the threat is imagined as opposed to real?Soft fluffy birds huddle in a corner of the structure. There is an ominous shadow stretching across their view.

The concept for this sculpture arose from thinking about the difficulty of recognizing opporessive regimes before it is too late. What initially appear to be measures to protect a community may in reality be means of suppression and controlling dissent.

tiny barely formed knitted birds in corner of black cage with walls made of wire silhouettes of birds

focus detail on two tiny grey knitted birds with black eyes, wire lines of enclosure blurred

detail view of four tiny knitted birds on bottom of cage and one perched on ledge inside cage

Courage is the path to freedom

sculpture of bird with blue fabric breast, dull orange wing and dark dull orange back, gray tail, bright orange beak poking through wire enclosure

Size: 18 x 20 x 18 inches

Materials: wire, metal frame, handspun wool yarn, cotton fabric, rigid foam, mulberry paper, stone clay, rattan, acrylic paint, screws

Can you see the little grey bird still trapped in the cage? The colorful one has mustered the courage to break through the barrier. The walls of the cage are not quite solid, not quite open. The restrictions are powerful yet capable of being breached. I intended this cage to be a metaphor for authoritarianism. The bars on the walls spell out words: FEAR, CRUSH, RULE, POWER, DICTATE, TERROR.

Read about my purposeful color choices for this work in this blog post.

sculpture of fanciful gray, blue, orange bird balanced between inside and outside of cage with tiny gray bird remaining at bottom corner of cage

tiny bird sculpture in bottom corner of cage looking up at large colorful bird that is flying out of the broken barrier

Are we free now?

paper, fabric, knitting, and wire sculpture of two birds walking away from broken cage while bodies surrounded with black wire

Size: 10 x 20 x 23 inches

These birds have knocked over the cage that once fenced them in. They are walking away, tentatively venturing into a new world. But adopting a new mindset is challenging. They carry the remnants of their cage on their bodies. They are confused and bewildered. That tention is reflected in their bodies: distressed blue violet knitting on one; chaotically tangled knitting on another.

blue violet and yellow orange bird sculptures with swirling black wire loosely wrapped around and attached to their bodies

yellow orange bird sculpture with black wire swirling around its body as it stands amidst broken panels of cage

close up of deep yellow orange bird with dark blue violet knitted back and feet with swirling black wire around body and head

Sketches for more works in this story

I intend to create at least two more sculptures in this set of narrative works. After the birds’ confused emergence, they eventually find security and make a commitment to the future. At last, they fly free, stretcing their wings with hope.

pencil sketch of bird on nest facing a standing bird

sketch of bird with outstretched wings atop pedestal with pieces of wire cage on floor