Birds have been an important motif in my work for many years. When they first ‘appeared’ they were just birds, but I soon recognized them as symbolizing my feelings about human relationships. A painting or sculpture might represent solitude or loneliness, intimacy or conflict, community or estrangement- and the same piece might feel one way one day and its opposite the next. I recognized these pieces as not only an expression of my thoughts and feelings about relationships, but a reflection of my own changing inner states of being.
The ‘birds on branches’ series grew out of my interest in making changeable, interactive artworks, in recognition of this fluid, dynamic nature of human beings and relationships. You choose what type of stone the birds are made of, how many there are, and where they are placed on the branch. And you can change their placement to suit the mood of the moment! Or make family groupings that represent you and your loved ones. You become a co-creator.
