a b o u t t h e b i r d h o u s e s e r i e s
--My Apology to the World.
Appalachian Sibyl "Listen"
First in The Birdhouse Series
The Birdhouse Series began 20 years ago.
I do most of my carving out of doors. So the series began years ago while I was working in an open barn. When I first noticed how desperately "life" was trying to make itself a home in my work.
In my stone sculpture.
Birds, carpenter bees, mice, mud dabbers...
I remember the lips on the face of one North Wind quite stoppered up and unblowing.
So I finally began to pay attention.
Began focusing on work which welcomed "life."
I stopped carving wings and welcomed them
instead.
Each in the series has a functional birdhouse as part of the piece--whether carved from marble, wood, or slate.
Each is interconnected with its environment providing shelter.
On their most basic level they are functional.
This is important.
Symbolically, they function for me on a number of levels.
As an "external womb," certainly.
And as each has the potential for a bird to be flying in and out,
"wings" and "flight," most paricularly.
c o l l e n e k a r c h e r