Birds are a perpetual source of inspiration and awe, whether they are soaring far above us or providing a natural soundtrack on a quiet morning. Our sense of collective wonder at the world of birds is perfectly captured by the Palo Alto Art Center’s current exhibition, “Bird in the Hand,” which is on display through April 10, 2016.
Birds come to life through sculptures, photographs, videos and more
Laurel Roth Hope, “Queen and La Reina,” 2013
Drawing together a fascinating array of paintings, sculptures, photographs and even videos, “Bird in the Hand” draws the viewer into looking up, down and sideways to see how birds infuse our visual and mental landscapes with color, movement and artistry.
Gail Wright, “Free Range 2,” 2004
A magical aviary of bird-themed art
The entry to the exhibit is etched with a giant image of a hawk by Sarah Smith called Exit Route, which signals the passage between the outside world and a visual bird aviary inside. Each of the exhibit’s rooms features a mix of media and approaches to portraying birds that range from the realistic to the fantastical.
A strikingly beautiful pair of sculptures called Queen and La Reina, by Laurel Roth Hope await you in the first room, whose beautiful silver and blue feathers turn out to be made of fake fingernails, hair barrettes and other symbols of false human beauty, a reminder of the how the natural splendor of birds far outstrips our human attempts at adornment.
As you move into the galleries, you pass by the whimsical three-dimensional wall sculpture called, Positivity by Alan Rath, which is triggered by motion. Flap your arms and the sculpture will start to wave its pink feathers; lean to the side and it might undulate more gently.
Alan Rath, “Positively,” 2102
One of our favorite pieces is a video installation by Dennis Hlynsky called Line Birds, which illustrates the flight patterns of starlings in Providence, Rhode Island. While these “mumuration” videos are popular, Hynsky’s pieces are especially arresting because he uses layered time lapse photography to capture the movement of a massive flock starlings as they alight on a telephone wire or swoop from the top of a tree in the dusk.
“Today, our communal reference for the avian species is animated by the belief that if you ‘put a bird on it’ an object will be more desirable…” —Introduction text for the “Bird in the Hand” exhibit
Examining the interaction between bird and humans
Beyond pure appreciation for birds, this exhibit also challenges the viewer to consider the intersection of man and bird in many different ways. Two visually arresting paintings called Songbirds, by Deborah Simon remind us of the fragility of birds in the human world by showing clusters of beautiful birds tied together, while a series of photographs by Nicole Jean Hill called Fanciers shows people holding their chickens like beloved pets.
Deborah Simon, “Flock,” 2013
Nicole Jean Hill, “Fanciers,” 2008
There are also several sculptures that feature a hybrid of man and bird including a rather creepy piece called Harpy, by Sarah Louise Davey, which plays on the notion of a harsh old woman as a crowing bird, and The Birdmen, by Ria Rodell that features tiny birds with human features perched on branches.
Sarah Louise Davis, “Harpey,” 201
Ria Rodell, “The Birdmen,” 2005
A new take on ‘bird watching’?
As we wandered through the galleries of the Palo Alto Art Center, the creatures seem to stare back at us while we gazed at them. The next time we see a bird in the wild, we may pause and wonder, “Just who is watching whom?”
How to visit “Bird in the Hand” at the Palo Alto Art Center
The Palo Alto Art Center is located at 1313 Newell Road in Palo Alto. The gallery is open from Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sunday, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. (closed Mondays). “Bird in the Hand” will be on display until April 10th.
Walter Kitundu, “Kulea Kam Ndege,” 2015
And while you are there…check out Creative Ecology artist David Tomb
The “Bird in Hand” exhibit has wonderful synergy with the Palo Alto Art Center’s “Creative Ecology” artist David Tomb, a self-described ‘bird nerd’ who is spending time at both the Palo Alto Baylands and the Art Center to create works that evoke the natural world and help people explore the connection between art and science. David will be in his studio at the Palo Alto Art Center on February 20, March 5 and March 19 from noon-4pm, encouraging people to learn about both the biology of birds and about their beauty.
All photos by Victoria Thorp, Palo Alto Pulse
Temporary studio of David Tomb, artist and self described ‘bird nerd.” David is doing a residency in “Creative Ecology” at the Palo Alto Art Center and the Baylands.
