The title of this piece refers to an actual event. My apartment studio overlooks the Hudson on one side and faces an expansive view of the Empire State Building on the other. Early one morning I was awakened and startled by a bird which had entered my open window and stood squawking on the ledge near my head. When I reached to open the heavy curtains and see who had disturbed my sleep, I touched the bird — which flew off startled before I could see what he looked like. The arrival of this bird of unknown shape and form seemed a powerful sign or prophetic warning, particularly so soon after 9/11 which I had witnessed from my roof.
The images of this piece, then, should be understood as a speculation on the meaning of the visitation. The appearance of the bird, the light in the image, and mood of the urban background shift and alter in the series. The bird’s character ranges from that of a gentle messenger to an angry prophet.
A selection from a larger series.
Foto-projections, 20“x24”.
Reviews:
cat. essay Paolo Barbaro, Gazzetta di Parma
“The resulting images, evocative fragments with concentric theatrical allusions, are distilled from a larger story, a kind of conceptual narrative..Many of the prints have an harmonious palette of oxidized sienas and blues reminiscent of worn pplaster walls that hint at stories hidden within the layers. Each series is a meditation on a theme intimated by a metaphorical title, and each registers a kind of personal handwriting, one which reveals her unique visiion.” Paolo Barbaro