"Male of the Species" was created for a solo show in 2009 entitled "Feather & Brush" which explores the various ways birds influence, entertain and impact our lives.
This soft sculpture is created from a wooden armature after which the cloth body was stuffed with poly fill and covered with silk feathers which were made from men's neckties mounted to stiff construction paper. The feet were made from reeds and covered in handmade paper and then dyed. The bill is steam-shaped thin spruce plywood and the eyes are glass taxidermy eyes.
The piece is my take on how men utilize neckties to attract, empower and intimidate. In doing so, they are much like male birds who, in an effort to do the same, flash their feathers and "strut their stuff" in order to either attract a mate, scare predators or ward off rival males. In human terms, our neckties are our feathers, the only ones that are socially acceptable in today's society.
This soft sculpture is created from a wooden armature after which the cloth body was stuffed with poly fill and covered with silk feathers which were made from men's neckties mounted to stiff construction paper. The feet were made from reeds and covered in handmade paper and then dyed. The bill is steam-shaped thin spruce plywood and the eyes are glass taxidermy eyes.
The piece is my take on how men utilize neckties to attract, empower and intimidate. In doing so, they are much like male birds who, in an effort to do the same, flash their feathers and "strut their stuff" in order to either attract a mate, scare predators or ward off rival males. In human terms, our neckties are our feathers, the only ones that are socially acceptable in today's society.
