Word Birds

Abstract

This paper is intended to serve as a supporting document for the exhibition Word Birds that was held at the Render Gallery at the University of Waterloo, April 22-27, 2008.

The drawing and sculpture in this exhibition attempt to address the complex relationship humans have with animals and the ways we have charged them with symbolic and anthropomorphic characteristics. The work examines the human tendency to observe, name, and ascribe meaning to animals and speaks to the connection between natural history and human nature. The narrative element of the work is derived from a variety of sources including observation, philosophical speculation, and literary sources.