Plume Boom
3' x 2.5' x 5.5'
Mixed media (feathers, paper clay, paper, fabric, acrylic paint, foam board, wood)
My historically inspired site-specific piece is about plume hunting, Audubon, and curios cabinets. It was displayed in front of the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine, FL, which is essentially one big cabinet of curiosities containing artifacts from the collections of the affluent. The plume boom, a huge rise in demand for feathers to be put on hats and other accessories similar to items on display in the Lightner, brought conservationists (And J. J. Audubon) to St. Augustine.
My piece's intent is to put illustrations like Audubon's alongside tiny plume hats; A subtle poke at the fact that Audubon was studying and illustrating these birds at a time when the only way to observe them for long periods of time was to kill them (He was even criticized for this by other concervationists).
The types of birds referenced in both the hats and drawings are snowy egrets and roseate spoonbills, which were explicitly studied and referenced by Audubon. Also included are terns and a pileated woodpecker.
Sources obtained from the St. Augustine Historical Library include excerpts from:
Audubon in Florida by Kathryn Hall Proby
Killing Mr. Watson by Peter Matthiessen
Audubon by John Chancellor
No comments:
Post a Comment