Birds Nest for a Modern World 2015
Materials: cables from computers, phones and various technical electronic devices. dimensions 180cm, 50x50cm.
My aim is to communicate concerns about the fast changing world we live in. Mother hood and nature face ongoing challenges – needing to adapt to destruction and the throw away society that we now live in. Every electronic device we use has a unique cord and every new device we purchase to replace the outdated device has a different sized cord. Consumer society is full of electronic devices designed to be replaced as technology is advancing at a breathtaking pace.
The materials I used in this installation are from the wealth of discarded electronic waste we all accumulate. There has been no shortage of cables to resource and reuse for the project.
The construction of the bird’s nest using electrical cords to create the correct form, size and shape was a journey of experimentation and discovery. I originally wove the base of the nest using only electrical cords but found the structure to be very loose and difficult. The 2nd approach was to use a large plastic container as a base to work on and strong wires to create a frame structure to weave the cords onto. This worked very well and also gave me a lot of flexibility to manipulate the weaving to the desired shape and structure.
To construct the Mother bird and baby chick I used lots of experimentation and creative techniques. I found many interesting shapes and forms by pulling apart the broken electrical items sourced from broken amplifiers, computer parts, remote controls etc. combined with plugs and cords used in the creation of the nest and eggs. I started the construction by forming the bodies and then the faces to create their characters by tying with the electrical cords and a small amount of glue.
To design eggs for the nest I used the strong wire to create an egg shape and a random weaving technique with the electrical cords. I also selected different shades of white, light grey and a yellow cords to create a variety of tones and included a 3rd egg, which represents a broken egg and the birth of the chick. This egg only had tones of white and the wires were split to represent a broken eggshell.