Birds, 2014 Painting

A relief carving of two hybrid figures standing. The bird’s heads on the human torsos reflect mankind’s place within the modern world: the constant need to separate us from the rest of the animal kingdom through a host of cultural, social and technological constructs. The contrasting monochromatic heads reference Ying and Yang, two opposing yet perfectly complementing ideals. This refers to the male and the female form and the honesty of true nature. The rope, set in a geometric pattern, highlights the ties to our primal needs and how these needs present themselves in a series of highly ritualized systems (especially courtship). The wooden backdrop (a natural material specifically divided into equal sections) again mimics our need to control natural form and the strict patterns we find ourselves adhering to in our daily routine. The figures deliberately break this pattern, reminding that the coming together of the ‘two’ transcends all other constructs and is the most natural of all things.