Commissioned by Burton & South Derbyshire

College for the Higher Education Centre 2024

With this installation of sculptural birds I aimed to create a sense of dynamic visual movement punctuating the sightline and interrupting the institutional nature of the space. This is intended to generate a playful shift in the day to day experience of those passing through the area and foster a sense of calm contemplation. Thematically it brings notions of nature and wider environment to the fore. The wall based bird house plays intermittent bursts of birdsong. The combined visual effect is to bring the outside in. Overall this artwork can be seen as a gentle nudge towards re-connecting the disconnect between us as humans and the natural world upon which we depend. Signalling a simple truth, we and the birds are very much part of the same world. Looking forward, the project hopes to have a wider creative legacy, as a catalyst and departure point for future student activity.

As a project it is underpinned by an artistic commitment to a having low environmental footprint,  by using low impact and re-used materials, which if needed, can be recycled or disposed of without polluting the environment. The white earthenware clay is locally sourced in the Midlands (where many former clay pits have become wildlife sites). Two thirds of the square aluminium bar used to create the curved linear forms is re-purposed from a prior installation exhibited at The Brewhouse in Burton. The aluminium suspension poles are recyclable (the global rate for aluminium recycling stands at 76%). With the world in climate and ecological crisis it is crucial that artists and designers work towards minimizing our impact and embrace sustainability through process, material choices and product longevity. As transmitters of meaning we can all raise the environmental agenda through art, communication and demonstrating good practice.

touch sensitive birdhouse by Graham Elstone.