New taxonomy: Bird people

I have been meaning to see this art exhibition at the AGYU (Art Gallery York University) since it opened in April. It closes in two days (Sunday) so I didn't want to miss it. I had gotten the poster a while back at Existere and put it on the door. It was promptly stolen as were a couple more I put up to replace it. They likely are in student rooms now. I can see why, it's pretty nifty and eye-catching.

The show itself was fascinating. "Sara Angelucci: Provenance Unknown" is a multi-part show in the gallery. The first part, The Venetian Forest, has a Victorian settee, some vintage photographs (including the one at left), a birds nest, replicated period wallpaper, some cabinet cards, and a Victorian bird vitrine with a dozen or so stuffed ancient birds. Audio of bird whistles, field recordings of birds, and some live human performance accompanied. I sat on the settee (it was encouraged) and took in the installation which was rather pretty and simple.

The other part of Gallery 1 had Aviary which displayed 13 poster-sized enlargements of numerous unknown, unattributed found photographs from the late 19th-century but altered artistically as you see in the poster with faces and bodies of extinct, endangered, or threatened species of birds. The artist channels a bit of spirit photography of the period and creates a new taxonomy with these works that illustrate extinct beings thus giving homage to that we humans have destroyed and awareness to those in great peril. They were all quite stunning and included the following birds: Northern Bobwhite, Red-Headed Woodpecker, Spotted Owl, Sage Thrasher, Winter Male Bobolink, Western Screech-Owl, Male & Female Passenger Pigeons, Short-Eared Owl, Eskimo Curlew, Barn Owl, Heath Hen, and Loggerhead Shrike. You can see them at the artist's website.

Gallery 2 had The Anonymous Chorus which is a 10-minute video of a still image of about 35 people from around 1900 posing as a group in front of a building. A choir accompanied the piece and creative lighting focused on individuals but as it went along you would notice movement. The artist had carefully introduced movement in elements of the still. A flag and some leaves waved in the breeze, a ribbon in a girl's hair fluttered gently as did the hem of a woman's skirt; and a shadow of a leaf moved along a gentleman's shoulder. It was quite engaging in an unexpected way and created a narrative for these anonymous people.

If the show or this artist comes your way, do take some time to enjoy it! The works will appear in a book published by AGYU in 2014.