Belonging
be•long•ing
1: close or intimate relationship; an affinity for a place or situation.
2: possession; something owned, occupied, or controlled.
Exploring the entangled relationship of the material and the immaterial in objects and individuals, with an ornithological appreciation.
Belonging is a series of sculptures exploring themes of attachment, significance and influence. The desire to belong is universal, arguably the basis of existence and central to survival. Attachment is the principle at the core of this, as themes of allegiance and ownership play out constantly in the world around us and within us. We are attached even to our own identity. Is our identity something we possess, occupy and control or is it a relationship, an affinity we experience and share?
Made primarily with metalworking techniques paired with mixed media, birds and bird related objects are incorporated into works that reflect stages of attachment. Bird species perform as proxy for the human dynamic, suggesting that we're not alone in our need to connect and belong.