Robin’s nest, robin feathers, paper, vellum, twine, ink
3.5″ x 5″ x 5″
2017
This artwork examines joy, loss, and the complexities that lie within both when they so often intertwine. As The Crow Flies consists of three miniature books housed in a robin’s nest. When closed the books are eggs. When opened, feathers fan out and the books become chicks soon to fledge. Each flag structure is slightly different allowing the feathers to move in varying ways, wings set to take flight. Fragmented images of crows are repeated throughout the three books; they are the beaks and feet of feeding. The three books are covered in a delightful decorative paper of songbirds and flowers, but the subtle text inside reveals that the chicks were taken, eaten by the crows. In what may seem like of the cruel forces of nature, the circle of life carries on with one more meal for the crows.
– Erin K. Schmidt, Rochester Hills, MI