Avian Reverie
Exhibition statement from “Regional Responses to the Art Reserve” at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center:
Is it their songs, colorful feathers, or fleeting nature that drives artists to represent birds in their homes and gardens? This is the question that artist Sarah Rose asked herself as she encountered the avian works of Albert and Louise Zahn, Carl Peterson, and Fred Smith at the Art Preserve. These works brought her back to her childhood yard, where grassy patches were adorned with cement sculptures, including an egret balanced on a pedestal. This sculpture was created by her great-great-grandfather, John Rosser, a retired farmer who began decorating his garden at the age of seventy-two.
While making this cyanotype series, Rose referenced the avian imagery of these makers, uncovered overlaps in their personal histories, and reflected on her own experiences watching seagulls and sandpipers on the shores of Lake Michigan. Rose confronted the current state of the beaches, where birds are severely threated by litter and plastic, by conducting cleanups as part of her artistic process. These discarded manmade objects were then used to create these photograms.
“Regional Responses to the Art Preserve” at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, 2023. Photos courtesy of John Michael Kohler Arts Center.