The Hardest Lesson
Dale Copeland
assemblage of found objects
42 cm high
| The Hardest Lesson? I was sent the dead bird by post, in a Tupperware box. I was SO excited … it's a beautiful thing. A dry fossil, paper-thin skin stretched over its ribs. Some sort of owl, my bird-knowing friends said. Probably a morepork. How to use such a lovely thing? With respect, with coherent thought? Finally, the assemblage made itself, and found its own meaning. At the bottom, the puzzled-looking little doll, finger in mouth, stands by the little cage, wondering. If the child is fortunate and lives in a society where death is seen as an inevitable part of life, it is straightforward. Birdy has died, like all of us. The less fortunate child is told some story; there’s a mysterious place called Heaven, perhaps incorporating angels and harps. Up in the sky? Past the moon even? The child is left to make sense of all the contradictions, and never told about their own personal cage which will also open. It’s a lesson best learned early. Anyway, must tell you … the bird was/is SO beautiful. I wanted to preserve the skin shape, especially over the ribs. So, no paint or varnish. Finally I gently rubbed Dubbin, a leather preservative, into the skin, using a soft toothbrush. Perfect. The detail is so you can see the bird more closely - it's the most beautiful thing, with ribs clearly showing under the stretched dry skin. |
Dale's studio can be found on Surf Highway, Taranaki, New Zealand
More of her work can be seen on the Virtual TART site at www.tart.co.nz
email Dale at dale@tart.co.nz