Exhibition: Monica Banks

2024 EXHIBITION

Bird Happenings at LongHouse

Monica Banks

During the past year of creating porcelain sculpture for birds to interact with, I have experienced awe, reverence, and delight. In Bird Happenings at LongHouse I am trying to imagine the birds’ point of view, experimenting with what they might be curious about, and how I might inspire in them the delight they create in me while observing them. Among the 12 vignettes nestled in the gardens are a series of miniature dining rooms so birds can experience eating seed and sipping water from a scaled-down version of the patio dining they witness every summer day; a life-size box of chocolates containing porcelain berries and nuts in addition to edible seed for them to explore; a 1954 Jaguar XK120 Roadster less than a foot long and filled with seed designed to disrupt their sense of scale; and a life-size open gift box for the birds to question who left it there and why. In every case, I am honored when the birds interact with my work and can only hope that human visitors will enjoy both my works and the bird shenanigans as well.

Photo by Philippe Cheng

Photo courtesy of the artist

Photo by Philippe Cheng

Photo courtesy of the artist