Devon Campbell, News and Opinions Editor
West Hall, known for being the center of music and art here at BCC, is now home to a new installation.
The exhibit, “Ornithology” is an exploration of the ideas that birds present through art and music. The exhibit may seem daunting at first glance, as there is a large amount of extremely detailed artwork as well as a musical performance. However, upon reflection, art and music blend together in a performance like no other.
During a live performance at the exhibit, noises and notes bombarded the room with a euphony of tweet-like sounds. One musician in particular actually built his own “bird machine” which emulates the various caws of birds. Components of the instrument itself consisted of a slide whistle, stones, and even a fishing line. The musician blew into the back of the instrument, making a myriad of sounds. Another musician played bird-like tones from their bass clarinet and occasionally added onto the performance using samples played through their computer. Whilst all this was happening, interpretive dancers imitating birds intermittently danced through the crowd, acting as a visual aid to the sounds.
“Birds are like time,” one of the musicians said, speaking about the quick, fleeting nature of the animal.
The exhibit also features various sculptures created from an array of materials. The piece that stands out the most is a pair of bird wings made entirely out of knives. One could only appreciate the attention to detail and dedication that would be required to create such a unique work of art. Other artworks include birds made out of steel wiring and even vinyl records.
On one wall, two televisions looped time-lapses footage of scenic locations, with images as temporary and fleeting as the birds the artists were trying to emulate. Even the refreshments served after were bird–themed, as they only featured foods that birds typically ate, like nuts, berries, fruits and more.
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