No Birds Were Harmed in the Making
77" x 21", Mixed Media, 2021
A dirge for the many birds
Found stuffed and crammed
In bottles and boots
Plucked from their habitat
And pulled across borders
Wanted only for their spectacular plumes
For the brave women
Who history lost
And the present forgot
An ode to Minah Hall
& Harriet Hemenway
A warning and homage
My staged photographs and soft sculptures examine the trafficking of endangered species through camp aesthetics and dark humor. Sensual materials contrast with brutal themes, blending female and fish forms. My ecofeminist performances explore parallels between women’s and animals’ reproductive rights, both under threat from patriarchal systems of control.
— Merissa Mann