No Birds Were Harmed in the Making
78" x 24" x 32", Assorted Upcycled and Repurposed Materials, 2025
No Birds Were Harmed is a soft sculpture assembled from fragments of history, ornament, and ecological tension. Her 1890s-inspired silhouette is collaged with original texts from the early fight to pass the Migratory Bird Treaty Act—political cartoons, conservationist writings, and records of species loss. Hand-made birds perch on her body, crafted from recycled materials, echoing both colonial ornament and present-day fragility. While rooted in the past, the work speaks to ongoing crises: bird smuggling, extinction, and the global commodification of the wild.
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