This sculpture from found object, paper, and parchment is that of a bird woman pushing off from empty nests, set into a rusted, cage-like structure, to leap into the air any minute.
This piece is part of my body of work concentrating on pregnancy, miscarriage, and perception of women and their bodies in public and prescription of norms by the public, especially in the context of procreation.
“Flight” is about the freedom of a woman to stay herself even in the context of pregnancy, whether failed or successful; about the right to feel about it in whatever way she does, and stay in control over how to deal with the outcome.
My personal experiences with miscarriages and IVF, and the various conversations I have had with other women about the topic, are the canvas onto which this is painted.
The bird-woman is perching on top of it all. She doesn’t sit between bars, imprisoned and surrounded by her nests. Whatever happened, however much it might have shaped and influenced her, it doesn’t necessarily define her. It is her choice to stay or leap off, leave it all behind, and set off to something new
Finished March 2019
Flight
“Flight”, sculpture artwork by H. Kurzke, 2019.
The tower the bird is sitting on is a found object. I believe it was once a bird feeder but I am not sure how it would have been used.
The bird-woman is made from papier mâché, parchment, piano string, wire, linen thread, and paper clay.
The nests are made with parchment, water acrylics, beeswax, and thread.
They hold a total of 10 quails’s eggs, painted from the inside with acrylics.
Detail of “Flight”, sculpture artwork by H. Kurzke, 2019, showing the face of the sculpured bird woman.
The tower the bird is sitting on is a found object. I believe it was once a bird feeder but I am not sure how it would have been used.
The bird-woman is made from papier mâché, parchment, piano string, wire, linen thread, and paper clay.
The nests are made with parchment, water acrylics, beeswax, and thread.
They hold a total of 10 quails’s eggs, painted from the inside with acrylics.
Detail of “Flight”, sculpture artwork by H. Kurzke, 2019, showing the face of the sculpured bird woman.
The tower the bird is sitting on is a found object. I believe it was once a bird feeder but I am not sure how it would have been used.
The bird-woman is made from papier mâché, parchment, piano string, wire, linen thread, and paper clay.
The nests are made with parchment, water acrylics, beeswax, and thread.
They hold a total of 10 quails’s eggs, painted from the inside with acrylics.
Detail of “Flight”, sculpture artwork by H. Kurzke, 2019, showing the top of the piece with the bird woman perching on top of several broken eggs.
The tower the bird is sitting on is a found object. I believe it was once a bird feeder but I am not sure how it would have been used.
The bird-woman is made from papier mâché, parchment, piano string, wire, linen thread, and paper clay.
The nests are made with parchment, water acrylics, beeswax, and thread.
They hold a total of 10 quails’s eggs, painted from the inside with acrylics.
Detail of “Flight”, sculpture artwork by H. Kurzke, 2019, showing the inside of one of the painted quail’s eggs.
The tower the bird is sitting on is a found object. I believe it was once a bird feeder but I am not sure how it would have been used.
The bird-woman is made from papier mâché, parchment, piano string, wire, linen thread, and paper clay.
The nests are made with parchment, water acrylics, beeswax, and thread.
They hold a total of 10 quails’s eggs, painted from the inside with acrylics.
Detail of “Flight”, sculpture artwork by H. Kurzke, 2019, showing the inside of one of the painted quail’s eggs – this one here is just black.
The tower the bird is sitting on is a found object. I believe it was once a bird feeder but I am not sure how it would have been used.
The bird-woman is made from papier mâché, parchment, piano string, wire, linen thread, and paper clay.
The nests are made with parchment, water acrylics, beeswax, and thread.
They hold a total of 10 quails’s eggs, painted from the inside with acrylics.
Detail of “Flight”, sculpture artwork by H. Kurzke, 2019, showing the inside of one of the painted quail’s eggs.
The tower the bird is sitting on is a found object. I believe it was once a bird feeder but I am not sure how it would have been used.
The bird-woman is made from papier mâché, parchment, piano string, wire, linen thread, and paper clay.
The nests are made with parchment, water acrylics, beeswax, and thread.
They hold a total of 10 quails’s eggs, painted from the inside with acrylics.
Flight, detail
Detail of “Flight”, sculpture artwork by H. Kurzke, 2019, showing the inside of one of the painted quail’s eggs.
The tower the bird is sitting on is a found object. I believe it was once a bird feeder but I am not sure how it would have been used.
The bird-woman is made from papier mâché, parchment, piano string, wire, linen thread, and paper clay.
The nests are made with parchment, water acrylics, beeswax, and thread.
They hold a total of 10 quails’s eggs, painted from the inside with acrylics.
Detail of “Flight”, sculpture artwork by H. Kurzke, 2019, showing the inside of one of the painted quail’s eggs.
The tower the bird is sitting on is a found object. I believe it was once a bird feeder but I am not sure how it would have been used.
The bird-woman is made from papier mâché, parchment, piano string, wire, linen thread, and paper clay.
The nests are made with parchment, water acrylics, beeswax, and thread.
They hold a total of 10 quails’s eggs, painted from the inside with acrylics.
Detail of “Flight”, sculpture artwork by H. Kurzke, 2019, showing the inside of one of the painted quail’s eggs. – this one is broken inso several pieces, sits at the very bottom and is painted just black.
The tower the bird is sitting on is a found object. I believe it was once a bird feeder but I am not sure how it would have been used.
The bird-woman is made from papier mâché, parchment, piano string, wire, linen thread, and paper clay.
The nests are made with parchment, water acrylics, beeswax, and thread.
They hold a total of 10 quails’s eggs, painted from the inside with acrylics.
Detail of “Flight”, sculpture artwork by H. Kurzke, 2019, showing the inside of one of the painted quail’s eggs.
The tower the bird is sitting on is a found object. I believe it was once a bird feeder but I am not sure how it would have been used.
The bird-woman is made from papier mâché, parchment, piano string, wire, linen thread, and paper clay.
The nests are made with parchment, water acrylics, beeswax, and thread.
They hold a total of 10 quails’s eggs, painted from the inside with acrylics.
Detail of “Flight”, sculpture artwork by H. Kurzke, 2019, showing the top view onto the nests.
The tower the bird is sitting on is a found object. I believe it was once a bird feeder but I am not sure how it would have been used.
The bird-woman is made from papier mâché, parchment, piano string, wire, linen thread, and paper clay.
The nests are made with parchment, water acrylics, beeswax, and thread.
They hold a total of 10 quails’s eggs, painted from the inside with acrylics.
Detail of “Flight”, sculpture artwork by H. Kurzke, 2019, showing the head of the bird woman.
The tower the bird is sitting on is a found object. I believe it was once a bird feeder but I am not sure how it would have been used.
The bird-woman is made from papier mâché, parchment, piano string, wire, linen thread, and paper clay.
The nests are made with parchment, water acrylics, beeswax, and thread.
They hold a total of 10 quails’s eggs, painted from the inside with acrylics.
Flight, detail
Detail of “Flight”, sculpture artwork by H. Kurzke, 2019, showing the feet of the bird woman clinging on to the iron cage.
The tower the bird is sitting on is a found object. I believe it was once a bird feeder but I am not sure how it would have been used.
The bird-woman is made from papier mâché, parchment, piano string, wire, linen thread, and paper clay.
The nests are made with parchment, water acrylics, beeswax, and thread.
They hold a total of 10 quails’s eggs, painted from the inside with acrylics.
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