Jenny Kendler: Inspired by Bowerbirds

Jenny Kendler

Jenny Kendler is an interesting artist I found when researching environmental art in general. She is not only a studio artist but also an "environmentally-minded social entrepreneur," or so her the bio page on her website states.

Her Bio also says that "She is co-founder of the artist website service OtherPeoplesPixels, and oversees the The OPP Fund, which gives grants to arts, environmental and social justice organizations."

So not only does she make her own environmentally oriented art but she helps others to do the same. I like her already. 

Kendler's artist statement (brief verbal representation written by artist about their work) asserts that her artwork is primarily about "humans beings' relationship with the natural world, focusing on the complexity of issues like extinction, habitat loss, mutualism and climate change."

Kender uses a variety of mediums: drawing, painting, sculpture, installation pieces and even some performance art pieces. (Feel free to look at the rest, I just picked my favorite.)

My favorite piece of hers is a sculpture/installation piece called "My Bower I". It was inspired by the Bowerbirds that live in New Guinea and Australia. The male bowerbirds make these really intricate structures made of twigs and then proceed to decorate them with objects that they find, both natural and man-made. The objects differ from species to species, there are 20 species in all. I believe Kendler's piece was inspired by the Satin Bowerbird but I found a better video on youTube talking about the Vogelkop Bowerbird:

 Super nifty, but back to the artwork... here is Kendler's version:

Got this from here

I enjoyed her bower quite a lot. The twigs she used are arranged very tightly at the bottom but loosening up as you get towards the top, ending in a very fluid, whimsical kind of crazy hairdo. There is also an element of fragility or delicateness to this piece. The twigs themselves are very fragile and as individuals would probably break easily but woven together make themselves strong which I find really interesting. 

I'm also a huge texture person, so all those crazy lines made by the twigs just make me want to look and look and them maybe touch them, but carefully. The two finger touch you tell little children to use on animals.

Kendler's artist statement goes on to talk about how there is an element of "myth, magic, and fantasy" to her work; I think this piece captures that aspect exceptionally well. It reminds me of some sort of fairy hideout, the kind of thing I always hoped to find when out on camping trips when I was little (ok, now too). Probably why I like it so much.

In the side info on her website, she says that she gathered objects from around her hometown and some of her favorite places to decorate her bower. It looks like a few abalone shells and some tree trunk slices for the inner sanctum. And maybe some star-like ornaments and other bead-ish looking objects decorating the outside. But overall, keeping in her color scheme of neutral browns, some yellows, white and iridescent highlights. Very pleasing to look at all-in-all. 

But what a neat idea.

Taking on the role of the male bowerbird and creating a place to help attract mates, or perhaps in Kendler's to just show a little of herself on a natural stage. 

What kinds of things would go in your Bower?