COLLAGE. BIRDS. @OLSEN
To collect, to dissect, to reassemble. In the early years of the 20 th century two movements were born. Collage as an art form in its own right, and birdwatching as a pastime rather than a bloodsport. Both are concerned with collecting and chance encounter, and both have been used to challenge existing norms. Work for the exhibition Anni’s Birds began in 2025 during a two-month residency to the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in Connecticut, USA. I knew before I went that I wanted to make collages that combined birds of North America with ones from Australia, a way of contrasting where I had come from with where I found myself. I just wasn’t sure how. On our first day at the foundation, my partner, artist Peter Sharp, went exploring a local book barn while I remained behind, needing a little downtime to regroup. I asked him to see if he could find any books on American and Australian birds and he returned with two gems; American nature wri...