The Science
This 65cm x 16cm sculptural artwork is part of Chapman’s ‘Fabric Oology’ series; inspired by research and tactile observations of the anatomy, construction methods and architecture of bird nests. The piece highlights the complex courtship behaviour of the male Weaver bird in building a sophisticated structure. This behaviour emerges as a result of sustained evolutionary process (sexual selection).
The word ‘Oology’ refers to a branch of ornithology, studying bird breeding behaviour, eggs and nests. ‘All That Glitters’ pays special attention to materials and the structure of the Weaver bird nest; one of the more elaborate nests found in nature. Similar to the bird, Chapman repurposes otherwise discarded materials and hand weaves them into structures giving them new purpose and avoiding becoming part of landfill.
The title ‘All That Glitters’ refers to the artist’s attempt to expose the emergence of plastic and waste materials in the natural world. It’s globular construction is made solely from glittering plastic waste such as brightly coloured streamers and sweet wrappers. By mimicking the nest building process using un-natural and highly visible materials, the nest is no longer camouflaged; it is now exposed along with the waste materials for all the world to see.
The Artist
Liz Chapman (b. 1984, UK) focusses her artistic practice on biology and natural sciences, along with an interest in technology, heritage and historical treasures. Chapman uses mediums such as textiles, digital technology and recycled materials to record and understand the world around her. Chapman experiments with digital media, photo, moving-image, fabrics, pen and pencil to recreate the qualitative elements and synthetic representation of her everyday environment. Her work is an attentive exploration and intends to express her fascination with science and nature; through abstraction and highlighting the patterns, weave, weft and colour that often go unnoticed.
Copyright statement. This work is published under the CC BY-NC-SA license