avian architecture and bird hairdos by karley feaver

avian architecture and bird hairdos by karley feaver
halcyon smyrnensis bunbundo, 2013
mixed media; taxidermy white-throated kingfisher, synthetic hair, stripped coque rooster feathers, 24k gold leaf, wood, lacquer paint

using mixed materials like plumage, hair, gold, and paint, new zealand artist karley feaver creates exotic creatures and nests with a strangely familiar and surreal aesthetic. transforming found birds — all of which are ethically sourced and have died of natural causes — from stagnant figures to sculptural objects, the reconfigured animals are fitted with extravagant hairdos. ponytails, mohawks, dreadlocks, and braids are styled onto the colorful fowl, some with shining gold-painted beaks, granting each a personality, identity, and singular charm. habitats fashioned from both human and synthetic hair weave new interpretations of traditional nestings, modeling a novel type of avian architecture. ‘I am interested in the scientific, intellectual and aesthetic reasons behind the re-creation of the animal,’ feaver explains. ‘I am exploring how each one could exist in a domestic setting by adapting to their surroundings.’

nuptial plumage of lanius schach bundoplait, 2013
photography; photograph on ilford galerie fibre gold paper
920 x 670mm framed. includes a 60mm border around the photograph
edition of 6 prints only | no artist proofs | signed on back | available framed or unframed

turdus merula bundus, 2013
mixed media; taxidermy common blackbird, synthetic hair, stripped coque rooster feathers, 24k gold leaf, wood, lacquer paint

oriolus kundoo mohawkus, 2013
mixed media; taxidermy indian golden oriole, rooster feathers, grizzly rooster feathers, human hair, 24k gold leaf, wood, lacquer paint

oriolus kundoo plaitiolus, 2013
mixed media; taxidermy indian golden oriole, human hair, grizzly rooster feathers, acrylic paint, 24k gold leaf, wood, lacquer paint

lanius schach divasius, 2013
mixed media; taxidermy long-tailed shrike, rooster feathers, human hair, 24k gold leaf, wood, lacquer paint

ardeola bacchus speciosa, 2013
mixed media; taxidermy pond heron, dyed spey rooster cape, grizzly rooster feathers, 24k gold leaf, wood, lacquer paint

cyanopica cyanus henatia, 2013
mixed media; taxidermy azure-winged magpie, dyed hen feathers, grizzly rooster feathers, stripped coque rooster feathers, 24k gold leaf, wood, lacquer paint