| The urban environment has displaced many species, but others such as pigeons and sparrows have found a niche even here. Due in part to our own sense of dislocation from nature, many people look for ways to reconnect with the animal world. One of the most popular is bird watching and feeding. In my web installation "For the Birds," I have embedded a motion-sensitive digital camera inside a homemade feeder. When a bird comes to feed, its picture is taken and uploaded to the internet. Viewers (online or in the gallery) can "visit" the most recent bird to visit the feeder. They can also review bird-movies compiled of past days' images. In this way, the project offers viewers discrete glimpses of the birds that come to eat the seed I put out for them, and perhaps also offers a glimpse of ourselves as we attempt to connect with nature. |