Sant Yago - Birds Revisited

Back in 2014 I was commissioned by Southsea tapas and cocktails restaurant, Sant Yago to make four of my reclaimed, used, disposable barbecue grill birds. They hang in various spots from the light fittings watching the diners, waiting for the chance to snaffle an anchovy. Early in 2015 Sant Yago got back in touch to order another 12. In the meantime, Sarah had managed to collect a set of recycled chairs and a long table. These she had decorated Jackson Pollock style, with drips and splashes of bright primary coloured paint. We decided the new birds would look great as a small 'installation' above the table, swooping down stealing cutlery and maybe a bit of your dinner.

All of these birds are made from used disposable barbecue grills that I collect from Southsea common over the summer months. They are bent and shaped according to utterly arbitrary, self-imposed 'rules' taken from traditional origami. So, no cutting, no adding bits or taking away. This means the birds have a purity of form and space that I really like. However, Sarah wanted them painted to match the table and chairs. I wasn't so sure, but then, I wouldn't have to live with them. So 12 were made, all be-winged and in flight and painted splishy splashy style like Jackson Pollock. At least there were no top hats this time...

Setting them up was a bit of a sod - working up a step ladder on a table. Not exactly H+S friendly. I'm not keen on heights at the best of times. The earlier four are less easy to spot in their natural 'plumage', (although the top hats are a give-away). But I think they all look absolutely brilliant in situ. I'm dead chuffed with them as an installation. 

To frighten the ornithophobes among you even more, there is even a Hitchcock-ian animation on that there You Tube. While I was photographing the set for the blog and other promo, I realised that they would [almost*] fall into a sequence which could be looped, thus making a very basic stop-frame animation. Check it out -> Here :>

[*don't be rude; I know how rough it is!]