These pieces were part of an exhibition at Wave Hill in 2018, Avis Fauna Birds + Habitat. The point of departure for “The Future is History” were the historical records from Wave Hill dating back to the spring of 1872. Eugene Bicknell was the first of three important naturalists who studied the changes and variety of the bird life in Riverdale and the Bronx. Bicknell was the first to make consistent records; he wrote an index of rare bird sightings, and discovered the Bicknell’s Thrush. I chose this bird to start with for this reason and then discovered as I researched more that it has a rare status as a range-restricted bird and has recently been classified as globally vulnerable. (It is considered a Nearctic–Neotropical migrant and habitat specialist, which gives it a status of high concern).

Birds are historical bio indicators of changes to both the environment and climate. I wanted to explore this idea of shifting baselines in historical records and observations, and how elements and components of habitat and ecosystem health and services are intricate and interwoven. I am interested in revealing hidden aspects of the environment, whether they be ecosystem webs, networks of habitat fragmentation, patterns of migration records which are all present as discrete punctured drawings around the birds, or on which the birds stand.