A Songbird and the Cock

The concept behind this project was to tell the story of masculinity and how it affects women.  In our current political climate, one that is hugely misogynistic, I have felt the need to talk about women’s rights more and more. Thus, A Songbird and the Cock was born. The rooster throughout history has represented power and masculinity, and I chose the songbird to represent women. The chain represents the inability women face to escape the patriarchy and the power men have over our bodies and place in the world. 

Modeling animal forms out of clay is something that I not only enjoy but excel at, and communicates my intent effectively through metaphor. The rooster was glazed and fired with a bland color of glaze base, then gilded with 24k gold leaf in a sporadic configuration as to show some of the surface glaze underneath.  This is to portray the idea that the patriarchy often holds the power but is nothing more than ordinary at the heart of it.  The songbird has a subtle opalescent luster overglaze to show how bright and beautiful femineity is.  The hand-forged steel chain symbolizes how difficult it is for women to escape the patriarchy.  I chose to make the chain myself, rather than using a prefabricated chain, hoping the viewer feels the sweat and blood it took to make while realizing our society makes these chains itself for women to wear.