For decades, Texan artist Joseph Havel’s sculptural practice has been rooted in the exploration of the quotidian, casting domestic objects such as shirts, books, bedsheets and curtains in bronze and resin. His exhibition at Dallas Contemporary turns to his everyday lived experience of the pandemic, which he experienced side-by-side with his African gray parrot, Hannah. The works on view, large-scale wall assemblages and never-before-seen resin and bronze totem-like sculptures, began five years ago but evolved and strengthened throughout the course of the global health crisis with the help of the artist’s pet.
The conditions of the pandemic – social isolation and home quarantine, led to greater engagement between Havel and Hannah. Out of necessity, as the artist, like the rest of the world, turned to online shopping, an overabundance of cardboard boxes in various sizes began to arrive. Natural instinct beckoned Hannah, who tore into the boxes, shredding with her beak and talons to create a new kind of habitat, or what Havel calls “parrot architecture.” The artist started assembling these boxes together for the parrot to engage and alter, making her an active participant in this new body of work.
The works in parrot architecture are a result of this engagement but also offer critical commentary on the environmental impact of the pandemic brought on by heightened levels of online shopping and wasteful packaging. Not only do these acts accelerate the climate crisis but also contribute to one of the most serious environmental concerns, the sixth mass extinction, where thousands of populations of endangered species, including the African gray parrot, are under threat.
Following the opening day, the exhibit will be on view through August 21.
For decades, Texan artist Joseph Havel’s sculptural practice has been rooted in the exploration of the quotidian, casting domestic objects such as shirts, books, bedsheets and curtains in bronze and resin. His exhibition at Dallas Contemporary turns to his everyday lived experience of the pandemic, which he experienced side-by-side with his African gray parrot, Hannah. The works on view, large-scale wall assemblages and never-before-seen resin and bronze totem-like sculptures, began five years ago but evolved and strengthened throughout the course of the global health crisis with the help of the artist’s pet.
The conditions of the pandemic – social isolation and home quarantine, led to greater engagement between Havel and Hannah. Out of necessity, as the artist, like the rest of the world, turned to online shopping, an overabundance of cardboard boxes in various sizes began to arrive. Natural instinct beckoned Hannah, who tore into the boxes, shredding with her beak and talons to create a new kind of habitat, or what Havel calls “parrot architecture.” The artist started assembling these boxes together for the parrot to engage and alter, making her an active participant in this new body of work.
The works in parrot architecture are a result of this engagement but also offer critical commentary on the environmental impact of the pandemic brought on by heightened levels of online shopping and wasteful packaging. Not only do these acts accelerate the climate crisis but also contribute to one of the most serious environmental concerns, the sixth mass extinction, where thousands of populations of endangered species, including the African gray parrot, are under threat.
Following the opening day, the exhibit will be on view through August 21.
For decades, Texan artist Joseph Havel’s sculptural practice has been rooted in the exploration of the quotidian, casting domestic objects such as shirts, books, bedsheets and curtains in bronze and resin. His exhibition at Dallas Contemporary turns to his everyday lived experience of the pandemic, which he experienced side-by-side with his African gray parrot, Hannah. The works on view, large-scale wall assemblages and never-before-seen resin and bronze totem-like sculptures, began five years ago but evolved and strengthened throughout the course of the global health crisis with the help of the artist’s pet.
The conditions of the pandemic – social isolation and home quarantine, led to greater engagement between Havel and Hannah. Out of necessity, as the artist, like the rest of the world, turned to online shopping, an overabundance of cardboard boxes in various sizes began to arrive. Natural instinct beckoned Hannah, who tore into the boxes, shredding with her beak and talons to create a new kind of habitat, or what Havel calls “parrot architecture.” The artist started assembling these boxes together for the parrot to engage and alter, making her an active participant in this new body of work.
The works in parrot architecture are a result of this engagement but also offer critical commentary on the environmental impact of the pandemic brought on by heightened levels of online shopping and wasteful packaging. Not only do these acts accelerate the climate crisis but also contribute to one of the most serious environmental concerns, the sixth mass extinction, where thousands of populations of endangered species, including the African gray parrot, are under threat.
Following the opening day, the exhibit will be on view through August 21.
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