As humanity confronts the sixth mass extinction, there is a growing urgency to repurpose discarded materials to mitigate the destructive impact of human industrialization. How can we instead learn from the nature that surrounds us? With a creative and adaptable spirit, the American Bushtit bird has learned to use our discarded materials and abandoned urban landscapes to weave their nests and raise their young. It is a haunting reminder of the cost of human progress, and a bittersweet testament to the enduring power of nature. In the face of the destruction wrought by our species, the Bushtit reminds us that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for survival and renewal.
The installation represents a model of responsible and eco-conscious design, with 100% of the material sourced from Homeboy Electronics Recycling and Homeboy Threads, and returned to Homeboy Industries for sustainable management of chain of custody post-production. Beyond its physical structure, it serves as a powerful performance art piece that speaks to the collective effort required to address the challenges we face. By coming together in this way, we are reminded of the power of action and the boundless resilience of the human spirit.
Installation held at Clockshop LA in collaboration with Homeboy Industries, Homeboy Threads, Homeboy Recycling, USC Landscape Futures Lab, and USC Visions and Voices.
Extinction
MIXED MEDIA SCULPTURE, 2023
72”
Brief: Students were tasked to identify a common bird species residing along the LA river and to create a sculpture emphasizing the bird’s relationship with the surrounding environment.
Approach: Research was conducted to figure out the flight/flock pattern, common diseases, and nest logic of the American Bushtit bird.
Treatment: The students created a sculpture mimicing the drone and trill flight pattern, employing all recycled materials in an effort to emphasize the abundance of waste that resides around — and disrupts — the Bushtit’s habitat along the LA river. The hanging and weaving nature of the sculpture is an ode to the hanging, woven nest logic of the bird.
Designed and Woven by Makaya Tome, Cole Slater, and Yining Wang. Music by Sebastian Sack.