“Language Of the Birds”

LANGUAGE OF THE BIRDS Brian Goggin with Dorka Keehn 2006-2008(in progress) (A site specific sculptural installation for a new public plaza on the NW corner of Broadway where Grant and Columbus Streets intersect, San Francisco)

“Language of the Birds,” a solar powered zoetropic public art piece, will be be lit at dusk Sunday Nov. 23 in San Francisco near City Lights Bookstore in a choreographed presentation including music by the Extra Action Marching Band and more.

According to the artist’s website

“The language of the birds” was considered a divine language birds used to communicate with the initiated. Here a flock of books takes off from the plaza to fly the urban gullies of the city. The fluttering books have left a gentle imprint of words beneath them. These serendipitously configured bits of local literature reveal the layering of culture, nature and consciousness.

Language of the Birds is a flock of twenty-three sculpted illuminated books, which appear to have just taken flight from the plaza like pigeons scared up by a passer by. Appearing to be in motion, the books have flown open creating various wing positions with the pages and bindings. The entire artwork appears to be in motion with each book holding its position as a bird does in a flock.

Each unique book is fabricated in frosted white translucent polycarbonate. These sculptural elements will be suspended from a geometric web of stainless steel aircraft cables. At night LED lights incrusted in the books will create visual patterns, at different times one might see the flock subtly pulsing or a spectacular zoetropic effect. The dynamic lights of Language of the Birds play in the night sky with the other luminous signs of the area.

Goggin and Keehn teamed up with scientist David Shearer and Lawrence Ferlengetti’s City lights bookstore to power Language of the Birds with solar panels mounted on top of the iconic bookstore.

Passing under the flock, pedestrians will notice words and phrases embedded in the plaza floor that appear to have fallen from the pages. On closer inspection the fallen words are in English, Italian and Chinese and were selected from the neighborhood’s rich literary history. Keehn headed up working with North Beach and Chinatown residents, community organizations, and business owners to select the books. Ranging from the Beats, to SF Renaissance poets and Chinese writers, over 90 authors are represented including Armistead Maupin, Gary Snyder,William T. Vollman, and Jade Snow Wong.

The artists created the design of the plaza floor in Atrium of the SFMOMA. Retaining their original font, individual words from chosen phrases were cast from the third floor gallery of the museum. Words fluttered down 60 feet landing on a paper replica of the plaza thus determining their resting place in the final artwork. Influenced by practices like reading tealeaves and Japanese gardening techniques the artists utilize randomness as a tool to tap into different levels of thought and consciousness. The words intersect in ways that allow for new unique interpretations and meanings.

Goggin conceptualized of the piece during a residency at the Djerassi foundation. “I sat with my understanding of the site, while watching swallows move through the air, they came together to create fleeting compositions. The image of flying books emerged from the idea of culture and nature interconnecting in unexpected ways.” Influenced by the literary genre magic realism, his sculptures bring new life, movement and meaning to familiar objects (as in past works such as Herd Morality where a herd of running tables clamors for escape and Desire for the Other, a centipede like couch that has eaten the rest of the living room furniture.)

Historically “the language of the birds” is referred to in mythology, medieval literature, and occult texts as a mystical, ideal or divine language, or a mythical or magical language used by birds to communicate with the initiated. In Kabala, Renaissance magic, and alchemy, the language of the birds was considered a secret key to perfect knowledge.

Slides showing the project’s construction are here.

A permanent zoetropic solar public art piece! And one which integrates written languages! How wonderful! (Here’s more about a favorite zoetrope from Burning Man 2007.)

I can’t wait to drink the words in!

If you’re in the Bay Area this weekend, on Saturday night the Black Rock Arts Foundation presents “an opulent gathering of tribes in celebration of our artistic treasures and vital community spirit! Partake in an evening of abundant visual delights, auditory pleasures, delectable fare, beguiling libations, and a cornucopia of spectacular people and performances.”

Saturday, November 22, 2008
The Bently Reserve
400 Sansome St.
San Francisco, CA 94111

The event supports the Black Rock Arts Foundation’s mission to inspire art, community and civic participation worldwide. Revel in the richness of human expression, generosity of spirit and camaraderie of artists and visionaries.