Cindy Loehr: Bluebird Burden

Using songs, stories and speeches, my iconic sculptures speak to the audience about emotions of despair, fear and desire. Both familiar and uncanny, past projects include a huge smiling snowman and a circle of towering metallic wings. Although imposing in scale, the sculptures are constructed simply, using familiar materials like plywood, muslin and holiday garland. 

In my project Bluebird Burden, the birds sing “We are only vessels, delivering these words.” This line points to the particular and perhaps peculiar relationship I have with my sculptures as containers for content – something for content to resonate through and off of. This idea mirrors my understanding of humans as containers for emotional content, a topic I continue to explore in my work.The texts and lyrics that I write, either alone or in collaboration, are the driving force of my projects. Using generalized language, cadenced speech, and song, I direct the audience towards a linked, collective understanding of emotional experience.