By Sadie Shields
Plush birds line the walls like specimens in a taxidermist’s collection, accompanied by photographs and inky paintings of telephone pole trees. The Darwin’s Finches exhibit focuses on the natural history between birds and human counterparts. The exhibit opens in the Reese Bullen Gallery located in the Art building on Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. After, it will be free for public viewing from Nov. 12 through Dec. 19.
For artist and art professor at Cal State San Marcos, Eloisa Guanlao, inspiration comes from anywhere – even the smallest feather. What began as an interest in observing birds developed into an artistic interpretation of evolution and environmental change. Guanlao’s interest in birds began while living in Alabama with her partner and two daughters. During hikes and camping trips, Guanlao and her family would search for fossils, observe wildlife and collect feathers that fell from the sky. One of these discoveries – a feather from an endangered bird known as the Cerulean Warbler – began her deeper interest in birds and the changing environment as the world further industrialized.
Guanlao began making stuffed bird puppets in 2016 by repurposing old fabric from outgrown clothing as a sustainability practice and for sentimental value. She wanted her daughters to be part of her creative process, allowing them to learn hands-on instead of keeping them away from her studio.
“I started using their outgrown clothes and made stuffed birds,” Guanlao said. “So that when they come in, they can play with it. They were so young, and I wanted to be with them, and so that was a great way for them to come into my studio.”
Guanlao’s interest in evolution played a major role in the development of the exhibit. The Beak of the Finch by Jonathan Weiner, a book about scientists studying the evolution of finches on the Galapagos Islands inspired the project and its name.
“It’s a really great book, and it’s just about the people who looked at Darwin’s finches, you know the Galapagos,” Guanlano said. “It was a bunch of scientists that actually saw in real time that the finches evolved over a number of years and so I thought that was really cool and interesting.”
Alongside her interest in evolution, Guanlao uses artwork to draw attention to the environmental challenges birds face – from urbanization to noise pollution, artificial lighting and tall buildings. In Darwin’s Finches, she displays historical photography techniques used to document and classify wildlife.
“It’s just so many things that disrupt their natural rhythm, and how they go about,” Guanlao said. “Just feeding them from your backyard affects their movements.”
Through Darwin’s Finches and future installations, Guanlao hopes to create opportunities for people to engage with science and the natural world by creating an environment where visitors can ask questions and talk to one another about the subject presented.
“I really like students. I really like the faculty, and also the people in the community coming in,” Guanlano said. “So they’re ready to talk, they are ready to engage and I really like that.”
Sadie is a reporter with an interest in covering and taking photos for sports and science. Reach her at sls331@humboldt.edu.