Friday Egg: We Are All Beautiful

"We Are All Beautiful"

Installation by Katy David

Goose and Ostrich Eggshells, Aniline Dye, Varnish

at

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

February 6 to May 13, 2014

In late December, I was contacted by the Austin airport (ABIA)to see if I might want to display some of my artwork there. There is a series of glass vitrines or kiosks that run along the concourse by the restaurants and gift shops. I jumped at the chance because it is a great way to get my art seen by thousands and thousands of people, more than would see it an a gallery or art show or anywhere else I can think of.

While I was excited to do it, I was also scared because this was going to be a big job. I knew that I didn't want to display the eggs as usual, on stands on a shelf. Displaying an egg that way doesn't do it any favors. I don't think that people really even see them: they just see a decorative egg on a stand, just like their Aunt Gladys used to have in her china cabinet. Instead, I want people to really look and SEE them, to see how the design wraps around the surface and changes color or form. I thought that an unexpected display would jump-start that more creative eye and ask people to actually look and see and experience them for what they really are.

I decided that hanging the eggs in a spiral design would work best and if that is good, then two spirals would be better! The final design in a double-helix with one large ostrich egg in the center. The eggs are hung in descending color relationships, so there is communication from one egg to the other, as if one is descending from its parent above. I like the suggestion of DNA with the double helix and the idea of the egg, the beginning of life. So from that springs the name of the piece "We Are All Beautiful".  It is located across from Gate 11 by the American Airlines security area and next to the Keep Austin Weird gift shop. Coincidence?

Aaaaand I don't have any great pictures of it. We installed it yesterday afternoon and ended up going over the allotted time by an hour, so didn't feel like I could impose and ask for another half hour to really get some quality photos. And I am not sure I could have done any better because the mix of shiny glass and reflective mirror was making even focusing difficult. 

Photo by Troy Campa 

Troy found some beautiful shadows on the floor of the display. 

Photo by Troy Campa

Photo by Troy Campa 

Photo by Troy Campa

Matt of ABIA is in the background helping. Thanks, Matt!

Photo by Troy Campa

I was relieved when we finally got it up and finalized. It was a stressful month ruminating and thinking about all the different options. Stressful in a good and challenging way, but it's nice to have it finished.

Troy Campa and Matt Coldwell, my amazing surgical assistants!

We did lose one goose egg to the construction process. Say goodbye to the Strawberry Swirl:

I am thinking of doing something interesting with my broken eggs. By now I have a few, so look for something in the future. Insides and outsides.

And finally, a big, great, huge, sizable, substantial, immense, enormous, colossal, massive, mammoth, vast, prodigious, tremendous, gigantic, giant, monumental, stupendous, gargantuan, elephantine, titanic, mountainous THANK YOU to Chris David, Troy Campa and Matt Coldwell for all of your help. I couldn't have done it without you!