Barbara Bend
Roberts, WI

A murder of crows is really a large gathering of friends and family, they hoover and chatter overhead, they threaten the owls and harass the bears, letting others know something is going on that needs tending to. A crow remembers people and will not forget if you are friend or foe.

They play into the ancient foreboding stories of black magic when they gather and harass someone they see as foe. And then, for others, they are seen as transformative, a connection between the physical and metaphysical world bringing wisdom and enlightenment for those who are ready to receive.

It is the stories that keep us moving through hard times, stories that tell us about ourselves, courage, the past, and becoming. My work explores the power of visual story through overflow remnants. The viewer might find neckties, zippers, buttons, metal loom heddles, or vintage, ethnic, and rusted fabrics. These cultural cast-offs come with their own voice and purpose set in a given time and place. I am compelled to stitch them together, creating movement and continuity, representing a flow of change as the viewer discovers the ‘out of place’ pieces, triggering memories of their own past. The power of the final image is a story that unfolds for the viewer; for me, the artist, it continues to be a journey of exploration and self discovery.