Birdtrash

Birdtrash is an artist living in Houston, Texas and is primarily focused on printmaking, painting, and drawing (additional focuses include sculpture and installation work). After attending printmaking classes at The Printing Museum, they completed a two year residency at Burning Bones Press, working under the guidance of Carlos Hernandez, Pat Masterson, and Cathie Kayser. Awarded a scholarship for advanced printmaking in 2019 at the Glassell School of Art, birdtrash continued to develop their body of work with instruction from Alexander Squier. Currently, birdtrash is an active member of the Houston printmaking community, participating in exhibitions, portfolio exchanges, markets, workshops, classes, and volunteer opportunities.

Artist Statement:

Through my work I contemplate the surreal, dreamlike nature of reality, and seek to express what cannot be conveyed otherwise; it is a conversation invoking psychedelic shamanism, archaic revival, and the collective unconscious. I am focused on expressing undercurrents of reality that may sometimes go unnoticed or overlooked.

I have a strong reverence for the natural world. I am an avid gardener, and reflect upon my work as an ongoing process that is subject to seasons, weather, discipline, and discovery. The work itself is important to me; it is not a means to an end, but the actual point. The finished piece is not a destination, but part of an ongoing journey. With each new project comes a new set of discoveries; my goal is to communicate these discoveries by building narratives with them, in order to better contribute to the conversation at hand.

The word birdtrash refers to a found object that may have previously been lost or discarded, something a bird would maybe take with them to their nest. Maybe this object is shiny, oddly shaped, or a different color than it’s surroundings. It stands out just on the edge of one’s vision, and may be interesting only to the person who picks it up. It’s only value is the value with which it is suddenly imbued when it is collected, suddenly treasure when a moment ago it was trash. Ideas can be like this, too; junk until they are important. I am cataloguing garbage into worthfulness.

Instagram: @birdtrash