Pamala Bird

I am fascinated by the art and mythology of the great cultures of the past, and my own art is an exploration of what they thought, felt and believed as revealed through their art. I strive to express through my art the wonder I feel at the immense diversity and beauty with which the human spirit has manifested itself throughout the ages. To me, being contemporary includes all our past antecedents that have made us who we are and the present what it is. This is a spiritual quest in which I find a sense of connection with all those who came before me in this human experience, as well as a quest to understand life, humanity, and myself. In my studies I have been particularly moved by the imagery of women and the insights gained from each culture’s stories and mythology about their Feminine Archetypes. Many ancient cultures honored the concept of the “Great Nurturing Mother” as goddesses in their artwork and mythology as well as other feminine attributes such as, wisdom, compassion, and abundance. Something about those ancient images resonated deeply within me. And so I began to create my own icons inspired by the past, which has evolved into a series, “Feminine Archetypes Around the World and Through the Ages”. I approach it as if I were a time traveler creating my own version or interpretation of the concept in a manner that would be recognizable and “readable” to people from that time and place, but they are not copies of existing ancient artworks. I use some of each particular culture’s art styles and iconography, and the attributes of each individual goddess, with a little of the vision of a contemporary woman. There is a great deal of time invested in sculpting each piece, in addition to the time invested in research and design. And then there is the process of creating latex molds, making the paper pulp myself in my kitchen blender from cotton linters, and casting the pieces. Finally I “patinate” them with acrylics and oil washes. Some are left the natural white or lightly pigmented. I am now beginning to cast some in Bonded Bronze (cold cast bronze and other metals). I am limited in pursuing this medium by my financial situation. I hope to have small editions of some pieces in both Paper and Bonded Bronze. More information about my process can be found on my website. www.PamBirdArt.com. The study and creation of these artworks has been enlightening and empowering for me. It has helped me to value who I am, my feminine qualities of nurturing, and to realize the strength in it. With my art I am paying homage to the importance and contributions of women and mothers to life, and society. Motherhood, and grand motherhood, have been and still are a big part of my life. I consider my children to be my greatest works of art. I have worked intensely the last 3 years creating 19 archetypal icons, which will be showing at Dixie State College’s Eccles Fine Art Center, Sept-Nov 2009. Each one is accompanied by an explanation of her symbols, and her role in her culture. What I have done so far is only a sampling of “Feminine Archetypes”. There is so much more to explore. Before moving into Relief Sculpture, Printmaking was my specialty– Intaglio, Woodcut, Collagraph, Monoprint and Serigraph. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, from Utah State University in Logan Utah. I am a native Utahn residing in St. George, Utah.