Wings of Wonder: Towering Works of Nature

For the Atlanta Botanic Garden in Gainesville Georgia exhibition, Wings of Wonder: Towering Works of Nature, on view March 27 – October 31, the Myth Makers: Donna Dodson & Andy Moerlein created a new sculpture, Flannery’s Peacock, and loaned a pair of existing cardinals, “Love Long Last” for the Myth Maker’s debut in Georgia.

Flannery O'Connor is a great American author and essayist whose writings are deeply connected to her Georgia home. Her style of Southern gothic fiction exposed the conflicts of the human soul in the universal search for spiritual redemption. She surrounded herself with very few humans and an abundance of peacocks.

The peacock is an extravagant bird with many different interpretations in myth and legend. They are a symbol of integrity and the beauty we can achieve when we endeavor to show our true colors. In Jewish lore, the peacock is a symbol for joy and creativity, whereas Chinese mythology associates the peacock with the sweet harmony of sound. For many, its magic iridescent feathers evoke the cosmos.

The cardinals that are seen as harbingers of good health, renewal and loving relationships. Each bird is 15 feet tall and, although monumental in scale, these ephemeral works are temporary in nature – they are made from natural materials such as bamboo, tree saplings and found objects, meant to last only several years before fading away.

The Myth Makers partnered with Claudia Wilburn, Associate Professor, Department Chair for Art & Design and Director for the Center for the Arts & Design at Brenau University on this project. Wilburn’s students worked with the Myth Makers to install their sculptures on site and in the process, the students learned about their bamboo building techniques.