The Bird Carver

Sometimes doing theology is a matter of getting the cart before the donkey I suppose. Those that wrote the bible saw first and wrote second. This is the case of my writing and artistry, at least here, concerning the redtail hawk that you see here in this picture. Quite unique, isn’t it? A most violent creature, graceful in flight, but death on a wing, sitting on a symbol of the ages. A symbol no less that has been misused and used by generation upon generations even til today. The cross; a symbol of suffering and shame and hope and fear and on and on and you can fill in what it means for yourself. For this project however this bird is using the cross as a vantage point. This place where the hawk is sitting in the picture is on a steeple of a church, Second Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. The steeple sits high above the church and overlooks the grounds of the church, which are affectionately called “the grove”, because the church is located on Walnut Grove avenue. “The grove” is only a few acres in size but amazingly is a treasure trove of wildlife. Squirrels, birds, Coopers Hawks(see my work about Amazing Grace, the Coopers Hawk), and others all make their presence known here.

From the vantage point of the cross, one can overlook all of “the grove” and beyond. And it is from this understanding that I was to soon discover why she was present. On the particular day of the above picture, it was a cool November morning. My family and I arrived at the church, to find the pastor, Dr. Brent Beasley, and several others standing and looking at the steeple cross. There, sitting high above the ground on one of the arms of the cross was this beautiful Red-tailed Hawk. Every once in a while she would look down at us but it seemed to not bother her that she had an audience. Some of those gathered took pictures of her. Over the course of the next several weeks, I was able to watch as she and her mate, would launch themselves on a dive to capture an unsuspecting squirrel or young bird. Even to the date of this writing they continue this practice.

During this time the church began a project of developing a Labrynth, a prayer walk, on the grounds of the grove, in honor of some people who have made quite an impact in the world around them. These people in particular love birds of prey and it was at this point that I put the idea in place to do this particular setting in bronze and place it in the Labrynth, in their honor.

The process of doing the redtailed hawk as a bronze starts with a clay. In the picture above, I have first created a base of wood and then formed the clay over the wood. I wanted to allow the flow of the clay to be the emerging factor with its flow and finger prints rather than the stiffness of wood. After completing the clay, it was then taken to a foundry located close by for the bronzing. Here they do a mold, then create a wax of the piece(see below).

Once the wax is completed then the actual bronzing occurs where they pour the hot molden bronze in a centuries old tradition known as “the lost wax method”. Once the bronze is completed, patina is added to give certain colors and highlights and depth. And for this project I wanted the hawk mounted on a steel cross, representative of the cross on the top of the church.

Here it is installed on the grounds of the Labrynth.

And here is a close up.

The hawk is located near the entrance of the Labrynth. As you begin the journey of the Labrynth, the hawk is looking at you from the cross. And it is here that the impact of the hawk on the cross is felt. Within it’s deep inset eyes, it is asking us a question. No not literally, but figuratively. The hawk says “I sit on this cross, this object of pain and suffering, and it is used as a vantage by which I gain something for living. The question is what will you do with this cross; how will use it or misuse it!”

Here in lies the crux of the cross. On the grounds of Second Baptist, there are a number of crosses, both inside and out. The cross represents so much of who we are. And yet it silently asks, what do you do with the cross. The hawk asks it. How we answer is everything. And for my friends, with whom this piece is given in honor of, they answer it by doing much good in the world around them with what God has given them. Now the question is, what do you do with this cross?

Filed under: Works In Progress on January 29th, 2007