Erica Hansen

The Crow Erica Hansen

The Crow: Mirror Muse and Sentinel is a personal reflection on Corvid Mythology and Ecology. Mythical history is full of explanations for the crow's seeming invisibility. As noteworthy as these birds are they are just as easily ignored and dismissed. Every continent has its crow; the most recognized yet rarely considered black bird punctuating the landscape. Still, their abundance and our proximity, have granted us unique insights about and influences on crow culture; and they in turn provoke, challenge and inspire us. By examining ancient descriptions of crow attributes and behavior alongside current ornithological research and corvid ecology, I will attempt to locate the defining factors that imbed our dynamic interrelationship with these birds as well as my own particular fascination with them as an artist.