This collaboration began as a response to some similar experiences that we both shared with our great-grandmothers. I have fond memories of saving food scraps for the large amount of birds that my great-grandmother cared for. Over the course of many years my great-grandmother had begun to attract quite a large amount of little friends that were always ready for her to come out and feed them. I decided that using a bird as a reliquary for the small intimate book that Adam and I created would be a great image to represent this similar familial history of the bird. The color scheme that I chose for the bird was influenced by a recent trip that I made to Mexico. Throughout this trip I began to explore this culture and how it views death. The bright use of color that adorns many headstones was the main reason that I chose these vivid colors. When using these bright colors in the context of death, it became evident that their loved ones were truly celebrating the individuals what had passed away. This bird and the book inside have become a testament to the lives of our great-grandmothers.
Victoria Hogan
The content of the book is in response to my great-grandmother's struggle with Alzheimer's. The most difficult part of the disease was, no doubt, her memory loss. As a young boy it deeply affected me that, in the later years of her life, she was unable to remember who I was. Shortly after my great-grandmother passed away, there was a bird that seemed to visit my family regularly. With the grief still burdening me, it was comforting to think that perhaps this bird was a sign from her to help me during my grieving process. It was easy for me to make this association since I had often spent time with her, feeding the birds.
Adam Stoves
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