These series of photographs are a representation of 2 things, firstly they document the tradition of owning a pet bird and their integration into life in the home. Showcasing the personality and sometimes eccentricity of the owners through the decor and the subtle hints of the importance of the birds in their lives.
Secondly the concept that overwhelmingly questions the idea of freedom. It is obvious the birds are kept free from their cages, to fly within the looser confines of the home.
A visual metaphor of our own conscious understanding of freedom and its limits and possibilities. Despite this offering of freedom the question arises of its restrictions and wonder if the birds should not have been left in the wild to live the life they were intended.
Leaving us unaware of the protection the owners are providing of the birds who were born tame, they cannot survive in the wild. The birds themselves have become members of the family; nurtured and cared for.
Rachel Glass is a 22 year old Photographer based in Northern Ireland and graduate of Belfast School of Art. Her personal projects are conceptual (and often autobiographical) exploring ideas of freedom, experience and identity. Photographing different subjects to illustrate these ideas, with performative aspects to the work.
Website: www.rachelglassphotography.com
