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The six "horse-birds," in
Family Reunion, are the result of much artistic trial and error.
There were many
challenges to resolve, as
the series progressed, from
Animus and
Best Foot
Forward.
Even though, aesthetically,
each horse-bird can stand alone, the six are shown as a unit,
representing Nannette's family from her youth. Bird #1 was
the last of the six, to be created, and the
only bird with a mane. This bird represents
Nannette, and is
significant because the mane continues into
her
next
series.
Bird # 2,
her father,
stands proud and ready to protect his family.
Her mother,
Bird # 6,
sits on the tallest base, at the far end of the
piece, surveying
her family unit. The remaining three birds are
Nannette's siblings.
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While pondering how to present the six birds, Nannette saw a
group of sea gulls swooping down, to land on their respective
pylons; she thought of her siblings living in different areas of
the country and "flying in" to see their parents.
It seemed
fitting to
have her bronze birds sit on pylons, as well. To simulate the pylons, Nannette searched for old railroad ties. Care
was taken to clean, dry, and fumigate them; after the moisture was
removed, she filled the
crevices and applied many layers of clear protective coating; each tie
was then screwed to it's new home, a black square base.
In 2004,
Family Reunion was
included in an exhibit,
A Selection of Works by Seven Maryland Sculptors,
at the
Governor's Mansion
in Annapolis MD.
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1989: Donated, by the Mano Swartz
Family,
to the
Permanent Collection of Maryland Artists;
housed at the
University of Maryland Adult Center, College Park, MD
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