Gene Bird’s studio practice is anchored in sculpture. The approach to a work, whether an animation or an installation, begins with creating a sculptural object. From here, he follows a story as it inevitably unspools. By merging found elements (including model-making supplies, film props and masks) with deliberately constructed items (carved wood, cast glass and silicone), he crafts chimeric scenarios: uncanny collages that blend elements of his personal psychology, fears of aging and loss, and influences from daily life. He creates an air of unease, a feeling of the uncanny not separate from the world but a reflection of it.
Gene Bird is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and received his MFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Selected exhibitions include Centre d’art contemporain d’Ivry - le Crédac, Flanders Contemporary Art, Tucson Pima Arts Council and the Weisman Art Museum. He also has works in private collections. His parallel career as a photographer has led to appearances in Artnews, Art in America, Artforum and multiple Walker Art Center publications including Merce Cunningham: Common Time, Question the Wall Itself, and International Pop.