SPOTLIGHT

"Collisions" by Sarah Fischer

Photo courtesy of the artist.

"Collisions" Project Statement
As both an artist and a biologist, I seek to combine my interests in science with my skills in printmaking. Though the disciplines of art and science are commonly interpreted as being on opposite sides of the academic spectrum, they can be symbiotic. To me, these two disciplines exist on a continuum that functions as my personal dialectic. I hope to encourage viewers to engage in bird conservation through my work.

The series "Collisions" addresses the issue of bird-window collisions. For two years I conducted independent scientific research to investigate these window collisions on the Ball State  University campus. This research is based on the fact that approximately one billion birds collide with glass structures annually. Birds are essentially unable to sense glass and frequently collide with it; these collisions are often fatal. From August 2014 through May 2016, I collected 158 bird carcasses representing 46 species from 18 families. It is my hope that this body of work will raise awareness about this problem. 

Photo courtesy of the artist.

Photo courtesy of the artist.

Photo courtesy of the artist.

Photo courtesy of the artist.

Photo courtesy of the artist.

Photo courtesy of the artist.

Sarah Fischer is an artist-ornithologist who combines their interests in art and science to benefit both people and birds. Their prints and drawings have been exhibited both nationally and internationally. Sarah has a BFA in printmaking and a BS in biology from Ball State University, and they are currently a graduate student at the University of Toledo studying the annual life cycle of the Gray Vireo (Vireo vicinior), a migratory southwestern songbird. Though the disciplines of art and science are commonly interpreted as being on opposite sides of the academic spectrum, they can be symbiotic. Sarah works primarily in printmaking and glass, and incorporates ecology research to broadly explore under-representation, queerness, and gender identity. 

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