Audio By Carbonatix
Although she may mask her real identity with her artist pseudonym, there’s no hidden message in the art that Birds Are Nice creates. The Miami-based artist wants people to stop taking art and themselves so seriously. With her cartoon-like happy birds and ability to use an array of media, Birds Are Nice seeks to create viewer-oriented work with a childlike approach.
Less than six months old, Birds Are Nice’s work is currently on display at the Mörker exhibition at the Calix Gustav Gallery. The exhibition has themes of childhood and dreams, two of Birds Are Nice’s best subjects.
By day, the artist behind Birds Are Nice works in a
conservative, academic environment, but at night, her real talents
come alive. “I hate rules. Most days I am ready to crawl out of my skin by the time I
get home, so it was time to get rid of all that and make things that
make me happy,” the artist says. Instead of approaching her work with a
critical eye, Birds Are Nice wants the viewer to just have a good laugh.
With a BFA in ceramic sculpture, she explains the switch to
graphic and visual design saying, “Clay was very limiting to me and took
so long. I have the attention span of a three-year-old. I really
consider myself self-taught now because I am learning animation,
painting, screen printing, and new sculpture techniques on my own.”
Using traditional and digital methods, the artist’s work consists of
characters and illustrations that are meant to provoke ideas about urban
life while extending happiness. Her humorous take on art is portrayed
with pieces such as love somebunny, which displays a graphically
designed baby in a bunny suit. She’s also fond of taking her art beyond
Miami and into odd places. Birds Are Nice stickers have been found on
walls, vehicles, and other objects around town. So don’t be surprised if
you see a truck drive by with a little black bird by the name of Lester
on it.
Why the fascination with cartoons and birds? “I have been watching and
drawing cartoons since I was little. I own birds and have always used
birds in all my artwork throughout my life,” the artist explains.
In her current exhibition at the Calix Gustav Gallery, Birds Are Nice
displays a piece that is a tribute to vintage Heckle and Jeckle
cartoons. The Home Sweet Home installation hosts a video of the first
Heckle and Jeckle episode. It’s also interactive: Viewers have to place
their head inside a bird house to watch the video.
“I get bored going to
regular shows and just looking at the same old things on the walls. I
guess it is still the little kid in me that has to touch things I am not
supposed too!”
For this year’s Art Basel season, Birds Are Nice will be busy painting
the wall outside the Calix Gustav Gallery. Her design is a secret, though, so
you will have to stop by to see it. If you can’t wait till then, you can
buy Birds Are Nice work from the gallery. Her apparel and
prints will soon be available online.
