The pieces in the exhibit by Debra Ramsay and Leslie Roberts constitute an unconventional taxonomy of birds. Both artists present highly optical, color-focused work made through processes driven by ornithological data. Roberts’s panels hold written lists of bird families or species diagrammed into pattern-like formations. Each of Ramsay’s reductive compositions on translucent slabs captures the essence of a single bird species.

 

Considerable research is embedded in these artists’ work, and for both, the viewer’s visual experience is primary. Like the guides by Petersen and Audubon, these artists’ works catalog ornithological nomenclature and record observations of birds’ plumage and behavior. Ramsay and Roberts translate this data into direct sensory experiences that parallel their avian subjects.’

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Alongside Debra Ramsay's artwork will be QR codes to lead viewers to ‘All About Birds,’ where they can
listen to the sounds of the birds featured in Ramsay's work. This adds an extra layer of sensory experience
to the viewing process, allowing the viewer to not only visually appreciate Ramsay's art but also immerse
themselves in the auditory aspect by hearing the actual bird calls.