Bottle Tree, 2009,
Charcoal and acrylic on paper,
32 1/8” x 34 ¼”
Willie Birch’s new body of work speaks to endurance. Unlike previous works, In Search of a Sacred Place is void of the human figure, focusing instead on the immutability of nature. Despite that absence, the presence of the human spirit is palpable. Vegetation winds its way over and under and through man-made structures that lay vulnerable to the elements. In examining the resilience of nature in his own backyard Birch reveals this private, humble place to be a microcosm not just of New Orleans, but of the planet.
Birch reminds us to look. If we look closely, we will see that there is beauty and dignity in the wake of disaster. “Creativity is always the other side of destructiveness,” he explains. These works are subtle and introspective, yet laden with symbolism. Particularly powerful, In the Presence of the Orishas reveals a home that has been marked as condemned. Yoruba spirits are referenced, as if to suggest that the soul of the place still thrives. Secrets exposes a boarded up, desecrated, abandoned structure that was once someone’s home. With poetic nuance, this work raises questions about social inequities and marginalized people, forcing us to think of these issues to which we turn a blind eye.
Many works are fragmented, composed of multiple segments of different sizes and various perspectives, which Birch then pieces together to form a whole. Rendered in black and white and infinite shades of gray, one cannot help but wonder if the artist is telling us that there are no black and white answers. In the wake of disasters such as Katrina, and more recently, the tragedy in Haiti, Birch gives us hope. These contemplative works are powerful reminders that, like nature, the human spirit will continue to persevere.
-Britt Miazgowicz